Historical Archives Research Articles

The Establishment and Dissolution of the Subbotnik Communities of Petrovka as a Case Study Reflecting Shifts in Russian Geopolitical Interests toward Raskol’nik Religious Settlements in Southern Caucasus, 1909–1915

Toward the middle of the nineteenth century, a large Subbotnik community established itself in the village of Privol’noe in the Lankaran district of Baku province in Southern Caucasus. By early 1909, however, the names of two small Subbotnik communities—both in the settlement of Petrovka, near Privol’noe—began to appear in the documents of the Baku province administration. While the Privol’noe community has been thoroughly studied, those of Petrovka remain largely unexplored. At their peak, Petrovka’s two Subbotnik communities were divided, belonging to different Jewish streams, and segregated from each other. Based mainly on documents from the National Historical Archives of the Republic of Azerbaijan (NAHARA), this study uncovers these communities and compares their religious life with each other. It does so in the context of the Russo-Ottoman and Irano-Russian geopolitical rivalries in Southern Caucasus. The study explains how and which aspects of this struggle led Russia to originally establish communities like Petrovka at the start of the examined period. It further explores why Russia later lost interest in supporting the Petrovka communities by the end of said period.

Гуманное воспитание как основа исправления: о съездах по проблеме детских правонарушений в Российской империи (вторая половина XIX – начало XX века)

By analysing historical sources, the study aims to shed light on the role of congresses of Russian correctional institutions’ representatives in the formation of humane education as the basis for the correction of juvenile offenders in Russian penal colonies in the second half of the 19th and the early 20th century. The paper analyzes the problem of juvenile delinquency in pre-revolutionary Russia, which is relevant to the history of pedagogy. The study is novel in that it is the first to present a detailed analysis of the activities of congresses of Russian correctional institutions’ representatives held to discuss significant issues on the education and correction of juvenile offenders. The authors note that the relevant problems of educational and correctional institutions for juvenile offenders were covered at the congresses. Based on the analysis of materials from the Central State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg, the activities of the Second Congress, held in 1884, are presented in detail. It is important to emphasize that such events provided an opportunity to solve problematic issues, which had a positive impact on the pedagogical process, making it most effective and efficient. As a result of the study, it was found that the material presented in this paper is important for pedagogical science. This is explained by the possibility of extrapolating from the experience of correctional institutions of the past to the practice of modern educational colonies for juvenile offenders. Based on the ideas of Russian teachers of the second half of the 19th and the early 20th century, the authors emphasize the need to apply educational retro-technologies in penitentiary practice at the present time, referring primarily to humane education as the basis for correcting children who have broken the law.

Role of the National Archives of South Africa in promoting human rights

Purpose This paper aims to explore the role played by the National Archives of South Africa in human rights promotion and protection. The study examined the challenges that archivists encounter when undertaking archival functions, such as acquisition, appraisal and access provision, that contribute to forming documentary archives crucial for human rights promotion and protection. Design/methodology/approach A review of literature dealing with acquisition, appraisal and access was used in this research. It was supplemented with interviews. Findings This paper provides recommendations of benefits in the field of archives management with a focus on the areas of acquisition, appraisal and access. The transformational discourse in the jurisdiction of archives management challenges archival institutions to be active players in selecting historical and cultural archives’ significance that is significant in human rights protections. However, despite judicial requirements that recommend the importance of archives, there is evidence that archival functions such as appraisal, acquisition and access are not being fully used, resulting in national archives institutions that are subject to irregularities that contribute to an unbalanced archives collection. Research limitations/implications The paper was limited only to the National Archives of South Africa. Practical implications The paper makes practical implications concerning the acquisition, appraisal and providing access to human rights records. Social implications Sufficient funding resource allocation ought to be provided to advance human rights promotion. Originality/value This paper offers informed recommendations to address the challenges of acquisition, appraisal and access provision of archive materials. The availability of archives materials reinforces the community by aiding to protect legal rights and prevent human rights violations. It was, thus, necessary to establish whether the National Archives of South Africa is actively building the archives collections that are important for human rights promotion and protection.

