Romanovs Research Articles

Propagandistic nature of celebrating the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in colonial regions

ABSTRACT The research aims to study the propaganda of the Russian Empire in Central Asia on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. In the work, the method of comparative analysis and civilizational approach was used, which made it possible to assess the impact of propaganda narratives on the development of the region. The study found that the jubilee celebrations were an occasion for the build-up of monarchist propaganda. The practical significance of this research lies in its detailed analysis of the mechanisms of monarchist propaganda during the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in Central Asia.

К ИСТОРИИ ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ ПРОПИСНЫХ БУКВ ПРИ НАПИСАНИИ ИМЕН МОНАРХОВ (НА МАТЕРИАЛЕ СТАТЕЙ Н. М. КАРАМЗИНА 1802–1803 гг.)

The article compares the rules of using capital letters while writing the names of Russian monarchs, fixed in grammar books of the second half of the 18th century and their actual usage in three articles written by N.M. Karamzin, published in the journal “Messenger of Europe” in 1802-1803. It was established, that the norm described in these grammar books let variability in the usage of capital letters. Through N.M. Karamzin’s texts we can find adherence to various norm options, associated with the implementation of the author’s intention to semantize the use of graphic means. Writing exclusively in capital letters particularly concerned with the names of the three monarchs, who played the most significant role in the history of Russia. Moreover, in the editions of the same articles in the “Collected Works” of 1814 and 1820 N.M. Karamzin implements another acceptable option of the norm, offered by grammar books, and replaces writing in capital letters with writing in discharge (a graphic technique in Russian typography associated with the use of increasing space between letters in a word), while expanding the range of names of monarchs to persons belonging to the Romanov family starting with Princess Sophia.

The Romanovs on Contemporary American TV

Abstract This article analyzes the Netflix six-part docudrama The Last Czars as well as the Amazon Prime anthology drama The Romanoffs for its representations of Russian imperial history and its heritage. Using an intersectional lens, it utilizes a close watching of the TV shows to identify a nostalgia for Russia's imperial legacy as core element of both series. Embedding the findings within popular culture, the analysis further shows that the nostalgic depiction of the last Russian imperial family and the mourning of their loss has a century-long history within American media. Comparing these depictions further to recent commemorations of the last Romanovs through the exhibitions Russia My History points to the Western complicity in Russian imperialist and colonial ideology through the recent shows in liberal American media.

Награды малых стран Европы в государственно-правовом статусе российской правящей династии в XIX — начале ХХ в.

The article is devoted to the role of awards from small European countries in the state and legal status of the Russian imperial family in the XIX — early XX century. In addition, attention is paid to the history of the imperial family and the relations of the Russian Empire with Western European countries.

Романовы на Кавказе в отражении письменных источников XIX – начала XX вв.

The article discusses the visits of representatives of the Romanov dynasty to the Caucasus and their influence on the life and customs of the mountain peoples of the Northern Caucasus. To at-tain this goal, a combination of legislative, administrative, personal history sources, and infor-mation from periodicals were used. Each type of historical source helped shed light on the unique nature of these relationships, highlighting their significance for both the Romanovs and the moun-tain peoples. Legislative sources allowed for the detailed examination of agrarian reforms, show-ing that despite Alexander II’s assertion of projects to grant land to the mountaineers, and thus be-coming law for all subjects of the Russian Empire, under pressure from the mountaineers who identified many flaws in these projects, the government was forced to reconsider the results of the reform and make significant amendments to the final version of landownership and land use in the Northern Caucasus. The memoirs of S. Siukhov depict one of the most tragic episodes of the Cau-casian War: the meeting of Emperor Alexander II with representatives of the Adyghe peoples, which ended in a new confrontation. The majority of Adyghe society chose departure to Turkey over relocation to the plains. Administrative sources described Alexander III’s meeting with rep-resentatives of the Kabardian and Balkar peoples, which resulted in the granting of alpine mead-ows to mountaineers.

