The article is devoted to the history of the Old BelieversWanderers consent in the Saratov Volga region in the late imperial period (the second half of the 19th century – the early 20th century). The paper provides a general description of this religious group, their teachings and history of existence, and analyzes the features of thematic historiography. The uniqueness of the wandering phenomenon in the religious landscape of the Russian Empire province is emphasized: the wanderers preached radical eschatological ideas, but, at the same time, maintained a certain involvement in the social structures of the outside world. The publication focuses on the holistic history of the Old Believers-Wanderers in the Saratov Volga region, who penetrated its territory in the 1860s. The active preaching of the Wanderers caused an increase in the followers among the Saratov peasants, but the specific way of life of the Wanderers, inspired by the teaching about the “escape from the Antichrist”, inevitably attracted the attention of the local administration and the priests. An appeal to the previously unpublished archival materials of the State Archives of the Saratov Region (GASO) shows that the wandering community was persecuted for vagrancy, illegal harboring of fellow believers, and the secret burials of the dead, whose disappearance was of concern to the police. The article ends with formulating conclusions on ambiguity in the interpretation of the Wanderers’ social and religious practices: despite the results of the investigative processes, such cases gave rise to various negative rumors about the Old Believers.

The article examines the cult of Glykon, which emerged in the 2nd century AD in Asia Minor. The author analyzes the established scholarly thesis that Glykon, by the nature of his iconography and cult practices, was a new incarnation of the healing god Asclepius. The aim of the study is to identify the genuine origins and the specific nature of this cult. Based on a comparative analysis of the literary data and the archaeological and numismatic evidence, the following conclusion is drawn: the healing practices within the Glykon cult, as well as its iconography, do not only find any parallels in the cult of Asclepius but often directly contradict it. It is proven that the key elements of the cult have more obvious analogies in Eastern, Syro-Phrygian cults. Thus, the Glykon cult was a syncretic phenomenon in which the image, name, and symbolism of Asclepius were used to legitimize the local Anatolian beliefs and magical practices. This was done to appeal to both the local population and the Hellenized elite, who revered the pan-Hellenic healing god. Consequently, the article challenges the uniform approach of “Glykon as the new Asclepius” and demonstrates the mechanisms of religious syncretism in Asia Minor.

The article discusses the image of beggars and vagrants in the narrative sources of medieval Iceland. The source base of this research is the codex of the medieval Icelandic law “Grágás” and the two kinds of sagas: “Íslendingasǫgur” and “Samtíðarsögur”. With the assistance of a comparative analysis and the historical research methodologies of textual studies, we found out the points of the intersection and divergence in different types of texts, cleared up the issue about the balance between the literary and historical details of the image of beggars and vagrants, and we also posed the questions pertaining to “the truth of the text” and “the truth of the historical fact” in Icelandic sagas, to the degree of influence on the narration of the oral and written tradition, to the relationship between the sagas and the law, and, likewise, to the value base of the Medieval Icelandic society and the role and the place of a human being in it. The image of the beggars and vagrants in the “sagas of the Icelanders” is more homogenous than in the “contemporary sagas”, the nature of their actions is monotypic and keeps within the framework of a supporting role in the plot unraveling. On the other hand, the “contemporary sagas” present a greater diversity of the behavioral patterns among the beggars and vagabonds; the parallels with the provisions of the Code of Laws are more common; the circle of the supposed sources of influence includes not only the Code of Laws and the “sagas of Icelanders” but also the oral tradition, represented by the etymological legends.

Switzerland has always been known as a mediator in the international relations. This makes it a unique player on the world arena, striving to maintain distance from international conflicts. Today, the Confederation plays an important part in European security. There are many reasons for this: the country is located in the centre of Europe, it is of strategic and economic interest to the European countries, and cooperation with Europe is natural for Switzerland. The Confederation is the headquarters for many international organizations, committees and agencies that discuss European security. By occupying the niche of a mediator, Switzerland has become an active participant in international relations. In the context of globalization and the intensified conflicts between countries, neutrality is becoming a key strategy for ensuring stability and security. Neutral states are demonstrating a unique approach to its transformation, making this a highly topical issue.

The source base of the article includes the documents from the Swiss government agencies, the Swiss Federal Archives, and the Dodis diplomatic database. An assessment is given of the historical development of neutrality during the periods in question. N.S. Khrushchev’s memoirs of his visit to Switzerland in 1955 are examined. Based on these materials, an overview of the Swiss foreign policy is provided and the evaluation of Switzerland’s contribution to the discussion of European security is given.

