2025

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — V. A. Shkerin. A DISPUTE BETWEEN TWO GENERALS ABOUT SERFDOM

Those who participated in the Decembrist movement from its inception and disassociated themselves from it no later than the dissolution of the Union of Welfare (1821) were, in general, not subjected to retribution. Those who were released during the investigation (frequently even without personal participation in it) or emerged from the trial completely cleared of suspicion accounted for half of all the defendants (290 people). It is evident that a considerable proportion of individuals belonging to the secret society who evaded retribution and were subsequently punished indicates that one of the primary outcomes of the Decembrist movement was the edification of liberal-oriented figures during the second quarter and the middle of the 19th century. The article examines the attitudes of two generals and major administrators of the Nicholas I era towards the problem of exploitation of the labour of serfs. One such individual is V. A. Glinka, the chief head of the Ural mining plants, who, during his youth, was a member of the Decembrist Union of Prosperity society. The second is the director of the Imperial Military Academy and proprietor of metallurgical enterprises in the Urals, I. O. Sukhozanet, who is most renowned for personally directing the artillery bombardment of the Decembrist rebels on 14 December 1825. Sukhozanet advanced the argument that the manufacturer’s right to “baptised property” should be defended, proposing that for enlightened nobles, the management of serfs constituted a form of public service, an obligation to “direct the masses of uneducated people to strict subordination”. Glinka, however, was diametrically opposed to this. Without delving into the broader discourse on the prospects of serfdom, he advocated for stringent legislative oversight of the duties and rights of factory workers, thereby curtailing the prerogatives of the breeders.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — P. V. Ilyin. MEMOIRS OF THE “SURVIVING” PARTICIPANTS OF THE DECEMBRIST MOVEMENT: FEATURES OF A RETROSPECTIVE VIEW

This represents a novel approach in historiography, whereby the memoirs of participants in clandestine societies and rebellions of 1825 who evaded a court sentence are regarded as a distinct category of Decembrist memoir sources. The diaries and memoirs published by members of the movement who were subjected to extrajudicial repression, released from punishment, or not involved in the investigation (F. N. Glinka, P. Kh. Grabbe, F. P. Litke, S. P. Shipov, and others) contain various kinds of descriptions or references to the previous Decembrist experience of memoirists. The article, in its concise form, underscores the author’s perspective on the memoirs of the “survived” Decembrists. These memoirs make references or omit information regarding participation in clandestine organisations, as well as involvement in the investigation into the political movement during the era of Alexander I. The article provides commentary on the concealment of their affiliation with such organisations, along with other distortions and omissions that are characteristic of memoirists within this series. The article employs a chronological approach to grading the memoirs, meticulously categorising them based on the time of their creation. This systematic grading method ranges from notes that emerged during the events of 1825–1826 to subsequent autobiographical recollections. Following an initial analysis, conclusions are drawn about the attitude of the “surviving” members of the Decembrist movement to their political past. This ranges from denial or concealment to recognition of belonging to secret societies and the conspiracy of 1825.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — P. V. Sedov. OLD BELIEVERS IN THE VVEDENSKY TIKHVIN MONASTERY IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 17TH CENTURY

The article under scrutiny here focuses on the Old Believers of the Vvedensky Convent in Tikhvin in the latter half of the 17th century. The author conducted a detailed analysis of the adherence to the pre-Nikon rite in this convent, utilising newly obtained archival data as a foundation for their research. The authorities of the neighbouring Great Dormition Monastery utilised accusations of schism against the Vvedensky elders in a protracted land dispute, which subsequently served as the impetus for the eradication of the pre-Nikonian rite in that locale. For many years, the residents of the monastery maintained the traditional church rite. However, under pressure from the Nikonian authorities, they repented and did not openly resist. This tendency was prevalent among a significant proportion, perhaps even the majority, of Old Believers, a strategy that enabled them to endure adversity and maintain their spiritual beliefs in the face of oppression from the authorities.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — V. G. Vovina-Lebedeva. PEASANT ELECTIONS IN VERKHOVAZHYE AT THE TURN OF THE 17TH–18TH CENTURIES

