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PHJ № 3 (47) 2025 — A. V. Lomakin. FROM ILYICH TO KUMACH: THE POETIC DESIGN OF SOVIET HOLIDAYS ON THE AIR OF LENINGRAD RADIO IN THE 1950S AND 1970S

The article is devoted to specific works of fiction — poems written for the public holidays of May 1 and November 7 and played on holiday radio broadcasts in Leningrad in the 1950s and 1970s. Based on the documents of the Central State Archive of Literature and Art of St. Petersburg, the thematic diversity of festive poetry is studied, its functions in festive narratives and the Soviet holiday as a whole are revealed, special attention is paid to the motivation of writers and poets when fulfilling a state order to create poetic agitation. Poetry “on occasion”, written for the Leningrad radio committee by local poets, was most often dedicated to V. I. Lenin, the Great October Socialist Revolution, Leningrad, and the Communist Party. The poems not only complemented the announcers’ comments about the parades and demonstrations on the Palace Square, created a festive mood, but also carried a certain ideological load and performed an educational function. At the same time, these works were usually performed without specifying the authorship, and later the authors did not include them in their printed collections. The participation of poets and writers in the creation of artistic texts for radio broadcasts can be considered a kind of fulfillment of a state order, in which each individual author could have his own motivation, whether it was establishing relations with the authorities or making easy money.

PHJ № 2 (46) 2025 — A. I. Rupasov. VOTERS’ WISHES AS A SOURCE FOR THE STUDY OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION IN LENINGRAD (FIRST HALF OF THE 1960S)

The article analyses the wishes of Leningrad voters expressed at meetings with deputies of the Supreme Soviets of the USSR and the RSFCR, city and district councils in the first half of the 1960s. Attention to these documents is determined by two points. First, the blurring of the general picture of the socio-economic situation in Leningrad, which occurs when dealing with historical studies of the initial period, namely the stage of “transition to the stage of completion of the foundations of the construction of communism”. Secondly, the rare use of such documents in the analysis of the socio-economic situation. The study of the above-mentioned documents allows us to highlight both the full range of problems in Leningrad in 1960–1965, and the extremely limited possibilities of the city authorities to solve them, due to the lack of financial resources and the dynamics of the city’s growth.

PHJ № 1 (37) 2023 – F. K. Yarmolich. The level and quality of life of a Leningrader in the 1950–1960s (on the materials of the leisure sphere)

In the article on the basis of the materials of Leningrad of 1950–1960s such element of the everyday life of a city dweller as the leisure sphere is scrutinized. The author pays his attention to the number and geographical location of cultural institutions in the urban space, the variety of forms of recreation and their financial affordability. Having analyzed these aspects the article assesses the extent to which the altered standard of living of a Leningrader during this historical period correlated with the quality of his life. 

PHJ No 4 (36) 2022 – V.L. Piankevich. Review of the collection of documents: Blockade in the decisions of the leading party bodies of Leningrad. 1941–1944. Parts I–III. STPb. 2019–2022

The collection of documents is a continuation of the work on the publication of official documents on the World War II and the blockade. Together with published documents of personal origin, the new edition significantly expands the source base for research on the history of the defense and Leningrad blockade. This is a unique, first, complete, specific publication of the most important documents of the highest regional authorities and administration, almost all of which (98%) were previously kept in secret. The published documents make it possible to study the most important issues of military production, the supply and distribution of food, the management of Leningrad and the Leningrad Region, the economy and urban economy, etc.

PHJ № 3 (35) 2022 – A. I. Rupasov. Activities of the Leningrad City and Regional State Arbitration Courts in 1943–1944

During the war, the desire of the Leningrad City Court of Arbitration to extend the scope of its competence, in spite of the reluctant and negative attitude of the local executive authorities, was partly fulfilled in the practice of its activities. As a result, the Leningrad State Arbitration acquired the features of an administrative body, a managerial body.