Abstract: The article is devoted to the activities of the Minister of Internal Affairs A.A. Makarov during the newspaper campaign against Grigory Rasputin in January-March 1912. In preparation for the elections, the leader of the Octobrist party, A.I. Guchkov, decided to use attacks on the government and the supreme power as the main tool, one of which was a newspaper campaign against Grigory Rasputin, who was close to the imperial court. Nicholas II demanded that the Minister of Internal Affairs stop publications of this kind, however, Makarov could not fulfill the emperor's instructions, and the newspaper campaign stopped only in the spring of 1912 in connection with the events at the Lena gold mines. Public opinion reacted to the current situation by spreading persistent rumors about the imminent resignation of the Minister of the Interior, however, the emperor postponed the adoption of this decision. The study of this problem allows us to reconstruct one of the mechanisms of political struggle in the form of newspaper campaigns and assess its impact on the functioning of the "updated" state system in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the twentieth century. The methodological basis of the research is both general scientific methods (analysis, descriptive method) and general historical methods (historical-comparative, historical-systemic), which allows us to create a complete picture of the domestic political situation in Russia at the beginning of 1912. This study has a scientific novelty, since this problem is currently poorly studied and is mentioned in historiography in the context of other plots. In addition, the research is based on archival materials, as well as publications in periodicals of the early twentieth century, introduced into scientific circulation in recent times. The following conclusions were formulated in the course of the study: 1) The Rasputin theme temporarily left the pages of periodicals and did not lead to the immediate resignation of A.A. Makarov, but, nevertheless, significantly damaged the reputation of the minister in socio-political circles. 2) Nicholas II was somewhat disappointed in Makarov, since the newspaper campaign against Rasputin affected the private life of his family, and Makarov, in turn, could not comply with the emperor's request to stop publishing materials about the "Siberian elder".

Keywords: Public opinion, Periodical press, Rasputin, Alexandr Alexandrovich Makarov, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Internal policy, Russian empire, Emperor Nicholas II, Vladimir Nikolaevich Kokovtsov, Oktobrists

Abstract: The subject of the study is the personal history of the outstanding Russian composer S.V. Rachmaninov and other representatives of the national musical culture of the late XIX – early XX century in the historical space of the Southern coast of Crimea. The literature has repeatedly suggested that composers and musicians played a significant role in the formation of the "cultural landscape" of the Crimea of the late XIX – early XX century. However, as the authors of the article have seen studying the history of country resorts formed on the Southern Coast at the beginning of the XX century, there are still a lot of "white spots" on this "historical and cultural map". The elimination of these gaps makes it possible to fill in both the history of the Southern Coast of Crimea and biographical information about cultural actors. With the help of complex work with historical sources – documents from the State Archive of the Republic of Crimea, reference and bio-bibliographic literature, ego documents (memoirs, correspondence), including ones that have been poorly introduced into historiographical circulation, the history of S.V. Rachmaninov's stay on the Southern Coast of Crimea is reconstructed, his visits are placed in the context of the historical space in flux. The circumstances of S.V. Rachmaninov's stay on the Southern Coast of Crimea in the late XIX – early XX century have been clarified or re-established, and related historical monuments and places in Simeiz, Mishor and Yalta have been identified. The reconstructed pages of life and creative activity on the Southern Coast of Crimea by S.V. Rachmaninov, M.A. Stankevich (Golostenova), F.I. Chaliapin and their circle of colleagues, relatives, friends and acquaintances from among the creative intelligentsia, South Coast summerfolk, patrons and patrons of cultural life undoubtedly complement the picture of a rich cultural life in the historical space of the Southern Coast Crimea in the late XIX – early XX century, contributing to understanding Crimea as a important place of "historical memory" of Russia.

Keywords: history of Russian culture, musical culture, comprehensive source studies, cultural landscape, Simeiz, Yalta, The southern coast of Crimea, Stankevich, Chaliapin, Rachmaninoff

Abstract: The subject of the article is the political behavior of one of Stalin's greatest opponents, Grigory Yevseevich Zinoviev, in the period between his first expulsion from the party at the end of 1927 and his arrest on charges of Kirov's murder in December 1934. Zinoviev's letters, speeches and statements to the party leadership are analyzed, through which he tried to achieve the main goal of returning to the party and to political activity. It is established that Zinoviev has an internal struggle between public speaking and maintaining his own political attitudes. These "torments" and "tosses" caused distrust of Zinoviev from the party leaders and led the hero first to a psychological breakdown, and then to political death. The materialistic concept (in particular, historical determinism) is used as a tool. The method of psychohistory is also used to analyze the inner world of a politician and the motivation of his actions. An analysis of Zinoviev's activities as a vivid example of the political behavior of a communist oppositionist allows us to draw the following conclusions: 1) Zinoviev's behavior during the period under review was determined by his return to the party, preferably to a leadership job. The basis for achieving the goal was the recognition of the impossibility of further opposition struggle, which could lead to a split of the CPSU(b), as well as general agreement with the policy of collectivization and industrialization that had begun; 2) The content of Zinoviev's appeals to various governing bodies, including I. V. Stalin, changed according to the situation inside the party leadership. 3) The calculation was not just to return to the party and to the leadership, but to take part on Stalin's side in the fight against Bukharin. The party leadership saw this and used it for psychological breakdown. 4) It is incorrect to consider Zinoviev's political behavior as a classic "double-dealing". He did not conduct anti-party work and did not reject the foundations of the party line. But his behavior led at the end of 1932 to a psychological breakdown and a rejection of his own political self. Finally, Zinoviev's "torments" and "throwing" stopped at the end of 1934. He died as a politician. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the very formulation of the question, the introduction of unpublished Zinoviev documents into scientific circulation, consideration through one of the leaders of the party and the oppositionist of the mechanism of strengthening Stalin's personality.

