Archival Study Research Articles

The history of abortion in the Faroe Islands is an under researched aspect of both local and Nordic gender history, and analyses of how abortion has taken place are still as absent as the legal right to elective abortion in the Faroe Islands. This is not due to a lack of historical records, but to their entanglements with the gendered, class-based and national power relationships defined by the Danish kingdom’s administration of the subject. This article focuses on the trial of Anna Maria Jacobsdatter who in 1843 was accused and acquitted for abortion in both the Faroese court and the Danish supreme court. Based on Jennifer Clary-Lemons arguments for material-rhetorical archival analysis (Clary-Lemon 2014), which build on Vicki Tolar Collins exploration of material rhetoric as feminist methodology, we focus on rhetorical accretion (Collins 1999), and how archival studies should emphasise the accumulation of meaning added by administrative and archival practices. Jacobsdatter status as a Faroese-speaking housemaid whose experiences are documented in Danish, attests to the rhetorical layers we as critics must address in cases such as these and how the documentation of biopolitical transgressions are reflective of their geopolitical context.

Research on civil society organizations’ advocacy has predominantly centered on examining societal and organizational structures as determining which organizations that engage in advocacy endeavors and whether they achieve influence. This structural determinism has instigated a growing body of research within the field emphasizing the agency of actors. Thus far, this new body of literature has tended to examine advocacy at the organizational level, thereby neglecting the impact of individual actors. This neglection is inconsistent with a related branch of organization studies, specifically the neo-institutional field, which long has recognized the relevance of studying individual actors’ role in change processes. This paper argues that it is similarly relevant to study the agency of individual actors in civil society organizations’ political advocacy. Through an archival case study utilizing analytical frameworks stemming from the neo-institutional concept of institutional entrepreneurship, the study examines how an individual actor influenced the law preparing process preceding the Danish Aliens Act of 1983. By outlining the significant impact of an individual actor in a legislative process, the paper underscores the need to integrate individual agency into civil society advocacy research to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of civil society organizations’ advocacy.

This study aims to examine the first movement of the Piano Concerto in F-Sharp Minor by Paul Johan Seelig, focusing on the relationship between Western classical music and the music of the Dutch East Indies during the 1910s–1930s through Édouard Glissant’s concept of rhizomatic identity. The research employs a qualitative method with data collection techniques, including archival studies and literature reviews. Analysis was conducted using Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutic approach, encompassing the study of the work’s background, structure, and appropriation in a broader context. The findings reveal that the first movement of the Piano Concerto in F-Sharp Minor reflects a hybrid cultural identity that integrates Western classical music idioms with local musical elements from the Dutch East Indies, such as the adaptation of the Lagoe Soenda melody into patterns resembling gamelan. This transformation reflects a respect for local culture rooted in Nusantara traditions while simultaneously reinterpreting it within the framework of Western classical music. The work not only represents artistic dynamics but also serves as a socio-cultural document illustrating power relations and intercultural dialogue in the colonial context. Seelig highlighted local themes to bridge cultural gaps, showcasing the potential of local music as a medium equal to Western musical traditions. The study’s findings reveal that cultural identity in Seelig’s work is not static but emerges as the dynamic interaction between two distinct traditions. This approach contrasts with other colonial composers, such as Claude Debussy, who tended to adopt aesthetic impressions without retaining local themes. This research contributes to expanding the understanding of socio-cultural relations through colonial music and underscores the significance of music as a medium that can represent social dynamics, identity, and power during the colonial era. Beyond its theoretical contributions, the study offers a new perspective on hybrid music and cultural appropriation. This approach is relevant for fostering awareness of the importance of intercultural dialogue in the arts while demonstrating how music can serve as a tool for bridging cultural differences and transcending colonial hierarchies.