On Interferences between the Pannonian-Finnish Corridor and the Silk Road

Connections between the Balkan-Serbian-Pannonian corridor and the Pannonian-Finnish corridor extending to the Silk Road are multiple and complex. Thus Stefan Vladislav, son of Stefan Dragutin (King of Serbia) is depicted holding an axe by Hieromonk Stefan, symbol of his Árpádian ancestry, his Árpádian position, related to his victorious ancestor at Kerlés. In Wallachia, the saint popularly known as Philothea is depicted with the axe of St. Ladislaus. St. Catherine, depicted next to a breaking wheel, symbol of gnosis, but also the instrument of her death, or the martyrs, depicted by the Cross, symbol of Christ's divinity, but analogously, way of our death and redemption, give us a glimpse of St. Philothea's axe double meaning. Catherine, in her lives in Greek and in her hymnography, is called Philothea, the one who loves God. St. Philothea of Argeş is depicted in her lay attire, and she is not a nun, and by tradition she lived in the 13th century. St. Philothea, the historical one, lived in the 4th century, and was a nun. It is clear that it is another character. Although Euthymius of Tarnovo wrote about the life of this holy nun, there is no evidence that her relics existed at Tarnovo. In correlation with Ladislaus cycle, archetype for that, the earliest representation of the concept of liberating the state from a false emperor or illegitimate conqueror, is in Constantine's cup (dated after 300 AD), where Constantine liberates Sofia as a state from the pagan Licinius. The model monarch of Moscow, the monarchical ancestor of the era when Moscow became a state, is the main character of Skazanie o Drakule voievode. He is Vlad the Impaler. The ultimate expression, on European level, of the imperial nature of the Nemanjić branch who inherited the Árpádians in Ungrovlachia. The branch that preserved the name of the Árpádian imperial succession through the Nemanjić. Hungarian Vlach. And national consciousness. Dynasty symbolized by the axe of St. Ladislaus, which for this reason appears on Hungarian-Vlachian coins, including those of Mircea the Elder, next to the holy ancestor, as well as on the first coinage of Moscow, from the time of Ivan III. The presence of Ladislaus in that context on the Moscow coinage with Matthias Corvinus’ weapons but the name of Ivan III and the name of Moscow in the legend, shows us a possible archaic alternative genealogy of the rulers of Moscow, visible in the systematic election of the Hungarian kings, including Matthias’ in the Chronicle of Faces, whose death is depicted in detail there with Orthodox priests present and Serbian nobility next to him with the title of tsar. Roman and Vlahata is not only a text about Moldova, but also about the founding of Moscow, Caraș (the land of Criș), Maramureș and Moldova being landmarks of entrance to a north Pontic and north Caucasian corridor leading to Moscow. It is the mechanism of the Third Rome foundation, and the Romanovich family name, which later got linked to the Romanov dynasty, and archaically also added the history of the ancient Rurik family, also using that name, and the history of the Moldavian lords bearing these names and the city founded, confirms that yes, Moscow had become somewhat of a Hungarian-Wallachia. This ideology led to the adoption of the tree of Jesse in Moscow, but also to the somehow ethnic name of medieval Serbs, as rumâni, old Romans. The name game of Roma, Roman and Vlahata, and the ethnic name of the Serbs at St. Sava, rumâni, linked to the existence of a parallel medieval Hungarian legend about the eponymous heroes Hunor and Magor, which include, as in the case of the Romanovich, the names given at the time to the Hungarians (Hungarians and Magyars, respectively Romanians and Vlachs) shows us that the Hungarian-Wallachian ideology that inherited through Dragutin the Árpádians and the Nemanjić was also the state ideology of Moscow at the time. Basically these two chronicles, Hunor and Magor and Roman and Vlahata show us the history of the Jewish-Khazar world on the Moscow-Pannonia route. They came as Hunor and Magor, as Hungarian-Magyars, and returned as Serbs, as Roman and Vlahata, as Romanian-Wallachians. From Moscow to Pannonia-Ilyria and back again.

Дальневосточные награды в государственно-правовом статусе российской правящей династии

The article examines the place of awards of the countries of the Far East in the state-legal status of the Russian imperial family. In addition, attention is paid to the national history of the Far Eastern foreign policy.

Память об умерших царевичах: к особенностям темы царского тезоименитства в ярославских стенных росписях XVII – первой половины XVIII вв.

The focus of this paper is on the glorification of the Romanov house in early Modern times in the art of Yaroslavl. The city of Yaroslavl was closely involved in the chain of events leading to the enthronement of the reigning Romanov dynasty and that is why much attention was paid in the city to their glorification in church worship and ecclesiastical art. Images of holy princes on temple pillars and the consecration of cathedrae in honor of tsars and princes have become a tradition in Yaroslavl. Our study of the iconography of murals in Yaroslavl churches confirms that the lives and destinies of each Romanovs’ generation were reflected in Yaroslavl’s monumental painting, including images of princes who died in infancy. For con-temporaries, a death of an heir to the throne was a great loss and an omen of coming tribula-tions. The long life of the tsar and his family was, conversely, seen as a promise of stability and abundance in the country. To ensure longevity and well-being of royal figures the intercession of patron saints of the royal family was evoked. Their images were widely disseminated both in icons and in wall painting. The highest point of their glorification was the unique fresco com-position “May the Tsar and His family be blessed”, representing the genealogy of the Romanov dynasty, ascending from the holy princes and crowned by numerous tsareviches (tsar’s sons). Based on the analysis of this composition the interplay of reality and fiction in popular per-ception of the ruling house is discussed.

