The book as a «place of memory»: on the methods of preservation of cultural and historical heritage (based on the materials of the Republic of Mordovia)

Abstract

The article focuses on the study of possibilities of implementing the concept of historical memory, which has been widely used in recent scientific and practical activities. The following tasks contributed to the realization of the intended goal: analysis of historiographical situation that contributed to the formation of a new scientific direction; study of the method of publishing sources; consideration of the prospect of using collections of documents and materials in the practice of memorialization. The research is based on the concept of historical memory, which is reflected in the works of A. Bergson, M. Halbwachs, Ya. Assman, P. Riker, P. Nor, and others. When writing the article, the achievements of domestic researchers Zh. Toshchenko, L. Repin, and L. Mazur were actively used. Methods of source studies, comparative, critical, conceptual and problem analysis of texts contributed to a comprehensive disclosure of the topic. The relevance of the article is connected with a few aspects: 1) one of the perspective concepts used by scientists in the study of the problem of preserving historical and cultural heritage is the concept of place of memory; 2) defining the formation of cultural and historical code as the main task of historical memory, the authors of the article suggested that collections of documents and materials to a much greater extent than many other phenomena of material and spiritual culture can be identified in the modern humanitarian space as significant places of memory. Such symbolic constructs are particularly relevant for localities and regions of Russia, where a significant part of archaeological and architectural monuments has been destroyed or is at the last stage of destruction. The material of the study was unique eyewitness accounts of historical events included in the Set of documents on the history and culture of Mordovia. The analysis of experience of Mordovian scientists, who identified and published a significant body of historical sources in the shortest possible time, showed their wide thematic and chronological range. Thematically, military-patriotic publications that chronologically relate to the first half of the XIX and the first half of the XX century predominate. Presenting modern publications of sources as an established form of translation and actualization of cultural meanings, a way of preserving historical and cultural heritage, the authors suggested that purposeful activities to expand such places of memory (such as collections of documents and materials) should be expanded and deepened. Its promising areas are the key problems of regional history national policy of the 1920-ies and 1930-ies, collectivization, industrialization, and so on.