Keywords: All-Union Communist Party, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, double dealing, internal party struggle, The left opposition, The oppositionist, The Zinovievites, Grigory Yevseyevich Zinoviev, totalitarianism, the cult of personality

Abstract: The author of the article studies the process of forming the image of "Rasputin the traitor" during the First World War. The negative image of Grigory Efimovich began to form long before 1914. He was multifaceted: at first, Rasputin's detractors considered him a religious conman who posed as a "man of God", then he was accused of interfering in the management of the Church, as well as influencing the personnel policy of the supreme power. From the moment of the first failures at the front, an image of a traitor who acts in the interests of Germany began to form in relation to Rasputin. The mechanism for popularizing this image was rumors, newspaper publications and public speeches by deputies of the State Duma. The culprit behind the formation of the image of a traitor in relation to Rasputin was largely himself. On the eve of the Great War, the "Elder" Grigory spoke out several times in communication with the press against Russia's participation in the Balkan wars and the conduct of hostilities as such.  This research is based on the principle of historicism, the study of written historical sources: office records, press materials, sources of personal origin. In the spring of 1915, the "Sacred unity" proclaimed by the Duma opposition at the very beginning of the war was replaced by "patriotic anxiety", the public began to look for internal enemies, and espionage began. At the same time, Rasputin attracted attention by staging a drunken brawl in a Moscow restaurant. This was the reason for attacks on Grigory Efimovich and accusing him of pandering to the Germans. It is important to note that Rasputin's accusations of betrayal were unfounded, no evidence was presented. The image of "Rasputin the traitor" began to be used by the Duma opposition, which fought for the Ministry of Public Trust. Everyone knew that Rasputin was a friend of the royal family, so the tsar and the tsarina indirectly became the object of criticism. The purpose of using the image of "Rasputin the traitor" was an attempt to influence the adoption of state decisions by the emperor and the government.

Keywords: rumours, press, dark forces, traitor, espionage, State Duma, World War I, image, Grigory Rasputin, foreign policy

Abstract: Jules Favre (1809-1880) is one of the «founding fathers» of the Third Republic in France, who contributed much to the formation of the republican tradition in Hexagone. In the Russian historiography hasn’t appeared yet a special study devoted to the political views and activities of Jules Favre. In the article Jules Favre is considered as a prominent figure of the republican movement in France of the XIX century, who played an important role in the struggle for the establishment of the republican system in France. The July Revolution of 1830 was a big influence on the formation of Favre's political views. During the years of the Second Republic Favre took an important place among moderate "blue" Republicans who linked the future of the republic with general Cavaignac. The article refutes the point of view established in Russian historiography that Emile Ollivier from the very beginning headed the liberal "five" opposition deputies during the Second Empire. The article shows that the strategic mistakes made as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of National Defense during negotiations with Bismarck’s Prussia, drew a line under Favre's political career and created a partly negative image of this politician in historiography. This article is based on a wide range of sources: various speeches and writings by J. Favre, as well as memoirs, diaries and correspondence of his contemporaries.

Keywords: Third Republic, Second Empire, Second Republic, July monarchy, July Revolution, Jules Favre, republicanism, XIX century, France, Franco-Prussian War

Abstract: Until recently, the genealogy of the family of the great Russian architect and painter Vasily Ivanovich Bazhenov (1738-1799) was little studied, full of inaccuracies and misconceptions. A little fragmentary and not always accurate information about the children and grandchildren of the architect was presented mainly in the works of Y. Y. Gerchuk and E. I. Ilizarova. However, until now, for example, the exact dates of life and burial places of members of the architect's family were unknown. The author of the present research studied church books, confession lists, archival court cases and many other archival documents and found a lot of new and previously unpublished information about the children of Vasily Bazhenov and his wife Agraphena Lukinichna (1745-1817): Konstantin (1771-1826), Vladimir (1772-1820), Olga (1773-not earlier than 1825), Vsevolod (1774-1843), Voin 1 (1776-1779), Nadezhda (1778-1857), Voin 2 (1779-1784), Mstislav (1782-1783), Vera (1784-not earlier than 1834) and Voin 3 (1785). The relevance and novelty of the study lies in the publication and systematization of many previously unknown facts from the history of V. I. Bazhenov's family, which significantly expands the understanding of the outstanding architect. The article presents the results of field survey of the Bazhenovs' burial sites in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and the Republic of Mordovia on the subject of the burials' preservation, these results are also important for necropolistics. The study provides dates of life, dates of marriages, as well as information about family, property, official status, family composition, places of residence, burial, etc., which allowed to reconstruct the genealogical picture of the family of the architect V. I. Bazhenov and his offsprings quite completely.