ЕВРОПЕЙСКИЕ ИСТОЧНИКИ ВИЗУАЛЬНОГО РОДОСЛОВИЯ ПЕТРА I: ЛОЗА ИЗ "АЛФАВИТА" ИОАННА МАКСИМОВИЧА 1705 Г.

The article is the first to consider in detail the semantics of depicting the family tree of Tsar Peter I on the title page of the book “Alphabet”, published in 1705 by Chernigov Archbishop John Maksimovich. Under the first sovereigns of Romanov dynasty, the visual genealogy of the tsar family was of a spiritual nature and was focused on representing the chosenness by God of the new dynasty. The image of the royal tree under study was the first in which political meaning predominated. It demonstrated the procedure for transferring the throne from great-grandfathers to ancestors on the basis, of legal law, later enshrined in Russian legislation, and not just religious ideas about the origin of the supreme power. The study of material from Western European visual genealogy of the early modern time made it possible to identify images that could serve as models for the compiler of iconography and the artist who engraved the title page of “Alphabet”. First of all, those are the works of French engraver Philippe Thomassin (1562–1622), who was the author of Bourbon family tree. His scheme was repeatedly reproduced in other European countries. Foreign influence is also revealed, both in the very principle of selection and arrangement of persons on the family tree of Peter I, and in the symbolic elements of the composition. Analysis of the image shows that the tree visualizes new political ideas and values that are actively being formed in Petrine absolutist state based on European models.

Благотворительная деятельность представительниц дома Романовых в делопроизводственной переписке и источниках личного происхождения (1914-1917 гг.)

This article discusses a brief history of the evolution of the charitable activities of members of the Romanov dynasty from the end of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th centuries, anticipating the main topic of the study. Further, on the basis of sources of personal origin (memoirs and personal correspondence) and clerical archival correspondence (reports from senior and middle officers, letters of petition from representatives of the masses), the question of the evolution of the charitable and medical activities of women of the Romanov dynasty during the First World War is studied. The biographies of the Grand Duchesses who performed the work of sisters of mercy during the First World War are studied. Much attention is paid to such important personalities for this period as Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna Sr., who was engaged in supplying the front and the evacuees, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, widely known for her charitable activities of the Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna and Maria Pavlovna the Younger, Princess of the Imperial blood Elena Petrovna, who performed the work of sisters of mercy at the front. In addition, the activities of the eldest daughters of Nicholas II, Olga and Tatiana, are considered. The list of functions that the Romanovs performed in hospitals and at the front, as well as their circle of contacts is reconstructed: the highest ranks, the nobility, the masses, etc. Attention is also drawn to how the status and degree of influence at court are associated with the decision of certain issues and challenges, as well as the theme of changing the position of women of the Romanov dynasty at the beginning of the 20th century and expanding their personal space beyond the framework of court life and culture.

Ewolucja stosunków rosyjsko(radziecko)-japońskich w latach 1699–1941

Russian(Soviet)-Japanese contacts have a tradition of over 300 years. The author focuses in the article on a brief exemplification and analysis of unofficial Russian-Japanese contacts since the 18th century and their official relations until the signing of the Treaty of Neutrality between the Soviet Union and Japan in April 1941. In total, four parts of the article are devoted to the analysis, apart from the introduction and conclusion. The first part of the article covers the period of unofficial relations between the two countries, which was characterized by two contradictory tendencies. Russia is pursuing territorial expansion towards the Pacific Ocean, while Japan maintains a policy of voluntary closure to the outside world. The second part deals with the official relationship between them from the Treaty of Shimoda to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. During this period, both countries are guided by a policy of territorial expansion, which led to a war between them. The third part is related to the period from the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty in 1905 to the fall of the Romanov dynasty in 1917. This was the only period of mutual friendship between Russia and Japan. The last part was the years from the February and October Revolutions in Russia to the conclusion of the neutrality pact in April 1941. At that time, one of the external interventions against Soviet Russia was Japan. However, after the Japanese troops were driven out of Soviet territory in the Far East, the two countries establish official diplomatic relations. In the 1930s, mutual relations deteriorated, and in the complicated international situation that existed at the time, Moscow and Tokyo signed the Neutrality Pact in April 1941. At the end of the article, several conclusions were formulated.