Relevance. The role of railway transport in modern conditions is increasing due to the intensification of economic and geopolitical processes that require constant mobility of human and material resources. In this regard, the experience of the functioning of Soviet railways is becoming in demand not only by production workers, but also by representatives of humanitarian knowledge. Any modernization of production technologies is impossible without the active and creative participation of a labor person in it. Therefore, the study of the human factor in Russian history continues to be updated. The use of newly identified sources of personal origin in the study allows us to reveal previously unknown aspects of the life of historical personalities, which is especially important in creating full-fledged portraits of statesmen who made a significant contribution to the development of the country, among which N.A. Gundobin should be included.The purpose of the study is to comprehensively examine, on the basis of newly identified historical sources, the initial stage of the biography of the former First Deputy Minister of Railways of the USSR N.A. Gundobin.Objectives: to reveal the specifics of the functioning of railway transport in the period under review; to characterize the main factors of N.A. Gundobin's personal and professional development.Methodology. The principles of objectivity and historicism were used as the methodological basis of the work. To solve the tasks set, the authors used historical-genetic, historical-systemic, biographical, and retrospective methods.Results. The study and generalization of archival and memoir sources allowed us to reconstruct the events of the initial stage of personal formation and professional activity of one of the outstanding organizers of railway transport in the USSR, N.A. Gundobin.Conclusions. Family traditions and the passage of all stages of career growth from ordinary transport professions with a responsible attitude to the assigned task allowed N.A. Gundobin to hold a high leadership position in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR for almost 30 years, which testifies to the exceptional organizational abilities and hard work of a person who for so long ensured the functioning of an industry strategically important for the country.

In 1989, British Petroleum (BP) made the largest onshore investment in the company’s 72-year history in Scotland by expanding its Grangemouth petrochemical complex. Construction and operation were promised to generate between 1,200 and 1,500 jobs, but upon the project’s completion, over 1,000 industrial jobs were lost in the town, and employment never increased. This research explains this outcome by embedding it within a history of post-World War II deindustrialization and engaging with E.P. Thompson’s moral economy and the concept of “noxious deindustrialization”: expanding environmentally destructive capacity and shrinking industrial employment. It illuminates what the buildup and later transgression of moral economy promises looked like for a town experiencing rapid but fragile expansion on the back of petrochemicals, a modern, highly toxic, and land-intensive industry. Using oral history and archive study, the research establishes the presence of noxiousness in Grangemouth from the mid-twentieth century onward. Between 1951 and 1970, industrialization, urban expansion, and paternalistic corporate practices shaped customary notions that embedded the petrochemical sector into the community, justifying concerns about pollution, smells, and the industry’s intensive requirements on land. Between 1970 and 1989, the moral economy was transgressed as the planning system was dismantled and BP’s welfarist responsibility to Grangemouth lessened under economic liberalization. Amid growing environmental concerns globally, noxiousness became intolerable. Noxious deindustrialization accelerated with changes in energy prices, consolidation of private power, and discovery of North Sea oil, leading to company restructuring and job cuts in BP Chemicals. Consequently, the link between employment, population growth, and economic security broke down.

In recent decades, cultural heritage and archiving have become vital for preserving and making heritage more accessible. Improving techniques for preservation is essential for safeguarding a country’s intellectual and economic wealth, enabling better conservation, cost savings, and wider distribution. Cinema, as both physical and intangible cultural property, plays a key role in this process through research-creation, which combines art, theory, and research. This approach also allows documenting intangible cultural heritage, challenging traditional methods by focusing on audience experiences, screening schedules, exhibition formats, and film reception. This paper is the first to discuss Malaysia's traditional 35mm Wayang Pacak using SDG Target 11.4—protecting the world’s cultural and natural heritage—as its framework. It offers insights into the socio-cultural influences, technical evolution, historical development, and characteristics of Wayang Pacak using archival research and case studies. Additionally, it examines the collaborative research-creation process involving academics, filmmakers, and sound specialists in documentary production. Ultimately, this project aims to celebrate and preserve the Wayang Pacak, sharing it with both local and global audiences.