Keywords: Nizhny Novgorod province, history of Arzamas, Arzamassky uyezd, source studies, confession lists, church books, archival documents, genealogy, architect Vasily Bazhenov, necropolistics

Abstract: One of the famous women of ancient history – Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great – is represented in the sources as a cruel, vindictive and domineering woman. Traditionally, it is believed that the formation of such an image was influenced by the peculiarities of the sources: the non-Greek origin of the authors, the writing of works in later times, misunderstanding of Macedonian customs and mores. The purpose of this work is to consider some well-known facts from the life of the Olympiad in a mythological context. Highlighting the characteristic features that influenced the image of this famous queen that has developed in historiography will allow us to change modern ideas about her. The study used traditional methods and approaches for ancient history. The principle of historicism is necessary for understanding cause-and-effect relationships, the principle of consistency is important for systematization of preserved data about this queen. The general philosophical methods of analysis and synthesis are supplemented by special ones: comparative historical, the method of retrospection. The novelty of this research lies in the author's attempt to show the influence of mythological images and symbols on Hellenistic historiography and highlight the rationalistic constructions of ancient authors. As a result of the research, the author concludes that the image of the Olympiad, which has become entrenched in historiography, was influenced not only by the negative attitude of ancient historians towards it, but also by their attempts to rationally explain events based on knowledge of the consequences. However, the mythological consciousness also left its mark on their work. The life of Alexander the Great was overgrown with myths, and all the people close to him also fell into the sphere of mythological representations. Therefore, in the sources, the image of the queen is not just greatly distorted, but is endowed with symbolic characteristics characteristic of myths.

Keywords: queen of Macedonia, rationalization of the image, mythological tradition, historiography, ancient Macedonia, Philip II of Macedon, Alexander the Great, Olympiad, mythology, symbol

Abstract: The persona of the Macedonian King Philip II continues to stir controversy among researchers. The goal of this article is lies in examination of the problems and contradictions associated with the circumstances of accession to the throne of Philip II of Macedon (360/359-336 BC). Separate attention is given to the discussions on his captivity in Thebes and Illyria, as well as their impact upon Philip's future policy. The author considers the problem of regency and interrelated system of Macedonian succession to the throne. The scientific novelty lies in comprehensive analysis of the sources that describe the initial period of the reign of Philip II of Macedon. The conclusion is made that in his youth years, Philip was being held in captive not only in Thebes, but in Illyria as well. The authors believe that the beginning of the reign of Philip II of Macedon, which is traditionally considered in historiography as 359 BC, should be replaced with 360 BC. Moreover, the complicated international situation alongside domestic instability should have influenced the proclamation of Philip II as king without a regency period.

Keywords: Illyrian captivity, Theban captivity, dating, Macedonia, Philip II of Macedon, Perdiccas III, Diodorus, Amynta III, regency, succession to the throne

Abstract: This article is dedicated to examination of the activity of the Russian publicist A. A. Bashmakov (1858-1943) as editor-in-chief of the “Government Gazette” in the period from May 1906 to February 1913. The introductory part of the article provides an overview of the used historiography and sources. The first part of the article explores the peculiarities of issuing newspaper in the early XX century, the circumstances of A. A. Bashmakov's appointment to the post, his daily tasks as the editor, and criticism of the published materials. The second part traces the changes in the newspaper “Addendum to the Government Gazette” due to the appointment of a new editor. The third part analyzes the question of his resignation. In conclusion, the author analyzes the results achieved by A. A. Bashmakov. The research employs a range of poorly studied archival sources and newspaper materials, as well as reminiscences. The novelty of this work is defined by the absence of information about A. A. Bashmakov as an editor, as well as insignificant number of literary sources dedicated to the central official government press of this period. This article contributes to the study of functionality of government print media in 1906 – 1907, which are the first years of A. A. Bashmakov in the role of editor-in-chief.. In feuilletons and articles, the editor-in-chief had an opportunity to express personal point of view on various matters. The content of the “Addendum to the Government Gazette” was left to his discretion; however, the newspaper was shut down due to reasons beyond control of the editor-in-chief.

