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PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — E. V. Korunova. THE PROBLEM OF ESTABLISHING A NUCLEAR-WEAPONS-FREE ZONE IN NORTHERN EUROPE DURING THE COLD WAR: GEOPOLITICAL ASPECTS AND SECURITY DILEMMA

The article examines the attempts to establish a nuclear-weapons-free zone (NWFZ) in Northern Europe during the first decades of the Cold War. The text provides a comprehensive overview of the discourse within governmental circles, with a particular emphasis on initiatives undertaken by the USSR and Finland. It also offers a detailed analysis of the stance adopted by the Scandinavian states on this subject. This study will focus on the argumentation of the parties, the influence of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and the factors that prevented an agreement from being reached.

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PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — M. A. Averyanov, A. B. Gekht. THE CRISIS OF THE FRENCH COLONIAL SYSTEM: THE EMERGENCE AND ACTIVITIES OF THE OAS

This article examines the phenomenon of the Secret Armed Organisation (OAS), a farright terrorist group that emerged in the early 1960s amidst the collapse of the French colonial empire and Algeria’s struggle for independence. The paper explores the historical circumstances leading up to the organisation’s creation and the underlying motivations of those who joined its ranks. The publication provides a comprehensive overview of the OAS’ historical development, delineating its fundamental objectives and the violent means employed to realise them. Moreover, the study examines the societal response to the movement and the underlying factors that led to its eventual failure. It also acknowledges the substantial historical legacy bequeathed to both France and Algeria by the movement, in addition to its influence on popular culture. Acknowledging the dearth of scholarly attention this topic has received in Russian historiography, the research aims to fill this academic gap, emphasising the modern relevance of understanding the French Fifth Republic’s political experience with colonial wars.

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PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — A. Yu. Fomin. THE MILITARY REVOLUTION IN TURKEY IN THE REPORTS OF RUSSIAN OFFICERS

The article examines reports by Russian officers on the political situation in the Ottoman Empire during the political crisis that led to the Young Turk Revolution. During this period, in addition to the official military agent at the embassy in Constantinople, the Russian General Staff also received information about the situation in Turkey from Russian officers serving in Turkish Macedonia. These officers were part of an international mission to oversee reforms in the province, which had been initiated at the insistence of the great powers. Russian officers operating within Macedonia functioned as agents of Russian influence within the European portion of the Ottoman Empire. A primary aspect of their mission involved the collection of intelligence regarding the prevailing circumstances in the region. In 1908, Colonel I. A. Holmsen, a military agent in Constantinople, and Russian officers in Macedonia, in connection with the aggravation of the internal political situation in Turkey, took a particular interest in the mood in the Turkish army and the activities of the Young Turk organisations.

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PHJ № 2 (50) 2026 — N. M. Medvedeva. THE ENEMY OF MY ALLY OR MY ENEMY: REPRESENTATION OF RUSSIA IN THE WORKS OF THE BRITISH CARTOONIST W. K. HESELDEN, 1904–1905

The article provides an analysis of the representation of the Russian Empire in the works of the British cartoonist W. K. Haselden, which were published in the tabloid Daily Mirror between 1905 and 1906 The primary focus of the study is the transformation of Russia’s image against the backdrop of the Russo-Japanese War. The analysis of 97 cartoons reveals that, despite Britain’s formal neutrality, the British cartoonist’s visual rhetoric was predominantly critical and hostile towards Russia. Thematic analysis identified predominant themes, including images of threat, guilt, belligerence, and weakening. The internal and foreign policies of the Tsarist government, as well as the actions of the Russian fleet, were subject to criticism. The study concludes that W. K. Haselden’s cartoons functioned as a tool for shaping public opinion by simplifying complex international processes into a binary friend-or-foe framework.

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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.

PHJ № 1 (49) 2026 — A. A. Ivanov. AN ACCIDENTAL DIPLOMAT: ALFRED WILL KLIEFOTH AND THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION OF 1917

The revolutionary events of 1917 had an impact not only on domestic political, economic, socio-cultural institutions and international processes, but also significantly influenced the worldview of the participants. For some of them, the rise of the Bolsheviks and the subsequent civil war became a traumatic experience that led to a significant shift in their system of values. At the same time, the internationalization of the military-political confrontation in Russia allowed foreign military personnel, intelligence officers, and diplomats to gain practical experience in dealing with socialist parties and develop their skills in countering them, which became a factor in their career advancement. It was the experts who served together in the American Embassy in Russia during the Revolution and in the American Military Mission during the intervention who later formed the core of the divisions responsible for analyzing relations with USSR in the U. S. Department of State. One of these specialists was Alfred Will Kliefoth, whose career allows us to understand many of the implicit aspects of the Soviet-American confrontation in the early years of Soviet rule. This article explores the evolution of the beliefs of A. W. Kliefoth during the early stages of his diplomatic career — from pacifism to anti-Bolshevism. The research is based on the documents of American government agencies, writings and interviews by A. W. Kliefoth, as well as the works of Russian and foreign historians.

