“Gyol” publishing house issued the second, enlarged and altered edition of book by T.A. Bazarova “The creation of “Paradise”: Saint Petersburg and Ingria under Peter the Great. Studies” (“Sozdanie “Paradiza”: Sankt-Peterburg i Ingermanlandia v epohu Petra Velikogo. Ocherki”).

The book deals with the history of the Ingria region and Saint Petersurg in the first years of the Northern War (1700-1721). The studies are based on the articles previously published in different scientific journals and collections and divide into three parts. The first one examines problems of interactions between the Russian army and local population of Ingria, construction and defense of Saint Petersburg. The second includes studies on development of the islands in the delta of the Neva and the first citizens of the new town. The third part is devoted to the analysis of cartographic sources on the history of Saint Petersburg and its surroundings. In the supplement there are published archival documents.

This book will be of interest to historians, students of local lore and readers interested in the history of Ingria and Saint Petersburg.

The book “War and blockade. Collection of articles in memory of V.M. Kovalchuk” (“Voina i blokada. Sbornik pamyati V.M. Kovalchuka”) has been issued by Nestor-Istoria publishing house. This collection of articles and materials is devoted to commemoration of a well-known specialist in history of the Leningrad blockade and the Great Patriotic War Valentin Mihailovich Kovalchuk. The book includes articles and publications of historical documents on different issues mainly concerning the siege of Leningrad. Also there are published memoirs about Valentin Mihailovich and the article “Lenigrad requiem” (“Leningradskii rekviem”), which provoked a lot of arguments, accompanied by materials that shed the light on evolution and completion of this affair.

The book is addressed both to the specialists and to everyone interested in the Russian history.

On April 27, 2016 at the Centre of Humanities of Yaroslav the Wise Novgorod State University All-Russian scientific conference “The battles were local”: heroism and tragedy of the North-Western and the Volkhov fronts’ troops’ timed to 75-year anniversary of both the beginning of the Great Patriotic war and formation of the North-Western and the Volkhov fronts.

This meeting was organized by Yaroslav the Wise Novgorod State University, Saint Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS and search expedition “Dolina”.

The president of the university Anatolii Gavrikov and director of the Institute Nikolai Smirnov delivered their welcoming speeches to the participants of the conference.

Scholars, professors and teachers, students and pupils from both Saint Petersburg and Novgorod region along with students of local lore and war veterans took part in this scientific event.

The conference is accompanied by book exhibition based on the materials from funds of the Novgorod State University library.

The publishing house of Yaroslav the Wise Novgorod State University issued publication composed by G.M. Kovalenko “The town of “Hanseatic memories”. Novgorod in the view of German travelers of the 17^th-19^th centuries”.

Hanseatic background of Novgorod is a part of its myth. This book presents the reader with the descriptions of Novgorod from the writings of German travelers of the 17^th-19^th centuries, which are of great interest for modern people owing to rare data on everyday life of this town. These sources include a lot of details on the way of life, customs, morals and manners of the Novgorod citizens.

The publication was prepared as part of the agreement between Yaroslav the Wise Novgorod State University and Saint Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS.

On April 13, 2016 at the “Academics House” (“Dom uchionyh”) took place regular conference of beginner researchers “Scientists of the 21st century”.
Pupils and students of high schools of Saint Petersburg participate in this conference organized by the “Academics House” (“Dom uchionyh”) in constant cooperation with Saint Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS for 20 years in a row. Candidates of Science in History A.I. Bogomolov, S.V. Kulikov and Doctor of Science in History, professor V.V. Noskov were the jury members of the workshop “History”.

On April 15, 2016 will be 90-year anniversary of Doctor of Science in History, professor Iurii Georgievich Alekseev, Russian scholar well known and admired both in Russia and abroad.
Being a disciple of I.I. Smirnov Iurii Georgievich maintains the best traditions of the home scholars.
For more than thirty years he was firmly connected with the Institute, at first as post-graduate, then as a research fellow.

His multiple works based on a wide amount of deeply studied sources and well examined works of other scholars were dedicated mostly to economic, social and political history of Russia in 14^th-16^th centuries.
For more than forty years Iurii Georgievich carries out his teaching activity firstly at the Herzen State Pedagogical University and then since 1992 at Saint Petersburg State University. He educated several generations of scholars.

We, both friends and colleagues, congratulate Iurii Georgievich at this truly historical date.

“Avrora” publishing house issued a new edition of the book composed by A.I. Rupasov and A.N. Chistikov entitled “Russian-Finnish border. 1918-1938. Studies on its history” («Sovetsko-finlyandskaya granitsa. 1918—1938 gg. Ocherki istorii»).

Since the moment Finland became independent the problem of border demarcation emerged. This process took almost twenty years. Due to mutual jealousy supported on the one hand by Finnish radicals and on the other by Komintern activity frontier zone turned into an area of instability.

The authors examine not only a problem of border demarcation, but also issues concerning customs border at the Gulf of Finland, counteraction to smuggling and espionage and others.

This new edition contains many substantial addenda and alterations.