Keywords: the Russian Revolution of 1905-1907, official press, government official, official evening newspaper, feuilleton, the Slavic banquets, the First Balkan War, The Government Bulletin, Alexey Bellegarde, Alexandre Baschmakoff

Abstract: The subject of this article is the activity of N. V. Adlerberg (1819-1892), not widely known representative of the count's family. In 1866, he was appointed the Governor-General of the Grand Duchy of Finland. Taking into consideration the privileged status of this part of the Russian Empire, such event is remarkable for the life of a particular individual, as well as for rating success of his career. This fact remains insufficiently studied by the national historians, and the official activity of N. V. Adlerberg prior to 1866 is virtually a puzzle. The novelty consists in the fact that his article is first within Russian historiography to conduct comprehensive analysis of the official activity of N. V. Adlerberg priori to his appointment to Finland. In the course of this research, the author raises such questions as the career development of the member of count’s dynasty, closest to the imperial family; his service experience; the circumstances of his appointment in 1866. The applied systemic and historical-comparative methods allow concluding that at the time of holding an appointment of the Governor-General of the Grand Duchy of Finland, N. V. Adlerberg sets the example of an outstanding executive with leadership qualities, capable of taking responsibility. The key traits of his career were promptness, personal service to the monarch, and first and foremost, skills of impression management and representation of the Imperial power outside of Saint Petersburg.

Keywords: imperial bureaucracy, Grand Duchy of Finland, Governor-General, military agent, Caucasian War, Crimean war, Russian Empire, national question, Adlerberg’s clan, Nikolai Adlerberg

Abstract: The article focuses on the role of A. E. Evert, the commander-in-chief of the armies of the Western Front, in the events of the February Revolution. Russia's top military leadership took a consolidated position on the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II from the throne, but the unity regarding the fate of the Empire's future was only an appearance. This is made clear through a detailed examination of the decisions made by Evert during the last crucial days for the Russian Empire and of his motives. The author pays particular attention to the period after the emperor’s abdication when, in the political vacuum, the commander-in-chief of the armies of the Western Front changed his line of conduct and proposed the bold project of transferring the country's real political power under military control. The methodological basis of this study is the principles of historicism, systematicity and scientific objectivity, while also using the comparative and historical-genetic methods.  Evert considered the constitutional monarchy with Mikhail Alexandrovich on the throne as a worthy alternative to the forceful suppression of the revolution in the rear, which cannot be said about his view on the Provisional Government and the prospect of elections to the Constituent Assembly during the war. In this regard, the commander-in-chief of the armies of the Western Front hoped, with the support of his colleagues, to impose his will on the rebellious capital. However, his project did not receive the necessary support, and his disloyalty to the Provisional Government led to his early resignation.

Keywords: February revolution, Russian army, Military administration, General Alexeyev, General Evert, Western front, military elite, World war I, abdication of Nicholas II, Stavka

Abstract: This paper revisits the concept of “school awareness”, which in previous scholarship was mostly regarded as a result of the penetration of Chinese patriarchal patterns into the Buddhist community against the background of loosened state control during the late Ming Period. Particular attention is directed to the fact that such a viewpoint concerning the Buddhist community existed up to as late as the 18th century. One of the primary examples of "school awareness" at the late stage of its existence is Wenhai Fuju (1685 - 1765), who adopted a series of steps to promote the prestige of the Qianhua branch of the Vinaya school of Chinese Buddhism. In order to examine his activities in detail, this paper synthesizes data from various sources producing a complete, chronologically-arranged biography. The analysis of obtained results demonstrated that the majority of Wenhai Fuju’s endeavors embodying his “school awareness” were in fact driven by the needs and possibilities of interacting with the Yongzheng (1723 - 1735) or Qianlong (1736 - 1795) emperors. This allows the author to conclude that the official authorities expected and approved the aim towards a dominating position of a particular Buddhist school. Hence, it was the impact of imperial policy that had kept up the active support of  “school awareness” of the Buddhist monks in China during the 18th century.

Keywords: Wenhai Fuju, Qianhua, Vinaya, Qianlong, Yongzheng, Qing, Buddhism, religion, China, school awareness

Abstract: The circumstances surrounding the birth and naming of the Grand Duke Mikhail of Tver are one of the most controversial and little-studied topics of Russian history of the end of the 13th century. Identifying the exact date of birth of Mikhail Yaroslavich is complicated by the extreme scarcity of historical sources, the compositional nature of those chronicles that have survived and the chroniclers' use of three different calendar systems (March, September and Ultramarch), which assumed different interpretations in contemporary chronology of the translation of the year 6779 from the creation of the world - indicated in some chronicles as the year of the prince’s birth. In order to identify more accurately the future saint's date of birth, the author clarifies the circumstances of the trip to the Golden Horde undertaken by his father, Yaroslav Yaroslavich, who died on his return trip on September 16, 1271. There is reason to believe that the youngest son of Yaroslav of Tver was born after his death on November 1, 1271. The choice of a name for the newborn baby was tied to the church calendar and was the result of the dynastic situation in the principality of Tver. The child received the name of his deceased brother Michael, which was quite a rare name in this princely environment, thus symbolically indicating the highest spirituality of its carrier.

