Journal of the Belarusian State University. History
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The Evangelical Baptist movement in Belarus in historical research: towards the question of terminological discourse
This article systematises existing approaches to the nomination of the Evangelical Baptist in historical research and substantiates the choice of a term that most appropriately reflects the genesis, evolution, and confessional identity of the movement within the context of the religious history of Belarus. It is revealed that a distinctive feature of the nomination of Protestant movements is the multiplicity of approaches. It is established that in academic and socio-political discourse, the terms «sect», «late Protestantism», «neo-Protestantism», and «new religious movements» are used to describe the Evangelical Baptist. It is concluded that for historical research examining the genesis, evolution, and institutional formation of the Evangelical Baptist in Belarus in the 19th–21st centuries, the most relevant term is «late Protestantism». It captures the place of Evangelical Baptist in the historical development of Protestantism, designates the chronological framework of their emergence (17th–19th centuries), has no evaluative connotations, and allows for a distinction to be made between the Evangelical Baptist, neo-Protestantism, and new religious movements of the late 20th century. This term ensures scientific objectivity and takes into account the dynamics of the institutional development of the Evangelical Baptist from a sectarian form to a denomination.
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of the Belarusian State University. History https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Menkovski V. I., Zherebtsov I. L., Kosyak N. A. Memory policy of the newly independent states of Central Asia (1991–2020s)
The Talas Kurultai of 1269 and a collapse of the Genghis Khan’s empire
This article examines the historical Talas Kurultai of 1269, which marked the beginning of the disintegration of Genghis Khan’s vast empire. This momentous event took place in the spring in the Talas Valley in what is now Kyrgyzstan. The river and terrain of the Talas have held sacred significance since ancient times, and it was no coincidence that Haidu Khan chose this kurultai, a landmark event for the Genghis Khan’s empire and the Genghisids. At this kurultai, an agreement was reached declaring each ruler the head of an independent state. The Talas Kurultai was the last pan-Mongol kurultai. Following it, the newly independent states, including Haidu, implemented monetary, tax, and political reforms that preserved much of what had been laid out in Genghis Khan’s Yasa.
«The highest parade ground» or «city boulevard»? Statistics, memory, and personal vendettas in the conflict over public space of Polotsk (1830th – 1908)
Using a microhistorical approach and an analysis of archival materials, this article examines the long-term struggle (1830th – 1908) between the Polotsk Cadet Corps and the city community for control of the central square. It shows how this particular incident reflected the key contradictions of imperial Russia at the turn of the 20th centuries. Five phases of the confrontation are reconstructed – from local clashes to consideration by the highest authorities (the Senate, the State Council), reflecting the evolution of governance mechanisms from monarchical dictate to bureaucratic arbitration. Particular attention is paid to two aspects that determined the severity of the conflict: 1) its deep personalisation through the figures of the corps director, General A. P. Tyrtov, and the mayor N. V. Litvinov, whose personal motives and career trajectories became the catalyst for the escalation of the conflict; 2) the discursive struggle (the threats of moral decay, sanitary danger, desecration of the symbol of military glory, demographic takeover, and the image of a besieged fortress, constructed by the corps, were contrasted with the legal and economic arguments of city self-government). It is concluded that the dispute over the parade ground was not simply a property conflict, but a clash of fundamentally different models of public space – a closed military-disciplinary one and an open city-wide one.
