On April 4, 2016 regular session of the Seminar on history of post-war soviet society (period of 1945-1965) took place. This seminar works at Saint Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS (SPbIH of the RAS) and ensures collaboration of scholars, employees of museums and archives, professors, tutors and teachers along with post-graduates. The report on activity of the Soviet state to rebuild Karelian Isthmus in the second half of 1940s was delivered by post-graduate student of the Institute of History of Saint-Petersburg State University (SPbSU) V.A. Orav. Scholars and employees of SPbIH of the RAS, SPbSU, the Herzen State Pedagogical University, the Central State Archive of Saint Petersburg and other institutions as well as post-graduates and students participated in this session and discussed the report.

On March 30, 2016 a group of students and post-graduates of the University from Bielefeld, Germany (Osteuropäische Geschichte-Universität) accompanied by professor Stephan Merl visited the institute. It is the third visit of professor Merl with his students to SPbIH of the RAS.

Young German colleagues were acquainted with the history of the Institute, recent publications. Researchers from both Russian and Western sections of the Scientific and Historical Archive of SPbIH of the RAS presented them some documents, and our guests showed a genuine interest both to the content of the collections. Library staff member E.Z. Panchenko informed the visitors about the activities of the library.

Both guests and hosts highly appreciated the results of this meeting and voiced the hope to continue and strengthen the effective cooperation between the University and the Institute.

March 24 is a birthday of leading research fellow of Scientific and Historical Archive and Group for source studies, Doctor of Science in History Elena Konstantinovna Piotrovskaya.

For more than forty years she works at the institute, and throughout this period she has given good account of herself both as worthy scholar and benevolent, compassionate person.

Friends and colleagues warmly congratulate Elena Konstantinovna and wish her sound health, prosperity and creative success.

On March 22, 2016 at Saint Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS (SPbIH of the RAS) memorial session of the Scientific council dedicated to 85-year anniversary of academician, D.Sc. in History, professor B.V. Ananich took place.

The meeting was opened by the report delivered by A.N. Tsamutali who outlined different aspects of B.V. Ananich’s course of life and main features of his work as a historian.

S.K. Lebedev focused on detailed analysis of scientific heritage of B.V. Ananich concerning economic and financial history.

M.F. Florinskii outlined issues of teaching activity of this outstanding scholar at Saint Petersburg State University and European University at Saint Petersburg and characterized his methodological principles.

Academician A.B. Davidson delivered to the audience his memories about co-study with B.V. Ananich at Leningrad university and their friendship.

V.M. Paneyakh presented report concerning traditions of B.V. Romanov’s historical school. B.V. Ananich was one of its disciples along with R.Sh. Ganelin, A.A. Fursenko and N.E. Nosov.

Director of SPbIH of the RAS N.N. Smirnov noted role of B.V. Ananich both as an outstanding scholar and as benevolent and kindhearted person.

On March 16, 2016 at the New building of the National library of Russia (Moskovskii pr., 165) the exhibition “Academician Boris Vasilievich Ananich and Petersburg school of history” timed to 85-year anniversary of the scholar will be opened. Outstanding representative of Petersburg school of history, great historian, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Science in History, professor B.V. Ananich (1931-2015) greatly contributed to development of home historiography and teaching of history at university level in Russia. Being prominent specialist on history of international relations of Modern era, internal policy of Russia of 19^th-beginning of 20^th century, history of economics and finance he belonged to brilliant generation of employees of Leningrad branch of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (since 2000 – Saint-Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS).

The exhibition composed in collaboration by the National library of Russia and Saint-Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS presents to the visitors items from several departments of the library and documents and illustrative materials from both Scientific and historical archive of the Institute and family archive of the Ananich kin. Basically there are published works, photos and biographic matter.

The exhibition consists of several sections. The greatest one includes the works of B.V. Ananich which reflect his formation as a historian, development of his views as a scholar, main courses of research and importance of his legacy for evolution of Russian historical knowledge of 1960s-2010s. Materials on B.V. Ananich’s civic stand and public activities are also represented there.