The article delves into the architectonic cinema of Hungarian director Béla Tarr, an exemplar of “slow cinema.” It constructs a theoretical framework integrating the theories of Gilles Deleuze, Jacques Rancière, Elie During, and Thorsten Botz-Bornstein, alongside discussions by architectural theorists Michael Tawa, Giuliana Bruno, François Penz, and film theorists Sergei Eisenstein, Béla Balázs, André Bazin, and David Bordwell. Supported by original material, including a nine-hour unpublished interview with Tarr and his set designer László Rajk, and an archival study of Sergei Eisenstein’s notes at the Gosfilmofond archive, the study addresses contemporary issues in spatial and architectural filmmaking and film-architecture literature. Through a close examination of Tarr’s long takes, it explores the intricate interconnectedness of time and spatiality in cinema, the importance of movement in its architectonics and the notion of tactility in Tarr’s work. It traces historical cross-disciplinary parallels between “montage” in modernist architectural theories, Eisenstein’s ideas, and Tarr’s cinema.

ABSTRACT Futurology raises many questions and divides opinion. In this article, I attempt to answer two questions in relation to futurology and Polish archival science: what were the subjects of futurology’s predictions and did it make sense to go beyond the horizon of the present? So far scientists have not given an unequivocal answer as to whether futurology has any real legitimacy, which does not change the fact that we predict and we will predict, sometimes providing our proceedings through research and sometimes not. My intention was to look at the predictions made in relation to archives over the century. Subjects that have been particularly susceptible to the construction of visions of the future have been analyzed and these are: the archival workforce; the accessibility of archives; the archival information system (informativeness); computerization; informatization; and the functions of archives. The argument is based on a chronological discussion of each of these themes, which made it possible to observe when each given theme was particularly popular and whether perceptions of them were changing among successive generations of archivists. Finally, I have attempted to answer the question: have Polish archivists’ predictions come true?

The article is devoted to the author’s concept based on the study of archival and memoir documents. According to them, one of the prototypes of Yuri Zhivago in Boris Leonidovich Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago was Dmitri Dmitrievich Avdeev, a doctor from Chistopol. Together with V.A. Vavilov, he provided Pasternak the historical basis of the novel, associated with the depiction of the country during the revolution and civil war. Pasternak’s acquaintance with the family of D. Avdeev took place in 1941–1943 during the evacuation of the writer and the entire Union of Writers of the USSR in Chistopol. As noted by both contemporaries and the author himself, the Avdeevs had a significant influence on the life and work of many significant Soviet writers who visited them. The friendship continued after the war, manifested in letters and references in the works of various authors to the Avdeevs and the city on the Kama. The author of the article concludes that both the idea of the novel and the image of the title character of Doctor Zhivago were born in Chistopol. The article cites numerous memoirs of contemporaries of B.L. Pasternak, according to which D.D. Avdeev was an iconic personality for Chistopol of his time, and his house was an undoubted cultural center of the city.

Organization of profession-oriented training for future specialists in library, information, and archival studies in higher technical education institutions

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the key components of competency for administrative managers at various levels within the Ministry of Education to propose a model. Methodology: To develop the research framework, the dimensions of the competency concept in the Education Department of East Azerbaijan Province were first extracted through document reviews, archival studies, and library research using card-based note-taking methods. Subsequently, the Delphi method was implemented in three stages, utilizing the insights of 29 experts familiar with the research topic to identify the most critical dimensions of competency within the Education Department of East Azerbaijan Province. A snowball sampling method was employed during this phase. In the next stage, after determining the sample size based on the Morgan table and applying simple random sampling, 218 administrative managers and staff (including experts and higher levels) from the Education Department of East Azerbaijan Province (encompassing one general department and five districts) were selected. Identified dimensions and factors were distributed to participants in the form of a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings: Finally, a competency model for administrative managers in the Education Department of East Azerbaijan Province was designed, comprising 27 critical competencies categorized into four domains: operational competencies, social competencies, cognitive competencies, and meta-competencies. The only difference lies in the varying degrees of importance of these competencies for senior, mid-level, and junior administrative managers. Conclusion: The final proposed model can be utilized within the competency-based human resource management system of the Ministry of Education for training, recruitment, and performance evaluation of administrative managers at different levels.