The visit of Patriarch Alexei I of Moscow and All Rus’ to the Phanar in 1960: the position of the Patriarchate of Constantinople
This article reconstructs how the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Turkish public perceived the first-ever visit of Patriarch Alexy I (Simansky) of Moscow and All Rus’ to the Phanar (23–26 December 1960). Based on a comparison of Russian-, English-, and Turkish-language publications, as well as archival materials, it shows the expectations and concerns of the Patriarchate of Constantinople regarding the Moscow Patriarchate in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the topics raised during meeting of Alexy I with Athenagoras I (the Russian diaspora in the United States, canonical jurisdictions, dialogue with non-Orthodox, monasticism on Mount Athos), and how this ecclesiastical contact was interpreted in the Turkish media discourse, formed in the shadow of the Cyprus crisis and the domestic political changes of 1960. A difference in the parties’ interpretations of this meeting was revealed: for the USSR, the visit was a success of church diplomacy, while for the Patriarchate of Constantinople, it was a cautious attempt to remove inter-Orthodox dialogue from a state of mutual suspicion, without compromising its coordinating role.
The nomenclature of diplomatic agents as a source on the history of the English diplomatic corps of Henry VII
The results of the analysis of the use of diplomatic nomenclature during the reign of Henry VII are presented. A total of 12 terms were identified, of which 5 were the most commonly used to refer to English ambassadors. The diplomatic nomenclature was poorly ordered, the terminology did not reflect the specific functional duties of the persons sent to the mission. The only exceptions were missions to receive cash payments due under an agreement with France. At the same time, the process of unification of the diplomatic nomenclature began, which was reflected in the use of stable formulas in the texts of ambassadorial powers of attorney. Based on the analysis of the diplomatic nomenclature, a conclusion was made about the fact that at the turn of the 15th–16th centuries ambassador hierarchy.
Copyright (c) 2022 Journal of the Belarusian State University. History
Influence of Turkey on the policy of neutrality and foreign policy of Turkmenistan (1995–2016)
The paper analyzes the attitude of Turkey to the policy of neutrality of Turkmenistan in the period from 1995 to 2016. Based on the geopolitical situation in the Central Asian region in the post-Soviet period, the author identifies the reasons for Turkmenistan’s adoption of a neutral status. Among the reasons for this decision by the Turkmen leadership are the deterioration of the situation in the region, the desire of the great powers and regional leaders to strengthen their positions in Central Asia, including in the energy sector, Turkey’s active position in the post-Soviet period aimed at developing political, energy, and humanitarian contacts, and the desire of The Niyazov regime to limit external influence on the country’s internal and foreign policy. The author noted the influence of the status of neutrality on the implementation of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy and the attitude of Turkey to this process. In the development of Turkmenistan’s neutrality policy in 1995–2016, two stages can be conditionally distinguished: the first is 1995–2006 when the policy of neutrality bordering on isolationism, which seriously limited Turkey’s contacts with Turkmenistan; the second is 2007–2016 when the expansion of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Turkey, including in the security sphere. In the 2007–2016 Turkey sought to expand its geopolitical influence over Turkmenistan by maintaining its neutrality, which led to the formation of a close political and economic dialogue between Ankara and Ashgabat.
Copyright (c) 2020 Journal of the Belarusian State University. History
Historical and philosophical understanding of the essence and role of ethnic stereotypes in the modern world
The article is devoted to the historical and philosophical understanding of the ethnic stereotype in the modern global world. The relevance of the study is dictated, on the one hand, by the increasing level of anxiety and aggressiveness in the virtual and real space, the escalation of ethno-cultural tension, ethnophobia, as well as the increasing ethnic stereotyping in society. And, on the other hand, the lack of comprehensive and systematic studies of the problem of ethnic stereotypes in the context of modern collisions. In this regard, the article proposes a substantive historical and philosophical analysis of the nature of ethnic stereotypes, revealing not only the structural components and features of ethnic stereotyped thinking, but also the significance of ethnic stereotypes in diagnosing the prospects for ethnocultural interaction. The article differentiates authentic and artificially mythologised ethnic stereotypes, and also reveals the special role of the ethnic stereotype as a tool that can be used both to escalate tension and bring together ethnic and cultural communities. Two correlated levels in stereotyped perception are analysed: the cognitive and emotional-value levels, which together have a direct impact on the positive or negative connotation in ethnic stereotyping. The author substantiates the relationship between various distorted variants of ethnic self-expression in a hyperpositive and lithotised form and existing ethnic stereotypes, which manifests itself in ethnocultural deviation: ethnophobia, collective guilt, ethnofavoritism, ethnofanatism, etc. Exploring heterostereotypes, the author emphasises that in the conditions of open global boundaries, the attributed categorisation is conditional and therefore heterostereotypes will always act as a mental construct. The practical significance of the findings about the importance of timely detection of the transformation of ethnic stereotypes, which are a kind of indicator of ethno-cultural tension and affecting the prospect of ethno-cultural interaction in the modern multi-ethnic world, is emphasised.