The article deals with the analysis of the reports of the census takers of 1678, collected from the population of Starooskol and partially Yablonov counties by the scribe G.I. Shishkin and the sub-clerk I. Ral’in during the second household census. This source was found in the Russian State Archives of Ancient Acts (RGADA) as part of the territorial set of the scrolls of the Voronezh Land Tenure Administration (Pomestnyj Prikaz) and is introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. Despite the fact that a large number of works have traditionally been focused on the materials of scribe records in general and the census books of the 17th century in particular, the reports of the census takers, with rare exceptions, have not come to the attention of the Russian historiography researchers and have not become the subject of special study. At the same time, in the absence of the surviving summary materials of the household censuses of 1678, the use of such a source is especially relevant in the study of the socio-economic history of a number of regions in the south of Russia and the Belgorod line region, where significant administrative and territorial changes took place in the second half of the 17th century. Within the framework of the conducted study, the form of the census takers’ reports was analyzed, the dynamics of the decrease of the taxable population of the Starooskol county was revealed. Particular attention was paid to checking the completeness of the reports by a comparative method, as well as to assessing the reliability of the source with regard to the potential concealment of households. Finally, it seems promising to study the reports of the census takers from other counties, which in quantities over 100 scrolls are deposited in the funds of the Russian State Archives of Ancient Acts and can provide some other information that is not available for analysis when using the census summaries only.

The paper analyses the first articles in the British press devoted to the Runciman Mission, one of Britain’s attempts to resolve the Sudeten German conflict through  diplomatic  means.  Chronologically,  the  study is limited to the period from the 26th of July to the 3rd of August, 1938: this is when the first mentions of the mission appeared in the British newspapers. The interpretations of the British diplomatic initiative in the press varied. The largest and most influential media sources of the British Empire of that time are examined: the Daily Express, the Daily Herald and the News Chronicle, which were conservative, liberal and labour-oriented, respectively. In addition, the article analyses the publications in The Daily Worker and Action, which makes it possible to trace the viewpoint of the representatives of the extreme spectrum of British politics: the Communist Party of Great Britain and the Union of Fascists. It is important to note that in the 1930s, the periodical press was one of the key channels for shaping public opinion and perceiving international events, by the level of influence falling short to radio broadcasting only. Thus, it was the periodicals that had a significant impact on the formation of mass perceptions of foreign policy crises, which necessitates their analysis within the context of this research.

The article is first to explore Russian historiography devoted to the history of Soviet television. It covers a long period, starting with the works of the 1950s, which were characterized by an interest in the technical side of television, and ending with the modern research, in which the emphasis was shifted to the history of regional Soviet television, and also to its everyday moments. The article pays special attention to the analysis of the current situation of Russian historiography about the history of Soviet television. The author outlines the prospects for further development in the study of this issue. It is concluded that over the entire century-long period, scholars have most vividly highlighted the technical aspects of Soviet television, as well as analyzed in detail its propaganda function. However, some everyday issues have not yet been considered, such as the peculiarities of the perception by the Soviet people of television and of its direct participants (announcers, actors, directors). Despite the strong interest of researchers in the last two decades in the history of regional television, the operation of television broadcasting in some important border and multicultural territories (for example, in the Orenburg region) has not been comprehensively analyzed. The author concludes that, regardless of the existence of extensive domestic historiography, the topic of the history of Soviet television has not been fully explored yet.

The history of modern Russia is documented by many sources, among which is a large complex that includes the memoirs of political and state figures of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. In modern Russian historiography, memoirs are recognized as a significant source, although their role in shaping the historical narrative requires additional study. They are important for reconstructing events, verifying interpretations, and developing new research directions. Memoirs influence the collective memory and serve as a political argument in assessing certain events in Russian history. However, their use in historical research is associated with a number of problems, including political bias and commercial interest of the authors and publishers. Since the end of the twentieth century, the Soviet Union and then Russia have experienced revolutionary upheavals – the collapse of a huge union state and the transition to a new development paradigm. The collisions of those events have given rise to a unique phenomenon of our time – the desire of politicians and statesmen to leave their reminiscences and make them public. The scale of the publication of the memoirs of the presidents of the USSR and Russia, their assistants and advisers, the military figures and diplomats raises the issue of a comprehensive approach to the study of these unique historical testimonies not only as the units of individual memory, but also as mass historical sources.

The article focuses on the biography and creative path of one of the leading American sociologists and political scientists George Fischer (1923–2005). The first part of the paper is devoted to G. Fischer’s biography, his difficult way of life, including his childhood and youth in Berlin and Moscow, his participation in World War II as an officer in the United States Army, his scientific and social activities in Germany and the USA after the end of the war. Particular attention is paid to the reminiscences of his mother – Markoosha Fischer, who very vividly described the Soviet society of the 1920s and the 1930s.

The second part of the article reveals the main stages of G. Fischer’s scientific activities. His main scientific works, views and concepts are analyzed here. The notion of social integration and the Soviet people’s “inertia” is considered. The issues of conformism in the Western society are likewise scrutinized. The article also discusses G. Fischer’s works dedicated to the pioneers of Soviet sociology – the Soviet sociologists of the 1960s. Besides, the research considers the concept of the Soviet society as an alternative model of a social structure. Special attention is paid to the notion of a self-governing society put forward by G. Fischer.

The article examines the efforts of the USSR state archives to preserve public memory of the Great Patriotic War by collecting the memoirs of war veterans and home front workers. The author explores the evolution of archives from the repositories of administrative documentation to the institutions of memory engaged in proactive documentation. Particular attention is paid to the experience of the Sverdlovsk Region State Archives in compiling the collections of war veterans’ memoirs.

