New Approaches in Soviet Antiquity Studies of the 1950—1970s: Vladislav Andreev’s Case

Abstract

The article presents the scientific biography of Vladislav Nikolaevich Andreev (1927—1984), associate professor of the A. I. Herzen Leningrad State Pedagogical Institute. Based on an extensive set of archival documents, including the personal fund of V. N. Andreev, as well as scientific publications of the scientist and published memoirs about him, it will be shown how the Soviet science of antiquity was integrated into the late Soviet ideological structure, which influenced not only the problems of research, but also communication within the scientific community. Scientific problems of V. N. Andreev was associated with the economic life of classical Athens and, in particular, the history of the origin of wealth in ancient Greece. Interdisciplinary topics using the methods of sociology and mathematics in Soviet antiquity did not formally contradict the rules. However, Andreev nevertheless did not fit into any institutional discourse. The use of methods new to the Soviet science of antiquity, as well as fruitful contacts with foreign scientists (for example, with Moses Finley) also predetermined the "incident" of V. N. Andreev — his difficulties with defending first a candidate's and then a doctoral dissertation caused by complex relationships with the Leningrad Scientific School of Antiquity. Non-recognition of scientific achievements of V. N. Andreev's Leningrad colleagues vividly contrasted with the high assessments of the scientist's research achievements by foreign colleagues and colleagues from the Soviet Academy of Sciences, with a large number of publications not only in Soviet, but also in foreign publications, contacts with world-famous scientists.