The study of the credit and financial system of the Russian Empire (1861–1914) in pre-revolutionary historiography: university schools of Ukraine
The article is devoted to the study of the university schools of Ukraine that developed issues of credit and finance of the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th – early 20th century in the pre-revolutionary period. Its purpose is to determine the main scientific achievements of the Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa schools of financial law in studying the credit and financial system of the Russian Empire (1861–1914) by establishing the features of pre-revolutionary Ukrainian historiography, identifying the characteristics of each of these scientific schools, and identifying their representatives. The relevance of the article is determined by studying the scientific heritage of the most progressive schools of financial law, whose representatives not only participated in legislative activities (preparation of draft legislative acts on the implementation of the foreclosure operation, financial reform of 1895–1897, in the field of small loans), were part of the collegial management bodies largest banks, but also put forward original ideas of both practical and theoretical nature. Many proposals of Ukrainian economists formed the basis for new areas of economic thought (M. I. Tugan-Baranovsky is one of the founder of institutionalism). Their legacy can be applied in solving modern strategic tasks of the state. The novelty of the study is determined by the fact that for the first time systematized the ideas of Ukrainian schools of economists regarding credit and finance of the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th – early 20th century. The characteristic features of the Kyiv scientific school (status representatives, progressive ideas, contribution to the development of institutionalism), Kharkiv school (popularization of the ideas of credit cooperation, conducting scientific seminars on pressing economic issues) and Odessa school (criticism of banks, their classification) are determined. The most common topics for research are noted, prominent representatives are listed.
Overview of approaches to the study of the power – property model in Soviet Russia of the Stalinist period
The article is devoted to the review of approaches to the study of the power – property model in Soviet Russia in the late 1920s – early 1950s. The authors describe the main conclusions of domestic research of both the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, a wide front of scientific developments – in the field of history, economics, oriental studies, etc. In addition, the article presents an overview of the main conclusions of foreign, mainly European, researchers in the study of the model of power and property of the Stalinist period. The authors propose to consider the main institutions of the Russian power-proprietary system (ownership, marketability, planning, money), to study the subjects of proprietary rights, the system of divided property rights, the perception of property relations, etc. The proposed approaches will allow historical science to advance in the development of new research tasks for the study of the economic history of Russia of a unique period that entered science under the name of «Stalinist».
Evidence of unidentified «aeroplanes» in Viciebsk guberniya in 1914–1915: a look through the prism of the era
The article is devoted to the Belarusian anti-aeroplane campaign of 1914–1915, i. e. to counteract the speculation that rapidly spread across the provinces about the appearance of enemy aeroplanes and airships behind the front line. Documents and materials from the National Historical Archive of Belarus, State Archive of Russian Federation and State Archive of Pskov Region funds concerning the verification of reports about aeroplanes in the Viciebsk guberniya are reviewed and analyzed. It is noted that the mass appearance of rumors about airplanes took place in the Viciebsk guberniya in several stages: at first, according to the descriptions of eyewitnesses, they were only a shapeless flying mass, and later information about them became more specific and even reports about their descent were checked. All this led to a serious problem – under the influence of panic, cases of superstitious soldiers firing at their own planes became more frequent, which could directly affect the course of military operations, in particular, the supply of advanced weapons and the latest intelligence. It is also important to consider the impact of the issue on the rear, which resulted primarily in the population fanning rumors directed against rich landowners, and the growth of social tension as a result. It is shown that the local anti-aeroplane campaign had a Baltic and Pskov «scurf», naturally complementing the actions of local authorities and the population. It is concluded that most of the reports from the Viciebsk guberniya and its borders, cited in the documents, do not describe observations of real combat or reconnaissance aircraft of the enemy, but only give an incorrect interpretation by eyewitnesses of any natural or astronomical phenomena as well as your own aeroplanes that occurred due to phobic images of new equipment in the eyes of the local population, reinforced by military hysteria and militaristic psychosis.