Special section presents to the visitors materials about other outstanding representatives of Petersburg school of history, both tutors and colleagues of B.V. Ananich, such as B.A. Romanov, S.N. Valk, V.G. Chernuha, V.S. Dyakin. There are photocopies of manuscripts of works, autobiographies, letters and rare photos from personal funds of these scholars kept at Scientific and historical archive of Saint-Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS.

The third part of the exhibition consists of works of numerous disciples of B.V. Ananich both from Russia and abroad – M.F.Florinskogo, M.M.Shumilova, B.B.Dubentsova, V.V.Lapina, V.V.Vedernikova, Yu.V.Tota, S.K.Lebedeva, A.V.Remneva, E.A.Pravilovoy and many others.

On February 16, 2016 at the Reading hall of Scientific and historical archive of the Institute exhibition “Preserving History” has been opened. This event was timed to 80-year anniversary of SPbIH of the RAS. The guests of the grand meeting dated for this occurrence were its first visitors.

Both original documents and copies from the funds of Institute’s archive and Saint-Petersburg branch of the Archive of the RAS are presented at the exhibition. The exhibition is based mostly on personal funds of scholars who worked at the Institute in different times; among them there are D.I. Petrikeev, K.N. Serbina, A.D. Lublinskaya, B.A. Romanov, E.Ch. Skrzhinskaya, S.N. Valk. Moreover the documents on organizational issues referring to the Institute are also on display.

The first section acquaints the visitors with the history of the building where the Institute resides, with the destiny of Museum of paleography and sheds the light on some episodes from biography of the museums founder N.P. Likhachev.

The main part of the exhibition starts with the fragment of D.I. Petrikeev’s notes on prehistory and organization of Leningrad branch of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences. This document is a part of unpublished work on the history of the Institute.

A lot of items reflect the work of the Institute during the Great Patriotic War. In particular the lists of employees of the pre-war and war periods composed by D.I. Petrikeev on the basis of archival documents are presented. Copies of documents from personal fund of K.N. Serbina reflect her life and activity as Institute’s employee during the siege of Leningrad. Подробнее

In the middle of February 2016 at the Reading hall of the Library of SPbIH of the RAS the exhibition “The history of the Institute – the history of the Library” timed to 80-year anniversary of the Institute has been opened.

The books inherited by the library from the Archaeographic commission and N.P. Likhachev’s collection are the most valuable items of the library funds. Their potential for exhibitions is enormous. The oldest books (incunabulum) belong to the former library of the Archaeographic commission; they are two editions of “Schedel’s World Chronicle” (Nuremberg, 1493). N.P. Likhachev’s collection is represented at the exhibition by French bindings of 17^th century, two miniature “Elzevirs” (17^th century) and book printed by publishing house of Aldus Manutius from the library of princes Ruffo Scilla. Among the exhibits from the Russian language part of N.P. Likhachev’s collection at the exhibition there are G.F. Dolgorukov’s binding (the first super ex-libris in Russia, 1723), a book from library of N.P. Likhachev’s great-great-grandfather Aleksandr Loginovitch dated 1783 (“Zertsalo myslennogo s Bogom sobesedovania…” printed in Moscow) and top rare “Pismo k drugu, zhitelstvuuschemu v Tobolske” (“Letter to a friend living in Tobolsk”) by A.N. Radischev (Saint-Petersburg, 1790).

However, not all the old and rare books belong to former library of N.P. Likhachev. Collection of A.D. Lublinskaya is represented by the the “Historia sui temporis” of Jacques Auguste de Thou (The Hague, 1740) in binding with the bookplate of N.I. Panin; two French books of the 17^th century (Bourdonné. Pensées d’un gеntil-homme… Paris, 1659; Le Clerc J. Vie d’ Armand Jean cardinal duc de Richelieu…Cologne, 1696. V.1) and F. Brodel’s book (La Méditerranée et le monde méditerranéen… Paris, 1949) with author’s autograph. Подробнее