Pollution from past industrial activities can remain unnoticed for years or even decades because the pollutant has only recently gained attention or been identified by measurements. Modeling the emission history of pollution is essential for estimating population exposure and apportioning potential liability among stakeholders. This paper proposes a novel approach for reconstructing the history of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) pollution from municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) with unknown past emissions. The proposed methodology relies on the search for technical and operational data on the pollution source in archives, the extraction of representative data from the scientific literature, and the use of kinetic models of the formation and decomposition of PCDD/Fs within combustion chambers. This new methodological tool allows to estimate any MSWI’s stack emission and relative profile of seventeen PCDD/F congeners over time. The approach is validated through a case study of an MSWI in Switzerland. The modeled congener profile achieved a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.98 with measurements in fly ash washwater. Additionally, the simulated soil quantity (1,115–1,419 gTEQ WHO-2005 or 1,283–1,698 gTEQWHO-2022) agrees in order of magnitude with the estimated quantity from measurements (371 gTEQ WHO-2005 or 425 gTEQ WHO-2022).Graphical Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00244-025-01150-9.

The paper deals with the study of the contribution of the scholars and, simultaneously, the professors of the Institute for History and Archives of the Russian State University for the Humanities, to the analysis of the complex of different types of audio-visual documents. Special attention is paid to the works of the founders of that relevant research direction, professors – A.A. Kuzin, L.M. Roshal, V.M. Magidov. At the same time, the paper presents the content of the latest generalizing works about audio-visual documents – the works created in the 21st century by the pupils and other successors of those authors. The used historiographical sources in the form of monographs, articles and manuals were systematized on the basis of chronological and thematic principles. The application of such an approach provides an opportunity to show the traditions and contemporary tendencies in analyzing different types of audio-visual documents by the specialists of the Institute for History and Archives and to determine the relevance of the published research on the topic. The special focus of the article is on the works dealing with logically related issues of archival and source studies. Their choice for study is determined by the tradition of the scientific research at the Institute for History and Archives. At the same time, the paper presents the results of the study of the current topic of creation and preservation of visual and audio-visual documents in an electronic environment. Thereat, the article introduces the content of the notion of a “technotronic document” that was broadly used in the scientific studies of the end of the 20th – beginning of the 21st century.

The article deals with the biography of Konstantin Grigor’evich Mityaev, professor, founder of the school of Russian documentary studies. All the scientific and pedagogical activities of K.G. Mityaev took place within the walls of the Moscow State Institute for History and Archives (MGIAI), all the graduates of MGIAI know the results of that activity, his main works, but to date, very little is known about his personal life. The documents we have identified in the GARF funds, which contain biographical information, allow us to get to know K.G. Mityaev’s creative path better: the conditions that led him to the walls of the Institute for History and Archives, the features of upbringing and education that drove Konstantin Grigor’evich to a successful professional activity in the archival sphere. K.G. Mityaev was born in a small village in the family of an estate assistant manager. He was the youngest in the family, left without a mother early, but obviously received a good primary education. At the age of 18, he came to Moscow and entered the State Institute of Living Word, then decided to enroll in the Higher Cooperative Institute (VKI) established under the Plekhanov Institute of National Economy. It was his economic education and significant work experience in the accounting and economic environment that determined the emergence of his interest in studying primary sources in the field of economic processes and that lead him to the post-graduate school at MGIAI, with which the last thirty years of his life were associated. The features of Konstantin Grigor’evich Mityaev’s life path allow us to understand more deeply how he managed to collect, preserve, multiply and transfer the accumulated knowledge in the field of archival and documentary studies.

Documents of the Scholars` Formal Dress during (1888-1901) A Documentary Archival Study