Mass sources on the personnel of the orthodox and Roman-Catholic clergy of the end of the 18th – the beginning of the 20th century
In the archival funds of the Orthodox and Roman-Catholic Consistories at the National Historical Archive of Belarus mass sources on the personnel are stored – clergy lists and service records of clergy. These documents were recorded each year by representatives of clergy and stored at the Consistories. They allow to carry out a wide number of studies on the history of Belarus and neighboring countries, confessions, everyday life, genealogy, etc. However, their use in scientific purposes is problematic, due to their safety and volume of information. The author of the article, through a comparative analysis of the form and content of the sources, defines approaches to creating mass sources on the clergy staff in the workflow of both confessions and the range of basic and additional information in them. The basic information includes personal data, education, work places, penalties, abilities to further work. If service records of Roman-Catholic clergy almost didn’t change through the end of the 18th – the beginning of the 20th century, clergy lists of orthodox clergies changed in four stages gradually including information about clergy’ family, property, etc. The results would help expand the source base and diversify scientific research.
service records of the Roman-Catholic clergy
«Soviet scholars were on duty»: studying and teaching of the archaeology and the history of primitive society in the Belarusian State University during the war and post-war period
The article deals with the little-known pages of the history of archaeology and education. It reveals the main aspects of the teaching of archaeology and other disciplines of the relevant profile at the Belarusian State University in the period from 1940s to the beginning of 1950s. Lectures were conducted by full-time staff members of the Belarusian State University. Moscow scholars as well as fellow workers of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR were also invited for teaching. Scientific activity in the field of archaeology and closely-related disciplines was constrained by personnel problems and restricted material resources. University intellectuals carried did their best to restore the Museum of history and archaeology, however, due to the lack of exhibition space, the renewed exposition had not been opened.
Belarusian State University Celebrates 100th Anniversary
faculty of history of the Belarusian State University
Copyright (c) 2021 Journal of the Belarusian State University. History
«Too much ideological bitterness has been added to this issue»: V. N. Andreev’s correspondence with M. Finley
The documents of M. Finley in the library of Cambridge University and in the personal fund of V. N. Andreev in the manuscript department of the Russian National Library in Saint Petersburg contain letters from two historians. The correspondence of M. Finley and V. N. Andreev shows that the Soviet scientist was not only a situational Finlean, but also quite consciously followed the principles of M. Finley’s work with sources. Acquaintance with M. Finley’s works and correspondence with him significantly influenced V. N. Andreev: he became a follower of an English scientist, working outside the framework of scientific schools that existed in Soviet scholarship. Correspondence with M. Finley shows a high degree of inclusion of a Soviet scientist in the current agenda of world science about Antiquity in the late 1950s – first half of the 1960s, however, the closeness of the Soviet scientific community, the lack of full-fledged international communication did not contribute to the perception of V. N. Andreev’s ideas by Western scientists. For M. Finley, V. N. Andreev was apparently just one of his many followers scattered around the world. The lack of personal contact did not allow this position to be changed. The very fact that the Soviet scientist in matters of methodology followed and listened to the advice of the scientist of the «bourgeois» testified that the Soviet historiography of Antiquity since the late 1950s could no longer be perceived as a single stream; the Soviet historical narrative of the thaw era ceases to be unified.
