International scientific conference “Historical memory of Russia and the Decembrists. 1825-2015” timed to 190-year anniversary of the uprising which took place in the Senate square on December 14, 1825 has become the only remarkable international scientific forum on issues concerning the history of the Decembrist movement. Its organizers struggled to attract to participation all well-known specialists in social and political history of the 19^th-century Russia, problems of historical memory, leading scholars in the sphere of source studies, historiography and biographic studies. Total number of conferees counts to more than 80 researchers from different regions of Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Tver, Saratov, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, etc.) and foreign countries (Georgia, Ukraine, Germany and Japan).

The conference went on for three days: on December 14 its sessions took place at the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg at the Peter and Paul Fortress, on December 15 the meetings were held at the Institute of History of Saint Petersburg State University and on December 16 it was housed by Saint Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS.

Apart from plenary and closing meetings the conference had eight workshops where the following problems were discussed: power, society and historical memory; historical memory and memory of the location; importance of museums, archives and private collections for preservation of the historical memory; historical perception, historical memory and the document; new approaches to the phenomenon of the Decembrist movement and traditions and innovations in Decembrist historiography and biographic studies of this historical period. Totally 67 papers and reports have been delivered.

The main feature of this scientific forum was that attention of scholars was focused not only on the history of the Decembrists and methods of its study but also on wide historical background of this period,  a range of discussed issues included problems of historical memory, contemporary historical perception, special aspects of biographic studies, source studies and historiography. The conference was carried out according to high scientific standards, and it showed to the participants the actual tendencies and new courses of research and contributed to enlivening of scientific connections and cooperation between scholars.

On December 16, 2015 the exhibition “These deeds won’t pass away…” On 190-year anniversary of the Decembrist uprising” has been opened at the Reading hall of Scientific and historical archive of SPbIH of the RAS. The first visitors have been participants and guests of the International scientific conference “Historical memory” of Russia and the Decembrists. 1825-2015”.

Three sections of the exhibition contain documents on the history of the revolt in the Senate square and on the tragic destiny of the Decembrists and members of their families.

Manuscripts (letters, notes, etc.) and other materials from personal fund of Vassily Petrovich Ivashev (1797-1841), who was the member of “The union of welfare” and then of “The Southern society”, form the central section. Although V.P. Ivashev didn’t participate in the revolt itself being in long-term furlough at his parents’ estate in Simbirsk region, after his return in January 1826 he was arrested, kept in Peter and Paul Fortress and then he was sentenced to 20-year penal servitude.

The exhibition also includes materials on different aspects of the study of the Decembrists movement history. Among them there is a lithogranewspaperph of A.I. Herzen’s letter to Alexander II on the third edition of court historiograph M.A. Korf’s book “Emperor’s Nicholas I accession to the throne” published in “Kolokol” in 1857, then hand-written copies of Decembrists’ wives’ letters sent from Siberia, press-cuttings from newspaper and journal articles on the first jubilees of the Decembrist uprising kept in the collection of famous genealogist A.A. Sivers (1866-1954) and some other documents and materials are presented for the visitors.

The exhibition has been organized by researchers of Scientific and historical archive Cand. of Sc. in History M.E. Proskuryakova, Cand. of Sc. in History T.A. Bazarova in cooperation with Cand. of Sc. in History E.I. Nosova.

The first volume of multivolume work “The First World War and the end of the Russian Empire”. Publishing house “Liki Rossii” issued “Political history” “The First World War and the end of the Russian Empire”.

Centenary of the World War I (194-1918) has been marked by a lot of conferences, publications and research works. This project supported by Russian Foundation for Humanities (grant №12-31-10020 “The First World War and the end of the Russian Empire”) is aimed to publish three volumes on political and economical history of Russia during the global conflict, on different aspects of social and cultural life of the Russian empire citizens and on February revolution that brought to an end the monarchy. The authors suppose these publications to be interesting not only to historians and scholars, but also to a wide range of readers.

