Memoirs of D. S. Hessen as a source for reconstruction of scientific biography of S. I. Hessen

Abstract

This article reviews the memoirs of D. S. Hessen – Polish journalist, translator and lexicographer, son of a prominent pedagogue and philosopher, active participant in the intellectual life of white émigré S. I. Hessen, as the paramount source for reconstruction of scientific-pedagogical biography of the scholar in the context of pedagogical history of emigration. The authors lean on the traditional methods of historical-pedagogical research, namely biographical, resorting to the techniques of hermeneutical and contextual analysis, and “microhistory”. The importance of D. S. Hessen's memoirs for understanding the general patterns and specific details of scientific-pedagogical life of the “Russian Prague” is emphasized. The relevance of this work is defined by the need for creating a documented pedagogical history of Russian immigrants in Europe, development of new approaches towards analyzing the legacy of prominent representatives of pedagogical thought, search and introduction of archival materials into the scientific discourse, particularly memoirs, epistolary, and personal documents. The conducted research demonstrates that the memoirs of D. S. Hessen are an important source for reconstruction of scientific-pedagogical biography of S. I. Hessen, as they clarify such moments as the Prague period of life of the scholar, outline the circle of person he mostly interacted with, and shed light on certain circumstances of his life and work.