Harari’s concept of macrohistory: origins of popularity and academic status
The unprecedentedly high level of popularity of Y. N. Harari, а professor at the faculty of history of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and his main book trilogy, foreground the problem of interpreting and explaining the so-called Hararimania phenomenon, which has become a notable event in the academic community and popular culture of modern Western societies. The purpose of this article is the historical and philosophical reconstruction of the creative evolution of Y. N. Harari with an emphasis on identifying the fundamental meaning and status of his concept of macrohistory in this evolution (process). At the same time, the internal inconsistency of this concept is substantiated, which is largely responsible for the dual nature of its perception and assessments in the mass media and professional academic discussions. The designated goal of the article is achieved through contextual interpretation and the solution of its several basic tasks. Among them: identifying and explaining the most important stages of the professional socialisation of Y. N. Harari, as well as determining the reasons behind his transition from medieval studies to macrohistory; identifying the thematic priorities of Y. N. Harari, special attention is paid to the topic of transformation of homo sapiens into homo deus; characterising the educational role of Y. N. Harari’s concept of macrohistory, in particular, the part of it that is associated with the popularisation of modern science and its futurological potential; carrying out a contextual analysis of Y. N. Harari’s idea about a new humanistic revolution, in the process of which classical ideas about humanism and liberalism must necessarily give way to techno-humanism and the data religion. The novelty of this article is determined by the following circumstances. Though there is extensive debate about the work of Y. N. Harari this article represents one of the first attempts to implement not only a historical, but also a philosophical and conceptual reconstruction of his main ideas set forth in the famous book trilogy. Simultaneously this is one of the first articles to make the analysis of Y. N. Harari’s concept of macrohistory the main focus point. This sets us apart from most of the publications devoted to Y. N. Harari, which are usually presented in the form of short and purely descriptive literary reviews. The article presents a new aspect to consider about the creative evolution of the Israeli historian – the interpretation of the causes and origins of the significant popularity of his ideas and main publications. These include the author’s deep understanding of the specifics of mass consciousness and the way its representatives perceive popular science texts. This subtle and adequate understanding largely explains the emotional figurative language, genre originality and literary style of Y. N. Harari.
Elements of militarisation of the Atbasar and Botai cultures of Northern Kazakhstan
The huge changes that took place after the domestication of the horse at the beginning of the paleometall in the field of material and spiritual culture, in the social organisation of societies, undoubtedly affected the production of various tools. There were new types of tools that could be used as weapons. The tips of spears, arrows, darts, knives, harpoons, hammers, bolas and other artifacts from more than two hundred sites of Northern Kazakhstan, related to the Atbasar (7000–3000 BC) and Botai (4000–3000 BC) cultures give an opportunity to consider questions of forms of early militarisation of ancient societies. Some tools, their seriality and significant standardisation indicate that they could be universal and complex, they were used in agriculture, as well as in military clashes. After the domestication of the horse, the world of paleometall entered a new generation of wars aimed at the direct destruction of the enemy by cavalry. This is a fundamental change in the nature of armed conflicts, the transformation of the content of war or armed struggle in Antiquity. If the hostile conflicts among hunter-gatherers, which were the bearers of the Atbasar culture, are primarily local, then for the Botai people they are already reaching the interregional level.
Analysis of Ancient tradition of punishments in Sparta
The article discusses the system of punishments used in Sparta for two offenses: for refusing to marry and for cowardice shown in battle. Ancient authors, especially Xenophon and Plutarch, give a list of punishments for these offenses. In court, the perpetrators were deprived of many of the rights directly related to the status of full citizens. Extrajudicial punishments were mostly spectacular and took place in public places. Spartan youth played a special role in the persecution of bachelors and so-called tremblers as the two main categories to be punished. However, the few testimonies that have come down to us do not make it possible to determine how often punishments for refusing to marry and for cowardice in battle were applied and how exactly they were formalised in practice. The almost complete absence in the tradition of specific examples of their application leads to the conclusion that the picture drawn by ancient authors does not fully correspond to reality. This is what Spartan propaganda wanted to present to the outside world. The writers-laconophiles, like Critias or Xenophon, in turn, used this material to create an ideal image of Sparta.