Practices of the Interaction of Muslim Communities of the Steppes with the Government (The 2nd Half of the 19th – Early 20th Century)

Based on the records of the central and local government of the Russian Empire, stored in the Central State Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Russian State Historical Archive, the article analyzes the aspects and practices of interaction between the authorities and Muslim communities of the Steppe Region in the 2nd half of the 19th – early 20th century. Unlike the Orthodox population living in this administrative-territorial division, whose spiritual life was controlled by the officials assigned by the Holy Synod, Muslims were in the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Hence, the regional administration and several central ministries were directly involved in solving the problems of the spiritual life of Muslims of the Steppes. The competence of these authorities included establishing new parish organizations and constructing the worship places, founding confessional schools and religious and charitable societies, and organizing the believers’ pilgrimage to holy places. The legislation regulating the decision-making process for such tasks required submitting a petition to the local authorities, followed by their step-by-step consideration and then resolution. The central aspect of communication between the governing bodies and the Muslim communities was the establishment of the Spiritual Board in the Steppe region. The Kazakh population filed countless petitions to the central government during the first Russian Revolution of 1905–1907. As a result of the petition campaign, the practice of holding special and private meetings with the participation of representatives from authorities and Muslim communities of the region emerged. As sources evidence, when making decisions concerning the Muslims of the Steppe Region, local administrations relied on the trends in ethno-confessional policy implemented by the central government. Therefore, quite often, outcomes did not benefit the local Muslim population. However, in other aspects, the communication between the authorities and the Muslim communities can be characterized as constructive.

Exploring the Byzantine Levels of the Destroyed Baalshamin Sanctuary through Archival Research: An Exercise in Decolonizing History

ABSTRACT The Temple of Baalshamin in Palmyra was excavated by a Swiss team (1954–1956, 1966) led by the Swiss archaeologist Paul Collart. All of the field notes and other data are at the University of Lausanne. Today, these archives are the best existing source to study the temple, which was destroyed by ISIS (Islamic State in Syria) in 2015. Switzerland was not a colonial power, but, from a postcolonial perspective, it is interesting to study the dismantling process of the Byzantine structures as an assumption that the Roman-era Temple was more important. Based on a study of the historical archives, this article explores the question of whether this action can be seen as favoring a hegemonic narrative that the classical period supersedes all other periods represented by the site.

Omsk Hydroelectric Power Plant Project in Economic History of Region in 1930s—1980s.

The article is dedicated to the unrealized project of the Omsk Hydroelectric Power Station, developed in the 1930s, then postponed and subsequently reintroduced for discussion in the 1980s. The sources used for this research include materials from the Historical Archive of the Omsk Region and the Russian State Archive of Economy. Both domestic and foreign historiography on the economic development of Western Siberia do not mention this project, hence this article aims to fill this historiographical gap. It is demonstrated that the project was considered by regional authorities solely as an agricultural facility, which would have allowed for the use of the reservoir for irrigation in the southern districts of the region and improvement of navigational conditions around the city of Omsk. Emphasis is placed on the fact that its implementation could have boosted the industrial development of the Omsk Region. The abandonment of the project in the 1930s largely determined the subsequent development of the region, particularly from an ecological perspective. To meet the energy needs of the city and the region, construction of thermal power plants began, fueled by Ekibastuz coal, which contains a large amount of ash. This, in turn, led to serious air pollution in the Omsk region, which continues to persist to this day.

CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL RESEARCH OF THE STĀMERIENA PALACE. THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF THE PALACE IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN HISTORICAL STYLES

The article Cultural and Historical Research of Stāmeriena Palace. The Architectural Design of the Palace in the Context of European Historical Styles aims to study the cultural and historical heritage of Stāmeriena Palace, focusing on the architectural research of the manor house in the context of the influences of European historical styles. The article is based on the research work, which is based on the documents found in the Latvian State Historical Archive, the Herder Institute Archive in Marburg, Germany, the Estonian National Archive, and the Alūksne Zonal State Archive. The research of Stāmeriena Palace as an architectural and artistic unit is based on unpublished research, as well as on observations made by the authors of the article. Based on the information provided in the documents, photographs, and unpublished studies (architectural research materials), the article reveals the four stages of the construction of the palace. Detailed attention is paid to the first two construction periods of Stāmeriena Palace, from 1835 to 1905 and from 1908 to 1940, when the most significant architectural changes to the façade and the overall ensemble of the building can be identified, which are closely related to the characteristic manifestations of 19th-century historicism architecture.