The article under scrutiny herein undertakes a thorough analysis of the election documents of 1704 for the Pezhemskaya volost, which have been preserved in the Archives of the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences. These materials serve to supplement extant information regarding Pezhma for a previously documented period, and have been incorporated into the scholarly discourse for some time. The analysis demonstrates that the peasants of the Pezhemskaya volost were compelled to hold elections in 1704 to fulfil certain obligations to the state on at least 17 occasions. Nevertheless, the notion of a total elective principle that became entrenched in the lives of northern peasants during the 17th century is not without its limitations. In the event of a clear and demonstrable connection between the world and state power through the elected, the internal life of the volost, which did not concern the collection of taxes or other duties to the authorities and was outside the electoral traditions, remained largely in the shadows.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — D. V. Timofeev. REGULATION OF INTER-VERBAL INTERACTIONS AND THE SERFDOM ISSUE IN RUSSIA IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE 19TH CENTURY

In Russia during the first quarter of the 19th century, the quest for solutions to the issue of serfdom was inextricably intertwined with the government’s policy of regulating interactions between various estates and intra-estate groups within Russian society. The article, which is based on an analysis of archival materials, presents an analysis of the content and focus of discussions on measures to prevent the fraudulent sale of peasants and the development of ways to introduce a contractual model of relations between peasants and landowners. In this context, the article presents an analysis of the arguments of senators, members of the Department of Laws of the State Council and the Council of the Commission for the Drafting of Laws, expressed during the discussion of the draft submitted by the Minister of Internal Affairs O. P. Kozodavlev on allowing all free Russian subjects to acquire populated lands. Consequently, rhetorical techniques, semantic accents and ideological attitudes were employed to justify the rejection of the proposed measure, thereby demonstrating, firstly, the recognition of the importance of maintaining state control in the sphere of interclass relations and, secondly, the understanding of the need to transition from a model of precedent-based response to private abuses of power by landowners to a model of preventive resolution of potentially possible conflict situations through the introduction of the practice of contractual relations.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — M. A. Kozlova. CASES OF “INSULTING HIS MAJESTY”: DETECTION MECHANISMS, MOTIVES OF PARTICIPANTS AND THE REACTION OF THE AUTHORITIES IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE 19TH CENTURY

The present study is devoted to an examination of criminal offences committed against the Majesty in the first quarter of the 19th century. The article under scrutiny here elucidates the intricacies of recordkeeping, the processes involved in investigating cases, and the procedures for court decisions. The materials of the archives of the Senate and the State Council, which contain information on the procedure for filing charges, forms of denunciation and procedures of proceedings, are analysed. The difference between the approach to this type of crime at the local and central levels is demonstrated. It is imperative to undertake a thorough examination of the sources of information and to meticulously record any conversations that had a detrimental effect on the image of the monarch. The objective of the present study is to achieve an in-depth understanding of the historical process of the formation of the punitive policy of the Russian Empire regarding state crimes.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — T. V. Andreeva. M. M. SPERANSKY AND “SANNIKOV LAND”: THE POLAR EXPEDITIONS OF F. P. WRANGEL AND P. F. ANJOU. 1820–1824

T. V. Andreeva. M. M. Speransky and “Sannikov Land”: The Polar Expeditions of F. P. Wrangeland P. F. Anjou. 1820–1824 // Petersburg Historical Journal, no. 4, 2025, pp. 133–147. DOI: 10.51255/2311–603X_2025_4_133 Abstract: In the early 19th century, the Russian Empire confronted a significant geopolitical challenge: theexploration of its northern territories. This undertaking was informed by the findings of domestic geographical surveys conducted during the 17th and 18th centuries. A notable example of this endeavour was the ‘Great Northern Expedition’, which took place from 1733 to 1743 under the direction of V. J. Bering. It is evident that since the onset…