Keywords: Mikhail of Tver, Tver princedom, solar eclipse, naming, saint, Horde, biography, dating, annals, Old Russia

Abstract: The subject of this study is the views of the priest and publicist Joseph Ivanovich Fudel on the development of primary education at the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries. The article's author refers to the discussion on church-parish schools and analyzes Fudel's position in it, his arguments and motives. The author also compares Fudel's publicism on the issue of national schooling with his social work and examines how it fits into the intellectual context of the era. Particular attention is paid to the genesis of Fudel's ideas and to clarifying what were the main influences that formed his position. The author resorts to the historical-genetic method and comparative analysis (to trace the evolution of J. I. Fudel's views and to compare them with the position of his contemporaries), adhering to the principles of historicism, scientific objectivity, and verifiability. There are no existing individual studies on the life of father Joseph in historiography. At the same time, the issues regarding education, which are still relevant today, were an important part of Fudel's intellectual biography. At the core of the discussion on public education, Fudel saw, first of all, not the problems of managing the system of education, but the opposition of various worldviews at the base of ministerial and church schools. The topic of education was considered by Fudel as an issue of the future cultural development of Russia. He substantiated the fundamental role of the church-parish school as the guardian of the Orthodox faith and of "the people's ideal." In many respects, this position was in line with the late Slavophile thought, having also experienced the influence of Pochvennichestvo and Narodnichestvo. His aspirations were directed not to the conservation, but to the revitalization of the public's life. Fudel's ideas of Christian enlightenment, popular intelligentsia, parish activity, and development of an original culture differed from the protective direction of K. P. Pobedonostsev's views.

Keywords: popular education, parish schools, Synod, Konstantin Pobedonostsev, Joseph Fudel, The Russian Orthodox Church, Slavophilia, the Russian conservative thought, Russian idea, Christian enlightenment

Abstract: The subject of this research is the "white spots" in Plato's biography. Despite the thousand-year history of studying this subject, there are quite a few of these "spots". The author notes that the number of not only reliable but even merely available sources on the life of Plato is very small. This, however, never hindered biographers of the philosopher in constructing a complete and consistent picture of his life, filling-in gaps arbitrarily at their own will. One of the better-known facts of Plato's biography is his noble origins. Ancient authors traced Plato's family to the legendary king Codrus, and record Solon and Anacreon as among his relatives. In writing this article the author conducted a critical analysis of historical written sources, a hermeneutic analysis of the texts, as well as a comparative analysis. The study's novelty lies in the author's detailed analysis of the prosopography of the Codri and of the origins and family ties of Plato's ancestors, on the basis of which the author comes to the conclusion of the incorrectness of the unquestioned attribution of Plato to this ancient Athenian clan. The author also uncovered the philosopher's motives and methods of persuading his circle of his belonging to the aristocratic elite, as well as the problem of Plato's real name. Additionally, the author analyzes two hypotheses according to which the philosopher could either have chosen for himself the pseudonym of Plato in order to highlight the breadth of his word and thought, or, indeed, could have been called Plato from his birth. The legend of the Aristocles name was invented later, during the period of Hellenism. The author is certain that the reconstruction of Plato's biography has significant heuristic value and that this topic deserves further painstaking research.

Keywords: Ancient Greece, biography, Plato, prosopography, onomastics, Codri, origin, relatives, history of philosophy, genealogical tree

Abstract: The subject of this research is the political, cultural and public activity of Vincent Massey, the first Canadian General-Governor. The object of this research is the history of the Canadian political culture through the lens of the political and public activity of this particular historical figure. The study pays attention to the various aspects of his activity during the first half of the 20th century, especially during the formation and development of the Canadian political culture, the unified Canadian nation and the achievement of the country’s full sovereignty. The author highlights the particular role and the importance of Vincent Massey in the development of the Canadian statehood.The study was carried out by applying historical research methods and through the use of original texts from Canadian archival and historiographical sources. The novelty of this research lies in its approach of using the personality factor of the above-named historical figure for the analysis and study of its influence on the history of the formation of the Canadian political culture in the second half of the 19th century on the example of the political and public activity of J. A. Macdonald, the first prime-minister of Canada.

Keywords: Vincent Massey, Mackenzie King, Canadian political culture, Canadian liberal tradition, Liberal party of Canada, Royal Commission, Canada Council, Canadian nation, sovereignty, Canadian statehood

Abstract: The author dedicates this memorial article to her mother – Nataliya Vadimovna Ryndina. The article describes three memories from the time when N. V. Ryndina was not yet a professor and worked as an ordinary lecturer at the MSU History Department. The author shares her first impressions of her mother’s unusual profession and of that profession’s attributes. She also recounts how N. V. Ryndina prepared for her lectures and of the family’s life in Moscow during winter and at their dacha during summer vacations. The author describes her childhood impressions of the university and her first visit to the Section of Archaeology. The author recalls trips to Moldavia and Ukraine, where N. V. Ryndina directed the summer student practice in the Trypillian archaeological expedition. N. V. Ryndina’s Moldavian colleague Vsevolod Ivanovich Markevich is also remembered, as well as his culinary experiments and thoughts on the difficulties the archaeological profession faces. The article describes the work during excavations, the facts concerning the cleaning of the Trypillian monuments and the particularities of conducting breaks during excavations. The author allocates particular attention to the fundamental features of the crucial factor in the Trypillian expedition – Moldavia’s wilderness.