Dendrogeomorphological Reconstruction of Rockfall Activity in a Forest Stand, in the Cozia Massif (Southern Carpathians, Romania)

Determining the spatio-temporal patterns of rockfalls, such as the zonation of hazards and the assessment of associated risks, can be challenging due to poor historical archives. Dendrogeomorphological methods cover this lack of data and provide reliable reconstructions of rockfall activities over several centuries. These methods are based on the signals recorded in the tree rings that are affected by the mechanical impact of falling rock fragments. In this study, we analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution of rockfalls in a 0.19 ha forest area in the Southern Carpathians. We collected 170 samples (100 increment cores and 70 stem discs) from all 40 Picea abies (L.) Karst trees identified in the study area (1 tree/47 m2). This allowed us to date 945 events between 1817 and 2021, which we then compared with available weather records. Our results show the main trajectory of falling rock fragments from the source area, as well as significant temporal variations in process activity. These variations correlate only slightly with fluctuations in meteorological parameters. Despite the expected intensification of natural hazards due to climate warming, our study area shows a general trend towards a slight decrease in rockfall activity at present.

Ο εκδότης Ν. Π. Ιγγλέσης και το περιοδικό Εύα (1923-1924)

Publisher N. P. Inglessis and the magazine Eva (1923-1924)
 Publisher of one French and five Greek-language publications, daily and weekly, during the 1920s, N. P. Inglessis has remained to this day a rather invisible case in the history of the Greek Press. Born in the late 1870s in Constantinople, he studied at the Chalki School of Commerce, and probably in London, and worked as an employee and then manager of the Bank of Athens before turning to publishing. My research in the Historical Archive of the National Bank of Greece provided biographicaland financial material, which allows us to assume the origin of the funds that supported the turn in his professional life. His publications were short-lived, but pioneering and insightful, seeking to fill thematic gaps, and reach the interested audiences. His popular magazine Eva, presented in more detail here, addressed a large number of women readers and often popularized positions of the women’s movement, especially those related to work, spreading them to wider and lower social strata, whocould not access the original collectives and theoretical discourses. Eva has probably worked as a model for similar publications, which circulated the following years in Greece. Accordingly, Inglessis’ Kinimatografos/Cinema, the first Greek magazine of its kind, dedicated to film, had also a clearly targeted readership, as well as his last and final attempt, Athlitika Chronika/Athletic Chronicles. Interestingly, N. P. Inglessis was the father of the first Greek film critic Iris Skaravaiou, indicating a path through which women could enter the journalist profession.

Forest management and former land use have no effect on soil fungal diversity in uneven-aged mountain high forests