Wandalin Szukiewicz’s ideas about the social role of the archaeology
The article is devoted to the reconstruction of W. Szukiewicz’s views on the issue of the role of the archaeology in the society. The scholar didn’t leave the systematic explanation of the thoughts. Nevertheless, the study of his scientific works, newspaper notes and epistolary heritage allows to understand his main theses and ideas. He realised the value of the archaeological sites and artifacts and cared about drawing the attention of the compatriots to the local antiquities. According to W. Szukiewicz the priority should be given to the creation of the archaeological maps. The scholar urged the public to protect the archaeological heritage. He supported the idea of the organisation of the national museum. Moreover, he understood the importance of the scientific approaches to the formation of the museum collections. He kept in mind the popularisation of the archaeological and historical knowledge. W. Szukiewicz interpreted archaeological objects as key factor of the formation of national identity and called the specialists for participation in public life.
From Antiquity to the Paris Commune: S. A. Ljaskowski at the Belarusian State University
S. A. Ljaskowski is a representative of the generation of Moscow University graduates of the early 20th century, whose formation as scientists and teachers fell on the years of the war and revolution. As a student of R. Yu. Vipper, he specialised in Ancient and Early Medieval periods. In the first years after revolution, he began teaching at provincial Russian universities, and from 1924 to 1927 he worked at the Belarusian State University. It was his work at this university that became a kind of watershed – when S. A. Ljaskowski had to re-profile from Ancient and Medieval history to the Modern and Contemporary history, both in teaching and in scientific interests. But he also failed to gain a foothold in the Belarusian State University – the courses he taught looked much more organic in the load of new teaching staff, who often did not have a university education, but were able to boast of a «correct» origin and revolutionary background. As a result, he did not manage to return to fullfledged scientific work in the field of his specialisation after his dismissal from Belarusian State University, having published in the 1930s. Only a few articles on the history of antiquity and gradually retraining for reviews of foreign and Soviet literature on the history of the ancient world and, subsequently, for bibliographic work.
Middle course of the Desna at the turn of the 1st millennium BC – 1st millennium AD: a view of archaeozoologist
Generalised regional information on the fauna of the sites of the Pochep culture (Vorobeyna-1, Kudeyarka, Pochep, Kurovo-7). Dominance cattle, pig. On the Kudeyarka a sheep prevails. A comparison with the preceding Yukhnovo culture demonstrates a sharp difference between the structure of the herd and the values of hunting. The reason is the change of the population and the landscape. For Kyiv culture, replacing the priest was studied osteological material from the north of the area (Chotylevo-2, Novoyamskoe-3a). In the herd dominates cattle and pigs, the proportion of petty cattle is less. Horse carriers of the Pochene and Kyiv traditions, unlike of Yukhnovo peoples, practically did not eat, using both the righteous and heavy animal. According to archeozoology, the Yukhnovo culture does not demonstrate a connection with the Pochep and Kyiv cultures.