К вопросу о роли великого князя Александра Михайловича в зарождении отечественных военно-воздушных сил

Introduction. The article is devoted to the analysis of the contribution of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich to the birth of the Russian Air Force. The authors emphasize that despite the concealment or minimization of the role of this outstanding statesman in Soviet historiography, he was able to achieve the most important task for the defense capability of the Russian Empire – the creation of his own aviation and the system of training aviation specialists, thanks to his personal abilities and perseverance. The relevance of the published materials is determined both in general to the history of the emergence and the first years of the development of domestic aviation, and to the imperial house of the Romanovs, in particular. Materials and methods. Thanks to the analysis of special scientific literature, as well as periodicals of the early 20th century, it was possible to conclude that Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich made a great personal contribution to the development of Russian military aviation. This was facilitated by the use of the historical-genetic method, which allows us to consider the early stage of the history of the Air Force of our country. Results. Like most other representatives of the Romanov dynasty who did not occupy the throne, Alexander Mikhailovich devoted his life to serving for the good of the Fatherland. His military education and love of the sea attracted the young Grand Duke to serve in the Navy. Intellectual and creative abilities allowed him to make a number of discoveries, as well as leave behind several scientific studies in the field of navigation and shipping. However, the Grand Duke made a genuine contribution at the state level to the birth of military aviation, being carried away abroad by a new type of transport. Having correctly realized the role of the Air Force in protecting state borders, for a number of years, through his multifaceted activities, he led the country to create its own Military Air Fleet. Conclusion. To date, there is no doubt about the significant contribution of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich to the birth of the Russian Air Force, which was recognized, including officially, at the state level in 2012.

Спасение крымских Романовых: личный выбор матроса Задорожного

The article is dedicated to the personality of the Black Sea Fleet sailor Philip Zadorozhny. For five months in 1917–1918, he served as a head of the security team for members of the former royal family residing in Cri-mea during that time. These included the mother of Nicholas II, Maria Fedorovna, the sisters of the abdicated Tsar, Ksenia and Olga, and the Grand Dukes Nikolai Nikolaevich and Alexander Michailovich. Zadorozhny’s legendary role in saving the “Crimean Romanovs” from robberies and executions is well-documented, but until now there has been no detailed biographical information available about him. The author has discovered archival materials related to Zadorozhny, on the basis of which his participation in revolutionary events was reconstruct-ed. It was established that, in May 1917, sailor Zadorozhny was a member of the Black Sea Fleet delegation sent to the Baltic fleet and ground units of the Russian army to agitate for the continuation of the war until a victori-ous conclusion. Subsequently, Zadorozhny was twice elected as a delegate to the Sevastopol Soviet from the Socialist Revolutionary Party, and he served as a member of the commission for the protection of the fortress, fleet, and city. On November 30, 1917, Zadorozhny was sent to the southern coast of Crimea to lead the security team for the Romanov family. His close ties with the Alupka Soviet, among other things, helped him protect high-ranking prisoners from anarchist members of the Yalta Soviet. Through the personal initiative of sailor Za-dorozhny, part of the former imperial family concentrated in Crimea managed to escape and go into exile a year later.