This study explores the significance of Anatolian tekkes as pivotal spiritual and religious institutions that profoundly influenced the Islamic identity of Turkic communities in Central Asia. It draws upon an in-depth analysis of Eastern archival records and manuscript traditions, shedding light on the processes of collecting, safeguarding, and interpreting Islamic manuscripts. A central focus is placed on the role of tekkes in pilgrimage, Islamic scholarship, and the broader cultural-religious development of Turkic societies. Historical accounts underscore the profound connection between manuscript traditions and the operations of tekkes, which functioned as depositories, transcription centers, and distribution points for theological discourse, philosophical essays, and literary works rooted in Islamic thought. Notably, tekkes were not confined to religious functions; they also acted as cultural nexuses, bridging diverse regions and fostering spiritual unity within the Turkic-Muslim sphere. Within this framework, particular attention is given to Uzbek tekkes in Istanbul, which emerged as focal sites of religious convergence for Central Asian pilgrims while also serving as conduits for the dissemination of Islamic knowledge and devotional practices. The theoretical foundation of this research is based on cultural archival studies and historical-cultural analysis, which regard manuscripts as integral elements of collective memory, ensuring the transmission of religious doctrines and spiritual customs. Methodologically, the study employs a comparative-historical approach, textual scrutiny of archival sources, and an examination of the socio-political, ethno-religious, and cultural dimensions of tekkes. Special emphasis is placed on Uzbek dervish tekkes within the Ottoman Empire, their involvement in pilgrimage networks, and their instrumental role in spreading Sufi traditions among Turkic populations. The evaluation of primary sources reveals that Uzbek tekkes in Istanbul functioned not only as centers for spiritual education but also as arenas for social engagement, reinforcing Islamic communal identity. The manuscripts preserved and composed in these tekkes were more than revered texts; they were dynamic instruments of religious instruction that embedded Islamic thought within the community. On a broader scale, tekkes operated as crucial spiritual institutions that facilitated the transmission of knowledge and upheld cultural-religious continuity among the Turkic-Muslim communities of the Russian Empire from the mid-19th to early 20th centuries. The findings substantiate that Uzbek tekkes in Anatolia played a fundamental role in reshaping religious and educational practices, particularly amid the socio-political turbulence of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their contributions to Islamic pedagogy and intercultural dialogue emphasize the necessity for further exploration of their manuscript legacy, offering deeper insights into the religious and ethno-cultural dynamics of the Turkic world.

This study explores the significance of Anatolian tekkes as pivotal spiritual and religious institutions that profoundly influenced the Islamic identity of Turkic communities in Central Asia. It draws upon an in-depth analysis of Eastern archival records and manuscript traditions, shedding light on the processes of collecting, safeguarding, and interpreting Islamic manuscripts. A central focus is placed on the role of tekkes in pilgrimage, Islamic scholarship, and the broader cultural-religious development of Turkic societies. Historical accounts underscore the profound connection between manuscript traditions and the operations of tekkes, which functioned as depositories, transcription centers, and distribution points for theological discourse, philosophical essays, and literary works rooted in Islamic thought. Notably, tekkes were not confined to religious functions; they also acted as cultural nexuses, bridging diverse regions and fostering spiritual unity within the Turkic-Muslim sphere. Within this framework, particular attention is given to Uzbek tekkes in Istanbul, which emerged as focal sites of religious convergence for Central Asian pilgrims while also serving as conduits for the dissemination of Islamic knowledge and devotional practices. The theoretical foundation of this research is based on cultural archival studies and historical-cultural analysis, which regard manuscripts as integral elements of collective memory, ensuring the transmission of religious doctrines and spiritual customs. Methodologically, the study employs a comparative-historical approach, textual scrutiny of archival sources, and an examination of the socio-political, ethno-religious, and cultural dimensions of tekkes. Special emphasis is placed on Uzbek dervish tekkes within the Ottoman Empire, their involvement in pilgrimage networks, and their instrumental role in spreading Sufi traditions among Turkic populations. The evaluation of primary sources reveals that Uzbek tekkes in Istanbul functioned not only as centers for spiritual education but also as arenas for social engagement, reinforcing Islamic communal identity. The manuscripts preserved and composed in these tekkes were more than revered texts; they were dynamic instruments of religious instruction that embedded Islamic thought within the community. On a broader scale, tekkes operated as crucial spiritual institutions that facilitated the transmission of knowledge and upheld cultural-religious continuity among the Turkic-Muslim communities of the Russian Empire from the mid-19th to early 20th centuries. The findings substantiate that Uzbek tekkes in Anatolia played a fundamental role in reshaping religious and educational practices, particularly amid the socio-political turbulence of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their contributions to Islamic pedagogy and intercultural dialogue emphasize the necessity for further exploration of their manuscript legacy, offering deeper insights into the religious and ethno-cultural dynamics of the Turkic world.