Food supply in the unoccupied territory of Belarus during the First World War
The article deals with the problem of organising food supply for the civilian population of unoccupied Belarusian provinces during the First World War. It is noted that in 1914 traditional method of price regulation through the issuance of rates was used to resolve it. Starting from 1915, food committees and commissions began to be created in the structure of the local self-government institutions to prevent shortage of goods and speculative trade. They were entrusted with the organisation of the purchase of food and its distribution, the maintenance of food warehouses and the development of rates. To provide financial support for their activities, there were used funds from local budgets and credits received from banks under the guarantees of the treasury or from government institutions. However, local authorities could not solve the problem of food supply for the civilian population effectively due to the lack of a unified concept of food policy at the state level and the lack of coordination between the actions of central departments. To the greatest extent, it manifested itself in the organisation of food supplies from the central regions of the Russian Empire to the front-line provinces. The Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Empire, when determining the supply areas, did not coordinate the transportation plan with the War Ministry of the Russian Empire, which controlled the railways. The department also faced opposition from the Ministry of the Interior of the Russian Empire. It contributed food shortages, speculation and rising prices. As a result in late 1916 – early 1917 in the Belarusian provinces, not occupied by German troops, the food crisis worsened and turned into one of the main factors of destabilisation of the internal situation, which led to the February Revolution and a change in the state system.
«May God guard you and give you much strength for scientific work»: A. V. Florovsky and Belarusian Slavic studies in Vilno of the second half of the 1930s
By the middle of 1930s, largely due to the efforts of Russian emigrant scholars, Prague became a major center of the studies in Slavic history, in particular in the history of Czech cultural ties with other major centers of Slavic culture in the East. Russian historian A. V. Florovsky in the mid – second half of the 1930s worked on a number of studies on the history of Slavic culture. To a large extent, his research efforts were aimed at reconstructing the biography of the Belarusian enlightener F. Skoryna. There are some important materials in the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences that allow reconstructing the course of A. V. Florovsky’s research on the history of cultural contacts of several centers of Slavic culture – Vilna, Prague, Moscow – letters to him from Belarusian Slavists A. I. Lutskevich, V. I. Samoilo, F. Ilyashevich and V. Tolochko. The corpus of these sources on the history of Belarusian Slavic studies was supplemented by attribution of a previously unknown letter by A. I. Lutskevich. The complex of these materials made it possible to clarify the date of compilation and identify the manuscript of one of the articles by A. V. Florovsky «Initial stages of the development of printing among the Eastern Slavs». Letters from Belarusian Slavists to A. V. Florovsky show the mechanism of work of historians in conditions of strict political separation of Europe, separation from libraries and archival collections, discussion of important scientific hypothesis. The end of these contacts was put by a sharp change in the political situation in Eastern Europe in 1939–1940.
Poloni and Rutheni, Catholics and Orthodox Christians, natio and confession in Medieval chronicles of Eastern Europe
This article analyses evidence from Old-Russian, Ukrainian-Belarusian and Polish chronicles of the 12th–16th centuries, which displays how confessional and ethnic elements interacted, when authors were constructing their representations about Poles, Russians and Ruthenians. Analysis has shown that in the Old-Russian chronicles confessional references were somehow effacing discourses of tribal and ethnic belonging, whereas in Polish and Ukrainian-Belarusian texts Christian references were not in odds with ethnic ones.
Italian military internees in Stalag-352 Nazi camp in Masjukowshchyna (1943–1944)
The article analyses the Belarusian and foreign historiography of the problem of finding Italian internees in Masjukowshchyna in 1943–1944. The authors introduce new information into scientific circulation, relying on the personal archive of E. Bordignon, whose own grandfather was in Stalag-352 as a prisoner. The living conditions of the Italian prisoners of war are considered, as well as information about their further fate on the example of Domenico Arzani.
A. V. Mishulin and forming of the Moscow research and education centre for ancient history in 1930–40
The article is devoted to the activities of A. V. Mishulin as a science and education organiser. His activities lead to very fast development of research studies and education of the ancient history in Moscow in 1930–40s. A. V. Mishulin was a true representative of communist-scientific bureacracy. The author uses documents from Moscow archives to analyse Mishulin’s role in development of the Soviet historical science.