Key messageMetabarcoding analysis of soil fungal communities in French mountain forests revealed that harvesting intensity, time since last harvest and former land use had no effect on fungal community composition compared to key abiotic factors. Low-intensity management in these uneven-aged mountain forests therefore has limited effects on soil fungal community composition which is mainly driven by elevation and edaphic properties.ContextPast and current human activities are known to affect forest biodiversity. However, the effects of former land use and forest management have been studied much more extensively on higher plants than on fungi.AimsOur objectives were to assess the effects of harvesting intensity, duration since last harvest and former land use on soil fungal communities in uneven-aged mountain high forests.MethodsOn the basis of historical land-use maps drawn between 1862 and 1864 and on historical forest management archives, we selected 62 sites in the French Alps with contrasting land-use histories (ancient forests, which were already forested on historical maps vs recent forests, which have recovered following abandonment of pastures) and different durations since last harvest (from 1 to over 50 years). We carried out soil sampling and assessed fungal diversity by metabarcoding analysis. We analysed soil fungal molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTU) diversity as a whole and for the main lifestyle groups (such as wood saprotrophic or ectomycorrhizal fungi) using multiple linear regressions on Shannon’s diversity index and fungal taxonomic composition using canonical correlation analysis.ResultsWe found no significant effect of harvesting intensity, time since last harvest or land-use history on total fungal MOTU diversity, fungal lifestyle diversity or taxonomic composition. In contrast, we observed significant effects of elevation, pH, organic carbon and available phosphorus content on the taxonomic and functional composition of soil fungal communities.ConclusionsThe structure of soil fungal communities (i.e. diversity and species composition) was mainly determined by elevation and edaphic factors, indicating a high-context dependency, as previously found in similar studies. Our study in mountain forests shows that recent forests established on former pastures had no legacy effect on soil conditions and fungal communities, in contrast to previous results in lowland areas, where recent forests were mainly established on former cropland. Uneven-aged forest management had no effect on fungal diversity, in contrast to previous results observed in even-aged high forests.

La muerte de la abadesa: comunidad y ritualización en el monasterio de Sant Pere de les Puel·les

ABSTRACT The study of funerary ritual is an area that has received attention in recent decades from various disciplines and perspectives. We address this topic from the perspective of the abbesses. This focus allows us to trace unique aspects of their funerals and especially their connection to and integration within their communities: in relation to community members —nuns, beneficiary chaplains, external authorities, etc.—, as well as the community experiences —circuits and paths in a cloistered space, objects, times and rhythms, soundscape, etc. The subject of our study is the Benedictine monastery of Sant Pere de les Puel·les in Barcelona, a female community founded by the counts of Barcelona in the first half of the tenth century which still survives, preserving an important living historical archive.

Вице-губернатор в системе управленческой элиты степных областей ЗападноСибирского и Степного генерал-губернаторств во второй половине XIX–начале XX века

The article analyzes the position of Vice-governor in the system of administrative elite of Akmola, Semipalatinsk and Semirechensk regions of the Russian Empire. Using the normative-legal base of local institutions of these regions, the «formal» position of officials in this position in the general structure of administrative power is characterized. Management in steppe regions is characterized by remoteness of territories from the center of decision-making, high share of nomadic population, marginal position. In this regard, the peculiarities of the position of Vice-governors in the steppe regions and in the interior of Russia are revealed. One of the important features of the service of these officials is the combination of military and civil power in the steppe regions and the lack of a clear division of responsibilities between the elements of the administrative elite. For the socio-cultural characterization of the composition of the Vice-governor corps we used the form lists and personal files of officials kept in the archives: the Historical Archive of the Omsk Region, the Russian State Historical Archive and the Central State Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan. These data are published for the first time. The article concludes with a socio-cultural portrait of a typical Vice-governor of a steppe region, an analysis of the typical career trajectories of the official and a comparison of the scope of authority with similar officials from internal Russian provinces.

“Many people… tried to speak Ukrainian”. Ukraine 1917–1919 in the memories of General V. V. Bunyakovsky

The article is devoted to the analysis of unpublished memories of Major General V. V. Bunyakovsky about his life in 1917–1919 in Ukraine. Bunyakovsky’s memories are kept in the Russian State Military Historical Archives and in the State Archives of the Russian Federation, and were originally kept in the Russian Foreign Historical Archives in Prague. The preserved body of the general’s memories covers the period from the First World War to emigration, but one of the most interesting parts concerns the 1917–1919 period. In 1917–1918 Bunyakovsky was a member of the liquidation commission of the Nicholas Military School in Kiev, which he led; in the Ukrainian army of Hetman P. P. Skoropadsky in 1918 he was a member of the commission for the organization of military schools; in the Red Army in 1919 he headed the department of military educational institutions of the People’s Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR. The general was an eyewitness to large-scale historical events, including multiple changes of power in Kiev, met with a number of historical figures of that period and described his impressions in detail. Memories were written during his stay in exile in Serbia in the mid-1920s.