Keywords: N. V. Ryndina, memoirs, lecture preparation, Section of Archaeology, Moscow University, microscope, Trypillian expedition, Moldavia, V. I. Markevich, excavation

Abstract: On the basis of previously unused in scientific studies archival documents from the State Archive of the Russian Federation, the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine and the National Archive of the Republic of Karelia, the article undertakes an attempt to reconstruct the specific events in the life of the rural teacher Ilya Nikolaevich Frolov, who found himself involved in the movement of revolutionary populism during the 1870s in Ukraine. Upon examining and analyzing the existing material, the author pays particular attention to the clarification of the facts concerning the actual participation of I. N. Frolov in the events linked to the “Chyhyryn affair”, and also to the examination of the history of I. N. Frolov’s stay in administrative exile. The article is written within the framework of the personal history approach that allows to reconstruct the biography of an individual of “secondary importance in history” within the framework of a particular historical context. On the basis of the original sources the author analyzes the methods of inquiry that were used by the members of the Third Section against suspects of political crimes. On the example of the life of I. N. Frolov the author demonstrates the tragic fate of a whole generation of Russian democratically-inclined intellectuals who wished to return their civic duty to the people, but were ultimately thrown on the sideline of active public life by the repressive imperial apparatus.

Keywords: administrative exile, gendarme inquiry, peasant unrest, Third Section, N. V. Mezentsov, I. N. Frolov, “Chyhyryny affair”, “walking to the people”, populism, revolutionary movement

Abstract: This article discusses the image of Roman Emperor Licinius I, political “long-liver” of the post-tetrarchy Civil War in Roman Empire, co-emperor and then rival of Constantine the Great. Being in the shadow of his great contemporary, Licinius is portrayed as a weak and incompetent ruler in some ancient literature. However, there rises a question of reasons how he could hold the power for about 16 years (308–324). Historical writings about Licinius were created after his defeat and therefore could not avoid the influence of winner’s propaganda – Constantine the Great’s. The author attempts to answer the stated questions by thorough analysis of narrative tradition and by justifying received data with material sources (inscriptions and coins). Therefore, complex analysis of various types of sources complies the research method used in this article. The author concludes that the real image of Licinius I as a politician, ruler and commander was irretrievably overshadowed by Constantine’s propaganda. Moreover, study of the sources allows to track down the changes in Licinius’ image within propaganda. While referring to the novelty of this article, one can mention that Emperor Licinius has not been fully studied before in Russian historiography. However, the author states that the study of narrative tradition about him is worth the effort not just in order to (perhaps, due to the tradition of a certain portrayal and winner’s propaganda – Constantine, this might not be counted as a reason at all) understand Licinius’ place in Roman history, but to study the ideological propaganda of Constantine the Great, its methods, goals, means and results as well.

Keywords: ideological struggle, narrative tradition, comprehensive analysis, Tetrarchy, emperor, Roman Empire, Licinius, Constantine the Great, Ancient Rome, ideological indoctrination

Abstract: The article addresses the topic of the life of Caucasus emigrants in France in general and of one of its key aspects in particular: the preservation of the previous (Russian) and the reception of new (French) citizenship (1919—1939). Obtaining the French citizenship and preserving ties with their homeland during the period between the First and the Second World Wars posed for many emigrants a difficult choice. The article presents an analysis of the interrelations between the socio-political outlooks and the attitudes towards Russia, and gives a description of the fates of people from the North Caucasus and the South of Russia in emigration to France in 1919—1939. The article is based on sources chosen by the author and for the first time introduced into Russian scientific use materials from two archives: the Archive of the Police Prefecture of France (Paris, France) and the Archive of Alimardan bey Topchubashov (Paris, France). The article raises a new in Russian historiography topic: the description of the various aspects of life organisation of the North Caucasus emigrants in France, including those connected to the question of citizenship (1919—1939). Due to the author’s analysis of the collected archival material the article carries out a systematisation of the data regarding the topic of migrants’ citizenship, concerning a particular region – the Northern Caucasus and the South of Russia,

Keywords: Russia, politics, military, Cossaks, archives of France, French citizenship, Nansen passports, France, emigration, Caucasus

Abstract: This article examines the crucial role played by J. V. Stalin in the creation of the Moscow University of the Toilers of China – UTC (renamed in 1928 as the Communist University of the Toilers of China – CUTC), which in the second half of the 1920s trained political activists for the Chinese Revolution. The article also considers the disagreements between the strategies of J. V. Stalin and L. D. Trotsky regarding the Chinese Revolution and the consequences of this intraparty political struggle on the fate of the students, the University of the Toilers of China and the Chinese Revolution in general. In writing this article the retrospective, comparative-historical and historical-dialectic research methods were used. The author examines the main reasons for Stalin’s change of attitude towards the university that resulted in its closure in 1930. One of the main reasons behind this decision was the disagreement in position and strategic assessment of the question of the Chinese Revolution between J. V. Stalin and L. D. Trotsky. The author comes to the conclusion that the opposition between the two leaders of the All-Union Communist Party directly influenced the situation within the university body. The Stalin-Trotsky disagreement intensified the political struggle between the students and the members of the Communist Party of China and of the Koumintang party. These processes had an effect on the life of individual students and on the Chinese Revolution in general.