“…Keep my sorrowful story…”: Blockade diary of Lena Mukhina. Moscow, 2015.

The diary text prepared for publication and commented by D.Sc. in History V.M. Kovalchuk, D.Sc. in History A.I. Rupasov and D.Sc. in History A.N. Chistikov. Introductory article by D.Sc. in History, professor S.V. Yarov.

This book is a republication of the blockade diary of 17-year old Leningrad schoolgirl Lena Mukhina. This diary is unique being one of a little number of teenagers’ notes written down during the Blockade. It was written in a good literary language and covers a period from May 22, 1941 till May 25, 1942, what makes it possible to trace the everyday life of a Leningrad citizen and her perception of the events of the war eve and of the first year of the War (pre-Blockade months, beginning of the siege and tragic winter of 1941/1942).
The diary produced a lot of positive responses and comments in both Russian and foreign mass media.

On December 16, 2015 the book exhibition “On 190-year anniversary of the Decembrist uprising” timed to the International scientific conference “Historical memory of Russia and the Decembrists. 1825-2015” was opened at the Conference hall of Saint Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS. It was organized by the Library of the institute and prepared by librarian I.N. Shepyreva. At this exhibition 34 scientific works (monographs, historiography works, collections of articles, collections of documents) were presented to the participants and guests of the conference. Among the exhibits there were not only library books but also publications given by T.V. Andreeva and P.V. Ilyin.

Foto A.Yu.Bespyatych

Saint Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS has been invited to participate in this trade exhibition by its executive director Yu.Yu. Cheremskaya. It went off from December 11 till December 13 at the New exhibition hall of the State museum of city sculpture. Monographs and collective works, publications of historical sources and school-books written and composed in 2013-2015 by the Institute scholars were presented there. The last issues of “Auxiliary Historical Disciplines” (“Vspomogatelnye istoricheskie distsipliny”) and “Novgorod historical articles” (“Novgorodskii istoricheskii sbornik”) as well as the full set of numbers of “Petersburg historical journal” (“Peterburgskii istoricheskii zhurnal”) were also presented at the exhibition. On December 11 the journal was introduced to the visitors by its managing editor Doctor of Science in History A.I. Rupasov.

In the course of all three days of exhibition the guests paid permanent interest to the works of the Institute scholars, especially to issues of “Petersburg historical journal” and publications of historical sources.

Saint Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS was granted a diploma for active participation in the Second Saint Petersburg History Book Fair.

On December 14, 2015 the opening session of the International scientific conference “Historical memory of Russia and the Decembrists. 1825-2015” timed to 190-year anniversary of the Decembrist uprising will be held.
The conference is organized by Saint-Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, State Archive of the Russian Federation, State Museum of History of Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg A.A. Sobchak Public Fund, International D.S. Likhachev Charitable Fund, Saint Petersburg State University, the European University in Saint Petersburg.
The conference will be held from December 14 till December 16. The sessions will take place at Saint Petersburg State University and Saint Petersburg Institute of History.

Notice: On December 16 the reading hall of Scientific and historical archive of Saint Petersburg Institute of History will be closed down due to the conference sessions.

On November 25, 2015 the results of the 8^th Public contest “Topical science” (Aktualnaya nauka) conducted in commemoration of O.N. Ken were summed up. The Polish Institute in Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg Institute of History of the RAS and the Institute of History and Political Science of the University of Białystok announce the completion of the 8^th Public contest of students’ and postgraduates’ works “Topical science (Soviet Union, Poland and other states of Central and Eastern Europe in the world policy of the 20^th century)” (Aktualnaya nauka) conducted in commemoration of O.N. Ken.

The ceremony of presentation of awards, diplomas and special prize to the winners of the contest will take place on December, 17 at 3 p.m. in the Conference hall of Saint Petersburg Institute of history of the RAS.

Welcome for all comers.