Historiography

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PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — B. A. Nikishin. THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF POWER IN THE POLITICAL WORLDVIEW OF PAUL I: RESEARCH SOURCES AND CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY (1994–2024)

The paper deals with the evolution of Pavel Petrovich’s political views on the state structure of Russia in contemporary historiography (1994–2024). This examination is based on a thorough study of key sources and the identification of factors that significantly influenced the formation of Paul I’s philosophy of power. The general atmosphere of the Enlightenment era, Pavel Petrovich’s close communication with his tutors, the role of book collections in the Grand Duke’s libraries, complex relations with the Empress and her favourites, and the heir’s exclusion from participation in state administration are noted. An analysis of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich’s notes has the potential to facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the transformation of political thought in Russia during the transition from the 18th to the 19th centuries. By the conclusion of Catherine II’s reign, the discrepancy between Enlightenment ideals and the rapidly evolving historical landscape had become increasingly evident. It is evident that Pavel’s perspectives underwent a transformation, evolving from the constitutional principles espoused by N. I. Panin — D. I. Fonvizin system of governance is characterised by its extreme centralisation and regulation, which are indicative of a militarypolice system of governance.

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PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — A. V. Ashikhmin. THE ADMINISTRATIVE-TERRITORIAL STRUCTURE OF PRE-REFORM RUSSIA: THE EVOLUTION OF HISTORIOGRAPHICAL CONCEPTS

Administrative and territorial changes have been a subject of considerable interest in historical literature for over 150 years. Indeed, they constituted an integral part of state reforms during the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries. Concurrenting with the evolution of historical conceptions concerning these transformations (notably the reforms initiated by Peter the Great and Catherine the Great), methodological frameworks employed for the study of the territorial configuration of the empire have undergone significant refinement. During the historical transformation of these issues, several significant models can be identified. They include the transition from historical and statistical methods in the late 18th and early 19th centuries to positivist studies in the Imperial period, followed by a period of neglect of the topic in Soviet historiography. This was followed by a revival of interest and the return to historical and geographical studies. The recent post-Soviet interest in this area has resulted in the emergence of both new positivist works of high quality and works that challenge recent historiographic approaches, such as “new imperial history”, modernization theory and regionalism. The historical understanding of the role of administrative-territorial divisions in state reform in the Russian Empire represents a promising area for research, supported not only by recent publications but also by the presence of specialised institutions both in the capital and in major cities across the country.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — A. P. Bekhter. IRINA LEVINSKAYA: A NEW LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY ROMAN BOSPORUS

The article is dedicated to the memory of Irina Alekseevna Levinskaya. The main purpose of the essay is to show the uniqueness of Levinskaya as a researcher who combined in her scientific work such seemingly incompatible topics as the study of ancient lapidary epigraphy of the Bosporus and biblical studies. Levinskaya’s works have significantly changed our understanding of the ethnic, political, religious and cultural life of the early Roman Bosporus, showing traces of the presence of Jews since the 1st century AD.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — V. V. Vedernikov. VALK’S HANDSHAKE. MEMORIES OF HIS LAST STUDENT

The author of the publication is one of the last participants in the special course of a major Russian scientist, source specialist and historian S. N. Valk. The author, who was in close contact with his supervisor in 1972–1974, notes the peculiarities of the scientist’s work with the student audience, his approach to choosing research topics, and points out the difficulties that arose in the process of communication between students and teachers and ways to overcome them. At the Soviet university, Valk was a living bearer of the traditions of the St. Petersburg historical school and sought to pass on these traditions to his students. The author provides facts indicating the historian’s interest in the social movement in the country. Attention is paid to the controversy between Valk and A. L. Nikitin, which attracted the attention of both scientists and students. A number of episodes characterize the scientist’s everyday habits. The article is published to mark the 50th anniversary of S. N. Valk’s death.

PHJ № 2 (46) 2025 — S. V. Lyubichankovskiy. THE ROLE OF V. V. RADLOV IN THE SCIENTIIFC STUDY OF CENTRAL ASIA

Vasily Vasilyevich Radlov (1837–1918) was an outstanding Russian ethnographer, linguist and orientalist whose work had a major impact on the study of the peoples of Russian Central Asia. While working in Orenburg, Radlov collected unique materials on the languages, folklore and culture of the Turkic peoples, which formed the basis of modern Turkology. The article examines his contribution to scholarship, research methods and the importance of his works for understanding the cultural heritage of Central Asia.

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PHJ №1 (45) 2025 — I. M. Basov. HISTORIOGRAPHY OF THE PRINTING HISTORY OF THE POLISH KINGDOM IN THE 15TH–16TH СENTURIES

The article provides a historiographical overview of studies of early polish printing. During the period of the 18th–21st centuries, approaches, methods, and points of view on this issue changed repeatedly. The purpose of the article is to highlight trends in the development of the printing history studies, as well as to identify current problems in the study of the Polish Kingdom press. The history of printing has gone from a descriptive direction of science, focused on local subjects and bibliographic summation of knowledge, to an analytical direction, within which, in addition to history, various social and humanitarian disciplines (sociology, cultural studies, philology, linguistics, economics) find their place. To some extent, this is typical for all areas of historical science, but in the field of printing history, the perception of the role of printing press in the cultural development is essential. The appearance of works on the early printing history of the Polish Kingdom from the 2nd half of the 20th century was dictated both by a fairly large level of accumulation of knowledge on the subject and by the development of relevant social theories of communication. The departure from the Marxist metanarrative has brought the research of Eastern European historians into line with the work of Western colleagues, as a result of which historiography is now significantly theorized.

PHJ № 1 (37) 2023 – G. N. Ivanov. The Treaty of Nystad in the history of Sweden and Swedish historiography

In Russian scientific literature the signature of the Treaty of Nystad is seen as a milestone event. A great number of scholarly works focused on the significance of the Treaty of Nystad to Russia and its place in Russian history. However, such approach overlooks the views of Swedish society on its significance and subsequent reflection of the Treaty of Nystad in the history of the country. The present work is intended to fill this gap and reveal whether the Treaty of Nystad is perceived as a significant event in the history of Sweden.