Keywords: political repressions, Chinese Revolution, J. V. Stalin, L. D. Trotsky, University of the Toilers of China, Chinese students, political struggle, Trotskyists, Communist Party of China, Koumintang

Abstract: The article examines an aspect pertaining to the question of Scottish emigration to the European continent in the 17th century. On the basis of documental material, which includes contemporary testimonies and royal correspondence, the article traces the “Polish” period in the biography of the Scotsman James Murray. This representative of the ancient Scottish clan, while being in the service of the Polish kings of the Vasa dynasty Sigismund III and Wladyslaw IV, manifested himself in various spheres: from court and royal messenger to colonel in the ranks of the Polish army. The popularisation of his image in the literary works of writer E. Ryhlinsky is also addressed. The research methodology of this study is based on a retrospective analysis, including information from documentary sources. The historical-genetic method is applied to determine the influence of personal-subjective elements in historical development and in objective factors. The novelty of this research lies in its overview of the little-known in historiography events that reflect the role of the named Scottish native in the creation of an effective Polish fleet in the 1620s. The article can be recommended to all interested in the history of Poland, Scotland, and Scottish emigration to Eastern Europe in the Early modern period.

Keywords: Thirty Years’ War, Polish Navy, Scottish emigration, Scotland, Poland, Wladyslaw IV, Sigismund III Vasa, James Murray, Battle of Oliva, Smolensk War

Abstract: The article concentrates of the professional and political life of Elisabet Selbert (1896–1986), substantially engaged in the resolution of the problem of women’s equality in post-war Germany. The educational level, professional and political party status of E. Selbert developed in her the interest to understand the female issue in German society. The active political and social significance of the frau at the end of the 1940s allowed Selbert not only to make the problem acute, but also to carry its resolution to a qualitative new level, offering legal reformation with the aim of asserting the equal rights of women in civic and private law. The contribution of Selbert consisted in, after having understood and felt the new context of the post-war era, her deciding to move away from theoretical substantiation of her novel ideas to their practical realisation. However the new political elite and new political culture, advocating democratic values, in practice demonstrated resistant conservatism in solving the problem of women’s equality. Selbert was one of the authors of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany and a member of the Parliamentary Council, and she had to undertake the enormous work of instigating comprehension and conviction in the political elite and fellow countrywomen of the necessity to resolve the problem of gender inequality. Intellectual and professional strategies, dialogue with various structures and representatives of German society in the framework of socio-elucidation work allowed Selbert to achieve significant legal changes in the Constitution of the FRG and family law.

Keywords: family law, civil code, Parliamentary Council, constitution, women’s legal status, , Social Democratic Party of Germany, Elisabet Selbert, gender equality, family-marital relations, reformation

Abstract: The paper explores the career of V.A. Chertkov (1726-1793), a graduate of the Czlachta Cadet corps. He was appointed a professor of engineering, artillery and fortification of Arts and a cadet commander of an artillery company, which was attached to the corps. He ran the corps printing press from the day it started in 1757, he was a member of the censorship committee at the printing house, and was one of the editors of the first private, Russian weekly magazine “Prazdnoe vremja v pol’zu upotreblennoe” (Idle time spent with benefit). He was deported by Catherine II from St. Petersburg to Novorossija, where he built fortresses and cities. In the fortress of St. Elizabeth he set up a printing house, where the “Russian alphabet” and “House Cafe” were printed (a V.A. Chertkov translation of the J. Rousseau comedy was staged in 1770, during the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, in Yelisavetgrad). After becoming the governor of Voronezh and Saratov provinces, he actively implemented the reform of 1770-1780 years. Chertkov remained faithful to the ideas of the Enlightenment on all the occupied posts: he was involved in organizing print shops, a theater, a school and a hospital as well as publishing the magazine.

Keywords: History, V.A. Chertkov, Czlachta Cadet corps, A.P. Melgunov, fortress of St. Elizabeth, “Cafe House”, Voronezh, the governor of Voronezh, theater, education, Chertkov library.

Abstract: The article is dedicated to Nikita Ivanovich Krylov, Professor of the Roman Law department of Moscow University (1807–1879). Krylov worked for almost 40 years, with no less than 40 graduations of Russian legists, who have him to thank for their knowledge in Roman law. Krylov didn’t leave a printed version of his lectures, yet his students left notes, and consolidated them to reconstitute his lecturing course, and some of those consolidations survived to our time. The author of this article aimed at reconstructing the image of N.I Krylov, as he was depicted by the writers of memoires, to accent his most prominent features: artistic manner, skill of capturing the attention of the audience, colourful and distinct manner of speech. Krylov was considered one of the best professors, and many of his students left memoires of him – among those students are such prominent public individuals as S.A. Muromtsev and A.F. Koni.