Unpredictable stability: the governor’s case in the Belarusian-Lithuanian Region under Paul I in 1796–1801
The article presents a generalised portrait of civil governors of the Belarusian-Lithuanian Region under Paul I in 1796–1801. The social characteristics (origin, religion, age, educational level, career, awards) of eight Lithuanian, Belarusian and Minsk civil governors are analysed. The conditions and motives for the appointment and dismissal of these officials are established. It is noted that the governor corps of the Belarusian-Lithuanian Region under Paul I was characterised by both all-Russian tendencies (frequent turnover, a higher rank according to the Table of Ranks, the absence of a clearly established amount of pensions), and some features (regional and confessional affiliation, elderly age (50 years on average)). It is concluded that in the personnel policy, Paul I continued Catherine’s practice of appointing former military governors, which was explained both by political (disloyalty of part of the population) and ethno-confessional (Jews, Catholics, Uniates, Orthodox) features of the region. The daily life of governors is reconstructed on the basis of socio-cultural characteristics (number of duties, perception of time, personal qualities, material support, marital status and interests). It is concluded that the origin, patronage and military experience played an important role in the appointment. However, the duration of tenure under Paul I depended on the business qualities of the governors. It is noted that some bosses, having no managerial experience, made numerous mistakes. They led to dissatisfaction with the emperor and, as a result, to premature resignations. At the same time, the reign of Paul I turned out to be quite effective in the Belarusian-Lithuanian Region in terms of achieving managerial results.
Service of the Orthodox military clergy in the occupied territory of Galicia during the First World War
The activity of the Orthodox military clergy in the Russian army on the territory of Galicia during the First World War is considered. It was established that the religious situation in Galicia and the conduct of hostilities on the enemy’s territory had a great influence on the activities of military priests. The attitude of the protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy to the uniate question, the specificity of the interaction of military priests with the local population are shown. The features of the organisation and implementation of services are analysed. The work of priests to maintain a fighting spirit is considered. Cases of both conscientious and unacceptable attitude to the service was established.
protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy
Marie Spartali-Stillman’s feminism against Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood gender stereotypes art
In the middle of the 19th century Great Britain, Queen Victoria had been imposing her new ethical code system on social and cultural conditions, sharpening evidently the already abyssal differences of the gendered stereotypes. The Pre-Raphaelite painters reacted to the sterile way of painting dictated by the art academies, both in terms of thematology and technique, by suggesting a new, revolutionary way of painting, but were unable to escape their monolithic gender stereotypes culture. Using female models for their heroines who were often identified with the degraded position of the Victorian woman, they could not overcome their socially systemic views, despite their innovative art ideas and achievements. However, art, in several forms, executed mainly by women, played a particularly important role in projecting several types of feminism, in a desperate attempt to help the Victorian woman claim her rights both in domestic and public sphere. This article aims at exploring and commenting on the role of Marie Spartali-Stillman, one of the most charismatic Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood models and later famous painter herself, in the painting scene of the time. Through the research of her personal and professional relationship with the Pre-Raphaelites, and mainly through an in depth analysis of selected paintings, the authors try to shed light on the way in which M. Spartali-Stillman managed to introduce her subversive feminist views through her work, following in a way the feministic path of other female artists of her time. The ways and the conditions, under which the painter managed to project women as dominant, self-sufficient and empowered, opposing their predetermined social roles, have also been revised.
Cantonment of troops and housing service in Belarus (mid 1850s – mid 1870s)
The article reveals the essence of one of the phenomena of the era of Alexander’s reforms which on the scale of the Russian Empire was most common in Belarus but until now has not become the subject of research by Belarusian historians. According to the sources identified in the archives and book repositories of Belarus, Russia, Lithuania the military post due to the special geostrategic position of the Belarusian provinces in the mid 1850s – mid 1870s was an integral attribute of the daily life of hundreds of thousands of their inhabitants. In the present study is the first to assess the extent of involvement of the population in Belarusian provinces in support of troops of the Russian Empire housing allowance, sets out the principles and forms of army civilian infrastructure and food within the housing service, the role of local civil administration and selfgovernment in the cantonment of the troops on the ground. For the first time most of the used ones are mentioned.