PHJ № 1 (49) 2026 — V. M. Tarelko. YMCA ACTIVITIES IN RUSSIA DURING WORLD WAR I: ORGANIZING ASSISTANCE TO GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN PRISONERS OF WAR

This article is an attempt to consider the history of humanitarian assistance to German and Austrian prisoners of war, provided by the YMCA organization during the WWI: to summarize the results of the activities of organization’s secretaries in the camps located in the Kiev, Irkutsk, and Turkestan military districts, to identify the features, nature and mechanisms of their work. The article is based on materials from the American periodical press and archival sources stored in the funds of the Russian State Historical Archive and the Russian State Military Historical Archive. The author conclusion is, that in a short period of time, the YMCA has achieved significant success in providing assistance to prisoners of war. This success was entirely due to the tireless work of the YMCA secretaries in the field, which was sometimes complicated by the significant extent of the territories entrusted to them, the lack of railway service, and severe weather conditions. The implementation of the YMCA program depended entirely on the personal qualities of the secretaries, their involvement in problem solving and diplomacy, which ensured effective contact with both prisoners of war and the military commandant’s office. YMCA’s work in Russia constituted the largest and most extensive international initiative to assist prisoners of war, providing both material support and opportunities for intellectual and cultural development. The article also analyzes the impact of this work on Russian-American relations and on the humanitarian policy of the United States during the war period.

PHJ № 1 (49) 2026 — L. A. Gerd. FRANCO-RUSSIAN RIVALRY IN EASTERN THRACE (1856–1870S)

The end of the 1850s and the 1860s were a period of the highest tension in the Greek-Bulgarian counter-action in the church-national question. The struggle of the Bulgarians against the Greek high clergy was used by the diplomacy of the powers (Russia, France and Great Britain) for strengthening of their influence in the Balkans. The Russian representatives supported Orthodoxy, while the French diplomats and missionaries tried to convert the Bulgarians into the Union with Rome. The article is focused on the methods of struggle of the Bulgarian population of Adrianople and Eastern Thrace, used by the secular and religious agents of the concurrent powers (Russia and France), and the results of their activities. Basing on the reports of French diplomats conclusions are made concerning the missionary work in the colonial policy of France in the third quarter of the 19th century.

PHJ № 1 (49) 2026 — N. A. Zherlitsina. FRENCH-OTTOMAN RIVALRY IN MAGHREB FROM 1830 TO 1848, BASED ON RUSSIAN AND TURKISH ARCHIVAL MATERIALS

The article is devoted to the study of the formation of French colonial policy towards Maghreb countries, as well as the analysis of the Ottoman Empire’s policy to protect its North African provinces from European encroachments. The work examines the entire period of the July Monarchy in France, that is, from 1830 to 1848, which allows us to draw conclusions about the goals, objectives and methods of colonial expansion of the French authorities in Maghreb. An analysis of the policy of the Ottoman Empire towards its Maghreb provinces during the period under study shows that the Sublime Porte was not indifferent to the events on its western outskirts and played a much more active role than has been previously believed in historiography in attempts to resist the European powers. The novelty of the study also lies in identifying the methods used by each of the empires in attempts to attract the Maghreb countries into their orbit of influence. France and the Ottoman Empire resorted to both violent methods and the policy of “soft power”, as well as provocations and intimidation. The article examines not only the policy of the great powers, but also the position of the object of this policy — the authorities of the province of Tunisia. The analysis of the documents shows the desire for independence of the Husseinid dynasty of Tunisia, an attempt to achieve it by playing on the contradictions between the great powers. The author comes to conclusion that the period 1830–1848 prepared the ground in Maghreb for French expansion in the following decades.

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PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — Yves Franquien. RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS AND DIPLOMATIC GEOGRAPHY. WHO REPRESENTED RUSSIA’S INTERESTS IN SAN FRANCISCO AND WHERE THE IMPERIAL RUSSIAN CONSULATE AND ITS SUCCESSOR WERE LOCATED, 1852–1924

This study of the history of the service of Russian diplomats in San Francisco from 1852 to 1924 is based on American and Russian periodical, literary and archival materials, as well as on the author’s personal local history research. Of interest is that prior to arriving in San Francisco many of them had experience in serving in Eastern Asian countries, rather than in European ones and in conducting business in North America. It is noteworthy that during the period from 1886 to 1900 the Russian consuls married US citizens. It is shown that the Russian consuls represented with honor the interests of the Russian Empire and were held in high regard in American society. Biographies, periods of service and residence addresses in San Francisco are provided for consuls and vice-consuls Stewart, Kostromitinoff, Klinkofstrom, Niebaum, Weletsky, Rosen, Olarovsky, Artsimovitch, Kozakevitch, Rogestvensky, Wywodzeff, and Romanovsky. Also provided in this article are photographs of four of them, published for the first time.