Investigation and Preservation of the Palmyrian Historical and Cultural Heritage by Russian and European Researchers in the 17th–21st Centuries

Abstract

The article accents to a comprehensive study of the contribution by the Russian and foreign scholars in the preservation and study of the Palmyrene archaeological sites. The paper aims to systematize and synthesize the achievements of various scientific and archaeological schools, field researchers, and philosophical thinkers collecting and analyzing data on the ancient city of Palmyra. One provides the main milestones for the research of the historic and cultural complex through the structural-functional and descriptive-compared methods. It identifies four major successive stages, but at the same time completely not interchangeable between theological and purely scientific-analytic paradigms. In this regard, one provides brief information about the History of Palmyra and the study of the city. It compares the results of various European expeditions and four Russian expeditions (1882, 1900, 2016, and 2019), while offering opportunities for further cooperation in the region. In the context of the research, the paper attempts to give a precise and holistic justification of the motivation for Palmyra by representatives of various intellectual traditions. One covers the development of humanitarian scientific thinking over the past 300 years. It provides the primary intraregional context for several historical events that have impacted both the preservation and destruction of these monuments. The current restoration of Palmyra goes far beyond Russian-Syrian humanitarian relations, as the development of digital technologies has enabled a large-scale work in the last five years. The experience gained will enable me to develop an appropriate strategy for restoring World Cultural Heritage sites.