This work is based on the analysis of Collection 1274 of the State Archive of Social and Political History of the Sverdlovsk Region (GASPISO), which contains 253 storage units, including 121 manuscripts of memoirs. The documents date from 1995-2006 and represent the deferred memories of the authors born between 1920 and 1928. The article proposes a typology of the memoirs (“memoirs”, “messages”, and “complaints”) based on their originators’ motivations. The author explores the unique characteristics of deferred memories, demonstrating their dual nature: they contain an emotionally authentic portrayal of everyday life in the war, but, at the same time, they are influenced by the media environment.

A separate section is devoted to students’ reminiscences of the daily life of young students during the war, including the issues of nutrition, housing, education, and work throughout the wartime. The research demonstrates the value of popular memory as a source for studying the labor exploits on the home front, emphasizing the need for critical analysis when working with deferred memories.

The article provides an analysis of the activities and evacuation of the State Archives of the Kalinin region during the Great Patriotic War. The paper examines the steps taken by the Archival Department of the UNKVD in the Kalinin region (thereafter the State Archives Department) for saving the archival materials of the subordinate regional archives in Kalinin and its branch in Rzhev. Attention is focused on the economic and personnel problems that the archivists had to face at the preparatory stage when selecting the documents for the evacuation. The author of the article examined a set of the documents concerning the storage conditions of the archival materials in Ufa and Chkalov, where part of the Archival Fund of the Kalinin region had been evacuated, and the conditions of the archives in Kalinin after the liberation of the town from the Nazi occupation. Special attention is paid to the actions taken by the archivists in the field of re-accounting, restoration and the use of the archival documents in 1942–1945 under the disunity of archival funds. During the research, the author used the archival materials (the plans, reviews, acts, orders, reports, instructions, etc.) from the funds of the State Archives of the Tver region and the State Archives of the Russian Federation.

The article discusses the issue of a documentary reconstruction of the family tree of Aleksei Lukyanovich Smirnov (around 1758–1841), the great-grandfather of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin). The study is based on the collections of the State Archives of the Astrakhan region. Thanks to the Yandex “Search by Archives” online service, which contains the digital images of mass genealogical sources, new archival documents about Vladimir Ilyich’s Astrakhan ancestors have been identified. The Smirnov family’s genealogy has been the least reconstructed in his family tree. Using artificial intelligence technology to recognize handwritten text, which is utilized by the Yandex “Search by Archives” service, we have discovered some important primary sources on the history of A.L. Smirnov’s family, including his ancestors and descendants. It has been revealed that the Smirnovs, the Astrakhan bourgeois who married into the Ulyanin family in 1809, came from Little Russia and settled in the Astrakhan province in the second half of the 18th century. This new circumstance refutes the so-called Kalmyk hypothesis, which was proposed by the Soviet-Armenian writer M.S. Shaginyan in 1937. Based on the church records, census reports, marriage records, confession records, and the recruitment and family lists, this article provides documented information about the Smirnov family members and their relatives.

The article presents a comparative analysis of three modern publications of the sources on the history of Ingushetia. Using the example of specific publications, the author demonstrates a wide range of approaches to publishing that exist in modern Caucasology. Despite the valuable and extensive  selection  of  materials  and  documents,  the  scientific  value  of B. Gazikov’s “Collection of information about the Ingush” is limited due to the lack of a preface, analytical commentary and the finding aids. The collection of documents: “The Ingush autonomous region, 1924–1934”, edited by M. Kartoev and B. Uzhakhov, regardless of the undoubted importance of the documents introduced into scientific circulation, is a methodologically inconsistent reference book suffering from fragmentation and the unclear principles of description.

The most consistent and in-depth archaeographic research is presented in M. Yandieva’s monumental work “The Book of Fate...”. This publication stands out for its integrated approach, where the central source – S. Malsagov’s recollections of the Solovetsky camp – is not only published, but also subjected to a comprehensive source analysis, placed in a broad documentary context and equipped with a full-fledged scientific apparatus.

It is concluded that the integrated approach implemented in M. Yandieva’s work should become a model for the future publications of the sources on the history of Ingushetia, contributing to an increase in scientific profundity in modern Caucasology.

The collection of documents: “The Ulaanbaatar Railway. History and modernity” was developed by the staff of the Russian State Archives of Economy and dedicated to the 75-year history of the Ulaanbaatar Railway Joint-Stock Company. The collection includes the documents from the central, regional and departmental archives of Russia and Mongolia. The interdepartmental and departmental regulations, the documents of the JointStock Company Board and the official correspondence reflect the processes of the railway design, construction, and operation in Mongolia, as well as the development of economic cooperation between our countries. The Ulaanbaatar Railway is the main carrier of goods and passengers in the country. Crossing the country from north to south, the Trans-Mongolian traffic artery is an important part of the regional transport logistics. Thanks to its advantageous geographical position, it serves as a natural transit bridge between Europe and Asia. The Ulaanbaatar Railway modernization will make this highway an important link in the international transport corridor; it will also help expand the mutually beneficial economic ties with the major trading partners of Mongolia – Russia and China.

The materials of the collection are particularly important today in the context of strengthening economic ties between Russia and the countries of East Asia.