Keywords: history, history of the Law faculty of Moscow University, N.I. Krilov, S.A. Muromtsev, A.F. Koni, Roman Law, lithographic publications, memoires, lectures, eloquence

Abstract: the article deals with the history of political struggle that took place during the period of V.I. Lenin’s death and resulted in I.V. Stalin’s rise to power, based on the analysis of XII-XVIIth Russian (bolshevik) Communist Party congresses, party conferences and plenums of the Central Committee. XIV Congress realized radical redistribution of power at the top of the Party, elevating Stalin and extrusion of L.D. Trotskiy, L.B. Kamenev and G.E. Zinovyev.

Keywords: history, Soviet Russia, party and political struggle, Leninism, Bolshevism, Trotskism, Stalinism, culture, socialism.

Abstract: the article is a biographical sketch that describes and analyzes the most important events in the life of Knyazh Dmitry Timofeevich Trubetskoy – a major military leader of the Troubles era, pretender to the Russian throne in 1613. Author answers the questions: what prevented Trubetskoy D.R. from becoming a sovereign and establishing a new dynasty; why in the historical memory of the Russian people this figure has not received a status as a great personality. The essay is written in the methodology of “personal history” scientific direction.

Keywords: history, aristocracy, monarchy, nobility, confusion, commander, 1612, imposture, morality, personalism.

Abstract: The author of the article analyzes the issue on the formation of historical cognition (whether it is formed under the influence of history or persons’ idea of it), then she studies the factors, that influenced the formation of the “Polish” historical conscience of the author herself.

Keywords: history, cognition, narrative, culture, Poland, Russia, usual conscience, scientific conscience, over-individual memory, unique memory, mentality, markers of the Polish

Abstract: the article deals with the religious ideas and the resulting political steps of Marguerite de Valois (1553- 1615) in the civil wars in France during the second half of the XVI century. Based on the “Memoirs” of the Queen, contemporaries and other sources, the author concludes that, as, in her own words, “the true Catholic”, Marguerite tried to actively mediate between the warring camps — Catholic and Protestant. Following the ideals of Neo-Platonism, which she professed, the Queen of Navarre sought to maintain interfaith peace through diplomatic and political efforts, as well as religious tolerance. Individual manifestations of the religious hostility were associated only with threats to her life and diminish the prerogatives of the royal rank.

Keywords: history, the Valois, the Huguenots, Catholic, Queen, Marguerite, Navarre, religious wars, France.

Abstract: the article examines the dynastic struggle between the heirs of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III from his two marriages — to the Grand Duchess Maria Borisovna and Sophia Fominichna Paleolog. The chronicles on the illness and death of Ivan Ivanovich the Young (Molodoy) from “kamchuga in the legs” are analyzed in connection with the assumption of “murdering” of the unwanted heir by his father and stepmother. The article attempts to establish the true cause of death of Ivan the Young and characterize the therapeutic measures taken by physician Leon Zhidovinov of Venice. The authors conclude that the cause of early death of the eldest son of Ivan III was in the wrong diagnoses. It is obvious that the death of Ivan the Young was beneficial to Sophia Paleolog, clearing the way to the throne to her children, most of all, Vasily III. Medical error of a medieval physician, which cost him his life and resulted in the death of his patient, led to the fact that the dynastic struggle between the heirs of Ivan III at the end of the XV century developed with renewed vigor.

Keywords: history, the Russian Middle Ages, the Moscow State, dynastic struggle, Ivan Ivanovich the Young (Molodoy), Sophia Paleolog, medicine, “kamchuga in the legs”, gouty arthritis, rheumatic joints.

Abstract: the article deals with the historical fate of the last emperor of the China Pu Yi, its tragic pages at the end of his life — in 1967. It tells about what happened to the former emperor, what impact has a beginning of the «cultural revolution » had on him, how and where he was buried.

Keywords: history, Pu Yi, Pu Jie, Changchun, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Li Yuqing, cultural revolution, dazibao, XI plenum of the Communist Party of China, 8-th convocation.

Abstract: The portraits of merchants Erofeevs from Sergiev Posad attract the attention with its unusual composition, the brightness of women’s images. The Erofeevs made a significant contribution to the development of a landmark for Posad’s doll craft. The appeal to the historical sources (registers, confessional statements, spiritual testament and contracts) has helped the author to establish the names of all family members, to clarify the time of the creation of portraits, to trace the history of the family. It is shown that demographic factors (high infant mortality, prolonged lack of a male heir, and then his death) led to suppression of the dynasty, that life dramas influenced value systems and stimulate charity activities of the head of the household - Alexey Yegorovich Erofeev.

Keywords: History, Sergiev Posad, merchants, family, heirs, tradition, continuity, portraits, Erofeev.

Abstract: The article deals with the participation of one of the major theorists of Russian liberalism, Kavelin K.D., in the preparation of the abolition of serfdom. The various aspects of his opposition activities are analyzed. Particular attention is given to his model of post-reform modernization of the state.

Keywords: history, reform, serfdom, peasantry, liberalism, freedom, person, community, modernization, radicalism