The article enhances the scholarly discourse with previously unknown archive materials that explain why the Southern Urals Early Iron Age archaeology has faced a source-studies case while researching Sara cemetery in the Eastern Orenburg region. In the late 1920s D.I. Zakharov, a researcher of the Orenburg Museum, conducted excavations at the cemetery. The explored materials were introduced in the scholarly discourse by K.F. Smirnov. However, some published materials do not originate from kurgan 7. It was proven for sure by V.K. Fedorov in 2019. The archive studies establish that the materials under dispute were obtained by D.I. Zakharov in his second year of the monument research, viz. in 1929. The article offers the full text of the 1929 report and the excavation author's illustrations. We believe, D.I. Zakharov studied burial mound 2 of the cemetery. The kurgan contains graves with weapon items (sword, arrowheads) and horse harness elements. Some finds are admitted rare (shield boss, golden earring). The burial rite includes burying a horse, that is why the grave reveals horse harness elements previously attributed to the grave in kurgan 7. Kurgan 2 burial rite and inventory demonstrate similarity to the materials from kurgan 3 studied in 1993 by V.K. Fedorov and V.N. Vasilyev. These features are distinctive for 500s–400s BC nomads. The best description of the Sara cemetery burial rite can be given subject to the complete publication of all available materials from the associated excavations. It will allow to finalize the challenging issue of studying this monument.

This article is an examination of multicultural ethos in the movie East is East. Multiculturalism, in this, article stands for the policy of embracing of differing viewpoints and perspectives when two or more cultures come into contact. Through qualitative methodological mode and multiculturalism as a theoretical framework, this study utilizes the research methods such as within case analysis, comparative analysis and archival studies Within case analysis lends the ground for the intense consideration of the instances selected; comparative analysis is a mode of reasoning to segregate the attributes; archival studies offer a situation in which earlier critiques and judgments are considered for an intended conclusion. The analytical framework constitutes twofold conceptual strings: familial lynchpin’s fluidity and against bigotry. These two strings yield the analytical advancement as they contain the dialogues of the characters. Such advancement substantiates the usefulness of the multicultural attitude: the respect for all cultures, if not in the absolute sense. The implications and significance of this study can be summed up as the addition of a perspective, through the artistic means such as cinematographic representation. The added perspective in the domain of cultural studies is that multiculturalism can neither be taken to its celebratory mode nor the denigrating mode. Striking the middle math, multiculturalism is a useful notion that can help embrace the panoply of customs, values and norms. East is East, the movie as the corpus of the study renders the evidences to prove that fluidity, not fixity, in the border situations is a better option.

The relevance of the article stems from the problem of common student frustration with their essay writing performance in target language training. The issue is manageable when integrating essay writing skills with practices that use metacognitive strategies in cognitive processes. These strategies focus the thought of learners on personal development and consequently help them become more self-aware and proficient writers. The paperʼs purpose in this regard is to specify metacognitive practices as patterns of strategic behaviour and outline the rationale for their use in writing performance. In achieving this, the research employs methodological tools corresponding to current and archival materials analysis (student essays and teacher feedback techniques on their quality), behavioural observations, and case studies. Insights into self-assessments, self-efficacy beliefs, and the wide-ranging usefulness of various reflective procedures for advancing metacognitive abilities are among the objectives of this mixed-methods approach. The main results are embodied in certain transformations of theoretical ideas into specific learning tasks with metacognitive content and practices for their fulfilment, as well as in their visual illustrations and examples. The metacognitive model is part of these results, which frame metacognitive practices in the educational process. Despite its generalizing application, the model structure (personality – task – strategies at the level of cognitive and metacognitive thinking – teacher/peer student/group) limits the metacognitive practices functioning to strategic goals or attitudes aimed at cognition regulation. When the model is assumed, its extension through metacognition depicts these moments: (1) Stages of training metacognitive strategies: planning (analyzing essay requirements), monitoring (tracking progress during writing), evaluation (critically assessing written work), regulation (adapting strategies based on feedback), and others. (2) Skills development within these strategies. (3) Emotional factors. (4) Practical toolkits: reflection journals, peer reviews, and feedback integration. Overall, metacognitive practice implemented within the educational curriculum alters writing from a challenging task into a structured, intentional learning experience, suggesting that further research is warranted to refine and expand on these findings.