Туризм как форма актуализации семейных ценностей в России

Целью исследования является анализ процессов развития семейного туризма в России как актуальной формы сохранения и упрочения традиционных духовно-нравственных ценностей. Использованы результаты научных изысканий и энциклопедические труды, посвященные истории отечественного туризма и вопросам аксиологии семьи, а также документы органов государственной власти и материалы из социальных сетей. Представлена история становления семейных путешествий в XIX в., рассмотрен опыт развития семейных путешествий в СССР, охарактеризовано современное состояние семейного туризма в России. Проанализированы государственные программы и общественные инициативы поддержки семейных путешествий. Развитие семейного туризма изучено на конкретных примерах, связанных с информационно-просветительной деятельностью российских пользователей социальных сетей. Выявлены факторы развития семейных путешествий в России, сформулированы рекомендации, относящиеся к вопросам совершенствования их организации и популяризации. The aim of the study is to analyze the processes of development of family tourism in Russia as a relevant form of preserving and strengthening traditional spiritual and moral values. The results of scientific research and encyclopedic works on the history of domestic tourism and issues of family axiology, as well as documents from government bodies and materials from social networks were used. Family tourism in the form of family travel is for the first time considered as part of the organizational and methodological system for the development of domestic tourism in Russia. The research employed a systemic approach in combination with classical methods of historical research, as well as techniques of contextual analysis and text interpretation. Family travel is presented as a stable phenomenon that appeared in Russia back in the 19th century. As an example reflecting the connection with historical tradition, the article considers the large-scale modern project Imperial Route, uniting places of memory associated with the history of the Romanov family. The systemic nature of family tourism, which became widespread during the Soviet period and became one of the foundations for strengthening traditional values in modern Russia, is emphasized. Particular attention is paid to the pedagogical potential of family tourism as one of the means of educating children, adolescents and young people in general. It is noted that parents’ positive attitudes towards school trips help to increase children’s interest in the chosen activity, increasing their personal discipline and responsibility. Examples of family travel of Russian citizens along foreign tourist routes - to individual countries and around the world – are analyzed. The initiative informational and educational activities of Russian social network users related to the popularization of family tourism are considered. Consistent measures to support family tourism taken by the state and reflected in the decrees of the President of Russia and the Government of the Russian Federation are studied. The authors conclude that the factors for the development of family tourism in Russia are (1) the introduction into force of federal-level strategic documents that determine the development of tourism and serve to strengthen traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, and (2) the activities of public organizations and authorities to develop new social projects related to family tourism. The authors proposed to create a scientifically based strategic document that sets the organizational conditions for the implementation of this form of tourism activity.

Екатерина II как воплощение Белой Тары: обожествляли ли буряты Романовых?

Introduction. The tradition of worshipping the Russian Empress Catherine II by Buryat Buddhists as an earthly incarnation of the enlightened Buddhist deity White Tara is regarded as an established historical fact by researchers (and officials of Russia’s largest Buddhist organization ‘Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia’), and has never been questioned. Yet a careful analysis of Buryat written sources and Russian historical documents makes the statement somewhat problematic. Goals. The article attempts a comparative insight into a range of documentary, narrative and folklore sources in Buryat, Russian and Tibetan to clarify the issue of actual relationships between Buryat Buddhists and Catherine the Great. Results. The paper establishes that the statement insisting the title of Bandido Khambo Lama was recognized by Catherine II in 1767 goes back only to Buryat written sources — and is not corroborated by Russian historical documents. Our analysis of Russian-language sources, including letters and writings by Catherine II, makes it possible to surmise that the Empress’s attitude towards her ‘Lamaist’ subjects was dictated by her foreign policy plans in Asia and the Renaissance disregard for archaic cultures of ‘Siberian idolaters’ believed by eighteenth-century scholars to comprise Buryat Buddhists too. Insights into the surviving Buryat sources, including historical chronicles and biographies, also do not confirm the existence of a developed cult of venerating Catherine II as incarnate goddess White Tara. Nevertheless, such evidence has been preserved in Buryat song folklore and religious poetry but it should be borne in mind that, apparently, those are modern narratives dating from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is the latter period that was characterized by the wide dissemination of the idea of the sanctity of the Romanov Dynasty in the eyes of Buddhists, which may have been backed by prominent opinion leaders of the Russian political establishment to further promote the concept of Russia’s expansion deep into Buddhist Asia.

Vasily Mikhailovich Vershinin − a Commissar of the Romanov Family
 and a Chronicler of the Revolution

Vasily Mikhailovich Vershinin is a little-known participant of the February Revolution in Russia. His activities in 1917 were hardly subjected to research. Meanwhile, Vershinin was a confidant of the leader of the Provisional Government, A.F. Kerensky, also he was appointed three times as a commissar to oversee former members of the Romanov family. For the first time, as a member of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, on March 7–9, 1917, he accompanied the abdicated Emperor Nicholas II from Mogilev to Tsarskoe Selo. In August, already as a representative of the Provisional Government, Vershinin participated in the relocation of the former tsar's family to Tobolsk. In September, he was appointed a government commissar supervising former members of the Imperial House of Romanov in the Crimea, where the mother of Nicholas II, Maria Feodorovna, his two sisters,
 Olga and Xenia, and other members of the royal family were kept under arrest. In addition, V.M. Vershinin is the author and initiator of unique historic documents – the journals of Nicholas II journeys to Tsarskoe Selo and Tobolsk, as well as the
 «Protocol of the February Revolution». The «Protocol», the only copy of which Vershinin took into exile, was drawn up by deputies of the State Duma who were eyewitnesses of the events that took place in Petrograd and the Tauride Palace on the first days of the revolution. The article uses previously unpublished archival materials
 and corrects historiographic errors