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — A. T. Urushadze. THE CAUCASUS GOVERNANCE REFORM OF 1844–1845 IN GOVERNMENT DISCUSSIONS AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE

The article is devoted to the reform of the administration of the Caucasus in 1844–1845. This transformation was connected with the appointment of M. S. Vorontsov to the post of the Caucasian governor with broad administrative rights and privileges. The article offers a new approach to the analysis of this historical event. Firstly, it is emphasized that the expansion of the rights of the head of the regional administration occurred as early as 1842. Secondly, it is argued that after deciding to appoint Mikhail Vorontsov to the Caucasus, Emperor Nicholas I was forced to formulate special conditions for this appointment. This came as a surprise to State Secretary M. P. Posen, who supervised the transformation of the regional administration. The administrative rights and prerogatives of the Caucasian governor were determined as a result of a discussion about the contents of the supreme rescript to the Caucasian governor. The article is based on both published and archived historical evidence.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — A. V. Rozhina. INSURANCE OF CHURCH REAL ESTATE IN RUSSIA 1860–1870: THE FIRST EXPERIENCE OF ALEXANDER NEVSKY LAVRA

The study of insurance of church real estate commenced in the late 19th century, yet this subject remains under-researched. The church was a prominent socio-cultural institution within the Russian Empire during the 19th century. The article presents the findings of a study conducted on the insurance of buildings at Alexander Nevsky Lavra, which was undertaken in conjunction with an initiative to establish economic provisions for the compensation of expenses incurred in the event of a fire. In the 1860s and 1870s, the following structures were insured: the buildings of Lavra in Saint Petersburg, located on Nevsky Prospekt, Shlisselburg Prospekt, the embankment of the Black River, the embankment of the Great Neva, the music hall, the stable yard on Blackcrake Street and the brick factory. A thorough analysis of archival materials and published legislative acts has been conducted, revealing the features of insurance of church real estate in commercial societies on a voluntary basis. The acceptance of ‘on a risk’ of church property proved to be a lucrative undertaking for insurance companies. Initially, two companies claimed to insure the Lavra property: the Russian Insurance Company and the Saint Petersburg Insurance Company. This occurred during the 1970s. In the 19th century, the insurance of real estate was conducted by the Commercial Insurance Society. Insurance played a pivotal role in the preservation of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra property, as evidenced by the compensation paid in the event of fires, thereby enabling the restoration of damaged structures. The practice of insuring church buildings on a voluntary basis in the late 19th century was highly relevant, as it facilitated the effective organisation of the process of mutual insurance of church real estate on a mandatory basis at the beginning of the 20th century. An examination of the insurance business and acceptance ‘on fear’. The buildings belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church contribute to our understanding of the specifics of economic development in Russia during the years of the Great Reforms. They also demonstrate the search for solutions to economic mechanisms that protect property from fire.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — S. S. Kurochkin. D. A. MILYUTIN’S VIEWS ON THE BALKAN POLICY OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN 1861–1877

This article provides an examination of the political standpoint adopted by Dmitry Milyutin, Minister of War of the Russian Empire, with regard to the policy of the Russian Empire in the Balkan region during the period 1861–1877. The analysis of official data and personal sources from the minister’s personal archival fund has revealed a divergence of views between him and the Foreign Minister, Alexander Gorchakov, on the issues of international relations related to the ‘Eastern question’. This research has enabled the investigation of the search for solutions to international crises arising from the internal instability of the Ottoman Empire. The present study draws upon a range of historical sources to provide a detailed examination of the military cooperation that was established between the Russian Empire and the Principality of Serbia during the 1860s. The present study has sought to analyse the personal sources related to the period of the Great Eastern Crisis (1875–1877) to investigate the participation of Dmitry Milyutin in the decision-making process that led to the declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire.