PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — Table of contents
Contents of the issue of Petersburg Historical Journal №2 (50) 2026
Petersburg Historical Journal № 2 (50) 2026
PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — N. V. Bashnin. THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF TSAR IVAN IV TO THE TRINITY SIYA MONASTERY AND THE CANONIZATION OF ANTHONY OF SIYA
The article focuses on analysis of the financial and material contributions made by Tsar Ivan IV Vasilyevich, also known as Tsar Ivan the Terrible, to the Antonievsky Monastery. In the span of nine years, the monarch’s contributions to the monastery amounted to a substantial sum of 2,200 rubles, a significant amount for the 16th century. These contributions coincide with the preparations for the canonization of Anthony of Siya, a figure with whom Ivan IV was personally acquainted. The newly appointed bishops, Alexander, Archbishop of Novgorod and Pskov (a disciple of Anthony of Siya), and Bishop Varlaam of Vologda and Velikaya Perm, in whose diocese the Siya Monastery was located at that time, also assumed responsibility for this. Anthony’s biography was written in two versions, one by monk Jonah and the other by Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich. It is evident that the receipt of substantial financial resources, which were most likely utilised for various purposes, including the preparations for the canonization of Anthony of Siya, played a significant role in this development. This was further compounded by the political climate and the relationship between the tsar and the diocesan lords.
PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — O. A. Abelentseva. JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS IN THE ASSUMPTION TIKHVIN MONASTERY IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 17TH CENTURY
The present article examines judicial proceedings in the Tikhvin Dormition Monastery, which was granted the right to judge the population of the estates. Utilising court cases from 1648 to 1660 as illustrative examples, this study undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the subject matter of the claims filed, the administrative procedures employed for case processing, their structural configuration, the terminology utilised, and the composition of the personnel responsible for conducting investigations and rendering decisions in cases of varying importance. Furthermore, the study examines instances of reference to the Cathedral Code of 1649 when sentencing and decisions that conflicted with its provisions. This finding suggests that the monastery elders regarded it as essential to undertake a moral evaluation of the circumstances giving rise to the trial when determining sentences.
PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — G. K. Vsevolozhskii. RETIRED PETER THE GREAT’S ARMY OFFICERS AND THE HERALDRY OFFICE: THE NATURE AND CONDITIONS OF INTERACTION
This article examines the communication between the retired Peter the Great’s Army officers and the Heraldry Office that kept records of the Russian military population in the 18th century. The present study focuses on the nature, causes, place and duration of this intercommunication, the context around it as well as the officers’ abilities to influence the institution’s decisions in order to meet their needs. The main sources employed in the research are the Heraldry’s case book and the “skazkas” of the retired officers, all written in 1727. The methodology is based on the “new history of government” approach which considers the essential characteristics of the work of government agencies, recognizes the importance of everyday clerical work and studies the interaction of men and state as a complex mosaic of diverse interests. The analysed data demonstrates that visits to the Heraldry Office were significant for all the officers. The “skazkas”, which partially served as the basis for extracts, reflect that they tried in every possible way to depict themselves as “old and decrepit” and share that they had suffered many wounds during their military service. In comparison, there are fewer complaints about wounds and more references to valor in earlier “skazkas” collected by the College of War. In a quarter of cases the Heraldry Office staff added information about the officers’ merits to the extracts. Often “skazkas” provided valuable details about the age, literacy, and financial status of the retired person. Although the time limit for completing the case could be different for each officer, predominantly it was 1 month.
PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — S. A. Nikonov. CATHERINE HARBOR — THE FISHING BASE OF THE BELOMORSKAYA COMPANY IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY
The article deals with the construction of a fishing base of the Belomorsky Company (1803–1813) in Catherine Harbour, Kola Bay. The creation of the Company was the result of cooperation between large merchants and the state, which aimed to develop European technologies for fishing and hunting, as well as access to international markets. One of the directions was the organisation of whaling. The Catherine Harbor was supposed to provide an earlier exit of ships for hunting in the ice-free Barents Sea. The merchants of Kola — brothers A. I. and D. I. Popov, carried out the construction of the settlement in the harbor. They hired builders, delivered materials. The company’s management was a full-fledged settlement, in which, in addition to residential, warehouse and outbuildings, a church will be built. It was also supposed to melt the fat of marine animals here. The death of the whaling ship Graf Rumyantsev in 1806 forced the abandonment of the idea of a trading post. Before the liquidation of the Company in 1813, the harbor played the role of a transshipment base, where ships were unloaded and loaded, and products were shipped to Arkhangelsk and Northern Norway.
PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — A. I. Razdorsky. PROJECT OF THE MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS D. N. BLUDOV FOR THE REORGANIZATION OF THE NORTHERN PROVINCES OF THE EUROPEAN PART OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE (1838)
The article provides an analysis of the proposals set out by the Minister of Internal Affairs, D. N. Bludov, concerning the reform of the administrative-territorial structure of the six northern provinces of the Russian Empire (Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Novgorod, Olonets, Pskov, St. Petersburg). These proposals were outlined in a draft entitled A New Delimitation of the Provinces of the European Part of the Country, which was presented to Emperor Nicholas I in the spring of 1838. The prerequisites that gave rise to this project are outlined (the revealed imperfections of the administrative-territorial division that emerged as a result of the Catherine provincial reform of 1775–1785, the changed geopolitical and demographic situation). The key provisions of the draft concerning the European part of the Russian Empire are listed, and the list of provinces and regions whose borders were intended to be altered is provided. The following information is provided: firstly, details of the planned changes to the provincial and county borders of the northern provinces; secondly, information on the territorial composition of the new Velikoustyug province; and thirdly, information on the establishment of new county towns in the north of the country. The following information is provided on the consideration of Bludov’s project by government authorities, including the attitude of Emperor Nicholas I and members of the Russian government (Minister of Finance Ye. F. Kankrin, Minister of State Property P. D. Kiselyov, Minister of Justice D. V. Dashkov), as well as some governors of the northern provinces (Olonetsky and Vologda). The reasons why Bludov’s project could not be implemented are considered, and the individual provisions of the project that were implemented during the Soviet period are noted. The source base of the article consists of documents stored in various collections of the Russian State Historical Archive.
PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — F. A. Seleznev, M. V. Surovova. STROGANOVS AT THE ALL-RUSSIAN EXHIBITION OF 1896: ADAPTATION OF NOBLES-ENTREPRENEURS TO THE REALITIES OF THE REFORMED ECONOMY
The article examines the adaptation of the Stroganovs, a noble entrepreneurial family, to the conditions of the capitalist economy. This examination is based on materials from the All-Russian Industrial and Artistic Exhibition of 1896. Recent studies have revealed that the Stroganovs introduced substantial modernisation processes in metallurgical production and salt extraction during the post-reform period. The exhibition materials illustrate the flexibility of the Stroganovs’ economic strategy, as they sought to enhance the competitiveness of their production. This objective was realised through the augmentation of their product range, which was contingent not only on progressive borrowings but also on the development of new equipment, instruments, and technologies. The Stroganovs were consistently proactive in their provision of social support for both current and former employees and their families. This support took the form of hospitals, schools and provisions for the care of elderly and ill workers. In circumstances where local sources of coal and oil were absent, and given the complexities involved in the transportation of purchased fuel, S. A. Stroganov maintained firewood as the foundation of the fuel base. However, he attached great importance to the preservation and reproduction of forests, regarding them as the primary source of fuel. The transition to a capitalist economy, characterised by competition, resulted in an increased significance of advertising. In this regard, the Stroganovs demonstrated a commendable ability to maintain contemporary engagement, as evidenced by their increasingly active participation in exhibition activities. By the close of the 19th century, members of the Stroganov family demonstrated a high level of adaptation to the economic realities of the postreform era. In general, the noble industry of the Ural region has exhibited both the readiness and the capacity to adjust to a capitalist economic framework.
PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — D. A. Barinov. STUDENT FRATERNITIES OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE: FROM NATIONAL TO POLITICAL
Modern historiography of higher education convincingly demonstrates that national organisations(primarily regional associations) were among the most representative in the student environment at the turnof the 19th and 20th centuries. The author of the article attempts to trace the transition from politicizationof such associations to political struggle. Using materials from St. Petersburg University, it was possible todemonstrate that some political, neutral (cultural or economic) organizations of a national nature fell intothe orbit of larger radical parties, which often fought for influence over a specific circle. Other associationsgradually gained popularity and became independent parties / movements that claimed pan-imperial andregional coverage (the Belarusian Socialist Community, the Revolutionary Ukrainian Party, the Latvian “New Current”, etc.). At the same time, the movements that formed, despite their democratic slogans, were of anintellectual nature and arose far from the people whose interests they planned to defend. Agitation work wastransferred from large cities to the periphery later. The creation and politicization of national organizationswas facilitated by the democratic student environment, which the Tsarist government was powerless tocontrol. Upon entering the university, a young person became involved in public life and, indirectly, in formsof political struggle, which was encouraged by the illegal status of even non-political communities.
PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — I. A. Kontsevoi. STRANGERS AMONG THEIR OWN: THE LEFT SOCIALIST REVOLUTIONARIES IN THE ELECTIONS TO THE ALL-RUSSIAN CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
The article examines the issue of a participation of the Left SRs in the elections of deputies to the All-Russian Constituent Assembly. Based on materials from the periodical press and archival documents, the election campaign of the Left Socialist Revolutionaries is examined and the main goals of the leaders of this political force are determined. The author shows that in Petrograd the tactics of the left wing of the Socialist Revolutionary Party during the elections consisted of agitating voters for the electoral lists of the Socialist Revolutionary party. This tactic allowed as many Left SR candidates as possible to become deputies of the Assembly. However, in some regions of Russia, the Left SRs put forward independent electoral lists or called on their electorate not to support the SR party. Wherever the Left SRs put forward their own lists, they failed to gain the support of a large number of voters. The election results for the Left Socialist Revolutionaries were unsuccessful, since this party was only just forming as an independent force, and in many regions of Russia its organizations were small. The article also analyzes the composition of the Left Socialist Revolutionary faction, which, according to the author’s calculations, was represented by 43 deputies, which amounted to 5.6 % of the total number of members of the Constituent Assembly. All Left SR deputies were elected from single lists of the SR Party or in coalition with the Ukrainian SRs. For the Left SRs, participation in the elections was an important step towards separating from the SR party and creating their own party identity.
PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — V. V. Shishkin. PYOTR RAGUN — PIERRE RAGUN, TRANSLATOR FROM FRENCH UNDER IVAN IV AND FEODOR IVANOVICH
The article is devoted to the reconstruction of the main milestones of the biography of the translator in the service of Ivan IV Vasilyevich and Feodor I Ivanovich, Pierre Ragon, who appears in Russian sources as Peter Ragun. Drawing upon documentary sources of French origin, albeit notably incomplete and fragmentary, it can be argued that the subject in question is a small nobleman from Champagne who served at the Russian court during the 1580s and was twice dispatched as the royal messenger to the French court of Henry III. The text puts forward hypotheses regarding the reasons for his presence in Russia and traces his fate upon his return to France.