“I Remember the Days of Old; I Meditate [on All Thy Works

Abstract This article analyzes the short book The Origin of the Law of Succession in Russia (1925) by St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco (1896–1966, canonized 1994) for its treatment of succession to the throne in Kyivan, Muscovite, and Imperial Russian history. In it, St. John makes the case for the gradual and intentional development of primogeniture in Muscovy and sees the Petrine Law of Succession of 1722 as a fundamental violation of customary norms about the succession. He also sees the Pauline Law of Succession of 1797 as a restoration of those norms and a step forward in the regularization of the succession. St. John discusses how the Russian Revolutions of 1917 affected the Romanov dynasty and concludes that the Pauline Law was and would continue to be a vital legal instrument for maintaining the dynasty in exile. He also recommended the elimination of the Law’s equal marriage requirement and the addition to it of a requirement that all members and spouses of members of the dynasty be Orthodox. St. John’s book became an important reference work for generations of surviving Romanovs after 1917, even if his suggested changes to the Law have yet to be implemented.

“Make Known”: Historical Memory, Politics of Memory and Historical Monuments of the Russian Empire

Historical memory is a necessary element of the nation-building process. It has various forms of realization, including visual ones. The article discusses one of the forms of visualization of historical memory through specific historical places – officially confirmed historical monuments. The author proves the thesis that the list of national historical monuments depended on the history politics implemented by the authorities and considers the evolution of this politics from 1826 (the first decree of Emperor Nicholas I on compiling in Russia a list of historical monuments, this was done by the Ministry of the Interior) until 1917. Initially, the authorities sought to recreate the picture of the historical past by fixing the surviving monuments. However historical politics was changing in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. The purpose of the empire was to present Russian history as the apotheosis of the Romanov dynasty, especially its last representatives (Alexander II, Alexander III, Nicholas II). Therefore, according to their description of 1901–1903, most historical monuments were modern monuments to the last emperors and members of the imperial family. They were not historical monuments in the true sense of the term. It was an ideological, a propaganda campaign. The author draws attention to its inefficiency; these monuments could not improve the image of the Romanovs in the eyes of society. The author draws attention to the similarity of the principles of visualization of history through historical monuments in the Russian Empire and the USSR. In both cases, an ideological basis shaped the history politics, which was less about preserving historical memory and more about ideology and channeling specific ideas through selected monuments. Moreover, in both cases, it was a cause of inefficiency of history politics.

Об идейно-мировоззренческих установках П.П. Ершова (на материале приветственных стихов царским особам)

As the research material the salutatory poems to the tsarist persons written by P.P. Ershov on the occasion of the official visit of representatives of the Romanov dynasty to Tobolsk are considered: “To the Sovereign Heir on His Arrival in Tobolsk” (1837; visit to Tobolsk by Tsesarevich Alexander Nikolaevich, the future Alexander II), “To His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich on the Occasion of His Arrival in Western Sibe-ria” (1868; arrival in Tobolsk of Alexander II's son). In order to reveal the author’s ideological and worldview attitudes, the salutatory poems are interpreted as occasional works and part of the ceremonial of the official meeting of the members of the tsarist family in the context of P.P. Ershov’s creative biography, life path and in comparison, with the concept of the literary fairy tale “The Humpbacked Horse” (1834). This approach allows to clarify the writer’s attitude to the monarchical power (idea). It is argued that the concept of renewal of national life on sound moral principles, laid by young P. Ershov in the people-oriented world of literary fairy tales and coordinated with the idea of divine responsibility of the monarchical power, finds development in the poems of 1837, 1868.

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich Serving Russia

The new edition of Perm historian D.M. Sofyin monograph, that has been substantially revised and supplemented in comparison with the fi rst edition, is devoted to the personality and multifaceted activities for the benefi t of the Fatherland of the extraordinary and contradictory fi gure of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. On the basis of the wide array of sources, many of which are being introduced into scientifi c circulation for the fi rst time, and available historiographic base, the author, while taking into account the comments of the reviewers, tries to present to the readers the updated text of the book about one of the most demonized representatives of the Romanov dynasty, who at the same time can be confi dently attributed to the adherents of conservative ideology, not in its theoretical, but rather practical dimension, for all his state activity was permeated with the idea of preserving and strengthening autocracy and following the established age-old traditions.