Abstract: The subject of this research is the projects of zoning and administrative-territorial structure of Lower Volga Region, developed by the scholars of Tsaritsyn (Stalingrad) in the early 1920’s. Based on the results of the knowledge of history, geography and productive forces of the region, such compositions suggested the original view of the prospects of regional economic development, as well as administrative-territorial structure of the Krai. Studying of the zoning projects allows tracing the projects of the fundamental economic and administrative restructuring and their implementation during the first years of Soviet government. As demonstrated by the conducted research, the projects of administrative-territorial and administrative-economic reforms, carried out in the Lower Volga Region over the period of 1920’s – 1930’s, were developed on the early 1920’s. In 1928, was established the Lower Volga Oblast in accordance with the project, formulate by the Saratov researchers. However,  as a result of the reforms of 1930, 1932 and 1934, in three stages was implemented the project of Tsaritsyn (Stalingrad) Scholars of the early 1920’s.

Abstract: The research subject is the activity of the Russian government agencies on the central and regional levels in 1700-1760s in collecting information necessary for the study of the state’s territories in earth science and historic-cultural spheres, with the help of preparing and sending out particular surveys, as well as the result of this work – reports, answers to the surveys, books written on their basis. During this period scholars began a complex scientific study of Russian territories, with regard to which the named series of questions allows to trace how the development of the new methods of scientific mastering of the territory occurred, how the scientific study of these territories was tied to the actual government policy on the military-political and economic reclamation of the country’s regions. The research was conducted on the basis of the principles of historicism and objectivity with the application of the textual criticism and historic-comparative methods, and the method of systematic analysis. As a result of the conducted research it has been established that in 1700-1710s the collection and comprehension of the information regarding the geography, history, ethnography of Russian regions was carried out in the extreme conditions of constant military operations and implementation of vast government reforms. After the end of the Northern War, which chronologically coincides with the passage of the Tsaritsynskaya Watch Line that reduced the military pressure in the Lower Volga region, as one of the main means to collect information for the study of the region came to be used the distribution of surveys, the answers to which were prepared by the local clerks. The organization of surveys at this time, was primarily connected with the activity of several outstanding scholars, who realized the necessity of composing a general historical and geographical description on the Russian Empire – I. K. Kirillov, V. N. Tatishev, M. V. Lomonosov and G. F. Miller, and was not part of the constantly conducted government policy. Surveying allowed to accumulate information on the Russian regions, including on the Lower Volga region, in the Academy of Sciences and the Senate, but this method of collecting empirical material had a whole series of shortcomings, which under the existing conditions could not be overcome.

Abstract: The subject of this research is the historical essays of the early XVIII century, in which along with other issued, were examined the problems of history of the Lower Volga Region (diaries of Peter the Great’s travels, “Short History of the Great Northern War”, “Core of the Russian History”, as well as works of the foreigners who traveled or served in Russia – Bell, Perry, Strahlenberg, de Bruijn). The work defines the circles of the questions on the Lower Volga Region history, which presented the interest for these authors, as well as characterizes their contribution into the study of regional history. The conducted research demonstrated that in the early XVIII century, the issues associated with the history, modern status and prospects of development of the Lower Volga Region were analyzed, as well as materials on this topic were created. These essays differed from the previously existed traditions of description of history in their approaches towards understanding of the past, form, and methods of the work with the source. These compositions comprised the foundation for the main directions of further study of the history of Lower Volga Region during the XVIII-XIX centuries:


Examination of events of the regional history in the context of history of the Russian State;


Study of the historical problematic within the works dedicated to the comprehensive research of territory of the Russian Empire in geographic, economic, and ethnographic regard.