The Reasons and Influence of the Establishment of One Port Trade System in Guangzhou during Qing Dynasty

Guangzhou is located in the southern part of China, near the South China Sea, belongs to Guangdong Province. It serves as China's southern gateway to the world and was historically called "The Southern Treasure of the Emperor", playing a crucial role in China's maritime trade history. Throughout Chinese history, Guangzhou underwent several cycles of "closure" and "opening", policies that severely impacted trade. However, foreign merchants never ceased to request permission from the Chinese government to engage in trade. In 1757, Emperor Qianlong decreed Guangzhou as the only one official port for foreign trade. This edict led to the establishment of the one port trading system in Guangzhou, as the Qing government aimed to counter foreign influences and local uprisings while maintaining a self-sufficient small-scale agricultural economy. Western nations and their traders sought opportunities within this system, aspiring to expand trade to other regions of China, even the inland areas. The exclusive status of Guangzhou as China's only one trading port persisted until 1842, following the defeat of the Qing government in the Opium War against Britain, the Nanjing Treaty was signed. This treaty opened Guangzhou, Shanghai, Ningbo, Fuzhou, and Xiamen as trading ports, bringing an end to the one port trading system. The reasons and impacts of the establishment of this system have not been comprehensively analyzed to date. Therefore, this paper based on historical archives, analyzes both the direct and underlying reasons behind Emperor Qianlong's decision and elucidates the system's diverse impacts on various aspects of Qing-era China.

Тarot Arcana in the collection of the State Museum of the History of Religion: Attribution issues

The article deals with the attribution of two items from the collection of the Museum of the History of Religion, the history and purpose of which have long remained unknown. These are the Tarot arcana, which came into the museum’s collection in 1940. A comparison of items from the museum’s library, the scientific and historical archives, a study of records, and the use of contemporary publications made it possible to attribute these items as belonging to the history of the Order of the Martinists in Petrograd/Leningrad, led by Grigory Otonovich Mebes. Related to his name is the Course of the Encyclopaedia of the Occult — lectures in which Mebes referred to the hermetic sciences, magic, the Kabbalah, drawing on the symbolism of the major arcana of the Tarot for explanations. This explains the abundance of drawings done in pencil, ink and ink, as well as the “gift” copy of the large-format major arcana in the museum’s collections. The arcana, drawn after Papius’s Tarot models, revealed the continuity between the Petrograd Martinists and the Western esoteric tradition. Numerous contemporary publications and mentions of Mebes’ name in the literature on the history of esotericism, and the discussions that have developed on the iconography of the Tarot arcana illustrating Mebes’ lectures, are clear evidence of the fact that the museum has unique materials that should be introduced into academic discourse as one of the valuable historical sources.

Modelling habitat suitability for the Critically Endangered Manumea or Tooth-billed Pigeon Didunculus strigirostris using past and present baselines

Summary Evidence-based conservation can be hindered by limited field data, but historical archives have the potential to provide unique insights into conservation-relevant parameters, such as identification of suitable habitat for threatened species. The Manumea or Tooth-billed Pigeon Didunculus strigirostris has declined on Samoa and only a tiny remnant population still persists, and a key first step for conservation is to locate surviving birds. Numerous Manumea records are available from the nineteenth century onwards, and we used historical and modern records to generate a series of species distribution models to predict the distribution of suitable habitat across Samoa to guide new field searches. Manumea distribution is closely associated with forest cover or its proxies. Preferred Manumea food plants are suggested to be low-elevation trees, but elevation provides relatively low percentage contribution in most models, thus not excluding the possibility that Manumea might occur at high elevations. There is also little evidence for elevational change in records over the past century. Models based on visual versus acoustic records exhibit differences in predicted habitat suitability, suggesting that some purported acoustic records might not actually represent Manumea calls. Field searches should target areas representing high habitat suitability across all models, notably the forested central axis of Upolu.

РУССКИЙ ЛЕГИОН (1917-1918 ГГ.): ПО ДОКУМЕНТАМ АРХИВА ИСТОРИЧЕСКОЙ СЛУЖБЫ МИНИСТЕРСТВА ОБОРОНЫ ФРАНЦИИ

The Russian Legion (1917–1918) was a unit of the disbanded Russian Special Brigades at the Western Front. The interest in that military unit has never faded since its creation. The Russian historiography of the Russian Legion is based on the Russian documents and the personal reminiscences of the participants. The results of the research carried out by the French scholars have not been translated into Russian. The present studies the organization, history and the combat experience of the Russian Legion at the Western Front. The documentary sources are kept in the Historical Service Archives of the French Defense Ministry, located in the Château de Vincennes, Paris. Those documents have become available to researchers since 2014. We introduce the sources of the General Staff of France into scientific circulation and raise the following questions in our study: the assessment by the French command of the combat qualities of Russian soldiers and officers; the differences between the Russian Legion and the Foreign Legion; the signing of the service contracts by Russian soldiers and officers after the Brest Peace Treaty between Russia and Germany; the post-war and post-revolutionary fate of Russian soldiers. The publication is intended to attract all those who are not indifferent to the issue of the Russian Legion. The aim is to create a list of the participants of that unit.

Study on teaching documents belonging to historical school archives of Normal Schools. Argentina

Resumen Las Escuelas Normales de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y del país poseen, en sus fondos documentales, valiosas tipologías específicas. El estudio y reflexión de estos documentos auspician el análisis de la tradición e innovación pedagógica que se diseñaron para la formación de maestros y para la implementación en sus departamentos de aplicación. La escritura de las historias institucionales reconocen las tramas del sistema educativo fundacional de nuestro país, interpelando las subjetividades en la educación de niños, jóvenes y adultos. La historiografía de la enseñanza de las diferentes áreas del conocimiento conformaron los antecedentes del curriculum escolar actual que los documentos pedagógicos didácticos nos permiten desandar.

Strategies for survival and adaptation of the population in new climatic and environmental conditions in the context of forced migration

This research delves into the intricate dynamics of survival and adaptation strategies employed by the Chechen population amidst the backdrop of forced migration to new climatic and ecological settings. Through a comprehensive examination of historical archives and contemporary studies, the study navigates through the nuanced shifts in climate patterns and environmental conditions in regions where Chechens have been resettled, shedding light on the multifaceted impact of these transformations on their daily lives and adaptive mechanisms. Moreover, it scrutinizes the myriad strategies adopted by the Chechen community to navigate and surmount the myriad challenges posed by their altered surroundings. By unraveling the complexities of adaptation in the face of forced migration, this study not only enriches our understanding of the resilience of migrant populations but also offers invaluable insights for the development of robust support frameworks tailored to the unique needs of displaced communities.

Владивостокская крепостная жандармская команда в 1904‒1907 годах: от войны с Японией до Первой русской революции

Based on previously unpublished documents from the State Archive of the Russian Federation and the Rus-sian State Historical Archive of the Far East, the author analyzes the changes in the activities and organization of the Vladivostok Fortress Gendarmerie in 1904–1907. The Russo-Japanese War led to an increase in the number of servants of the fortress gendarmerie due to the status of Vladivostok as a frontline city. This required corre-sponding changes in the service of the gendarmerie, including the priority task of fighting enemy espionage. Subsequent changes to the Vladivostok serf gendarme command were caused by events during the First Russian Revolution of 1905–1907, which led to gendarmes engaging in political investigations and fighting against the revolutionary movement. Despite staff shortages, the Vladivostok serf gendarme team managed to make some progress in this struggle. In all cases, the changes in the activities of the Vladivostok Fortress Gendarmerie were a reaction to new crises. The paper explores to what extent these changes corresponded to the general imperial transformations of the political police, and to what extent they were specific to the Far Eastern region. Through the example of the Vladivostok Fortress Gendarmerie Command, the autor demonstrates how the secret police in the Russian Empire responded to the challenges of war and revolution.