The article is based on unpublished documents of the Russian State Military Historical Archive (Moscow): fond 15762 “Vladivostok Military Censorship Station 1914–1917”, the Russian State Historical Archive (St. Petersburg): fond 776 “Main Directorate of Press Affairs” (files on the service of the Vladivostok press inspector N.V. Dufour and his deputy A.N. Zankovsky). Petersburg): fond 776 “Main Directorate for Press Affairs” (files on the service of Vladivostok Press Inspector N.V. Dufour and his deputy A.N. Zankovsky), Russian State Historical Archive of the Far East (Vladivostok): fond 24 “Vladivostok Press Inspector”. It shows the formation, financing and activities of the Vladivostok Press Inspectorate in 1906–1917 and gives a characterization of key staff members. Special attention is paid to the relations of Inspector N.V. Dufour with the reporting to him press and the administration of Primorsky Region. It is concluded that the inspector strove for cooperation between the authorities and the loyal periodicals. Enforcing strict observance of the law and regulations on the editorial offices of newspapers, inspector he tried to protect the media from unwarranted persecution on the part of the authorities, believing that unjustified punishment only excited the society against the government. Because of that, he often clashed with military governors and vice-governors. Such a policy failed during World War I, when the press inspectorate became a body for transmitting circulars to newspaper editors circulars on prohibition of covering certain topics in the press. As throughout the country, that gradually led to the loss of opportunities for dialogue and the loss of government control over the content of periodical press.

The article deals with the issue of geological study of the MPR territory undertaken by the expert group of the CMEA member countries in August-September 1963. Despite the relevance of the topic due to the current state of the economy of Mongolia, as well as the importance of the work of the expert group for subsequent geological studies of the country, the subject is only briefly mentioned in the existing historiography. Therefore, there is no information about the group formation process, the progress of its work, as well as the content of the report compiled. The study of these issues is the purpose of the article. Based on the materials of the RSAE and the RSACH, it was established that the Mongolian side began lobbying for the start of a geological study of the country’s territory through the CMEA even before joining the organization. In response to the subsequent statements of the Mongolian representatives in the CMEA, the Executive Committee of the Council initiated the sending of an expert group to Mongolia to prepare proposals on the issue; and those proposals were consequently reflected in the report of September 9, 1963. The experts called for curtailing further exploration work on the already discovered oil, iron, manganese, chromium and polymetallic ores. It was recommended to hold off on an active development of oil shale, germanium, graphite and magnesite deposits. On the other hand, the experts advocated the carrying out of a wide range of surveys, as well as undertaking exploratory measures pertaining to the development of coal, copper, gold, tin, tungsten, fluorspar, piezoquartz, building materials, phosphates and mineral salts.

The purpose of the article is to analyze the image of the Prussian King Frederick II, who received the title «The Great» in history, and the Russian Emperor Paul I as a continuer of the traditions of Frederick II of Prussia in Russia in the context of German historiography. The presented materials are based on comparative – historical, historical – systemic and culturological methods. The analysis involves original and translated works of German historians from the 18th to the 21st century. The representation of the image of Frederick II of Prussia is associated with historical social processes in Germany of different eras. The author of the article comes to the conclusion that the assessment of the personality of Frederick II the Great, as well as his activities, was constantly undergoing transformations. Until now, the King of Prussia is an ambiguous and controversial figure in German history. The representation of the Russian emperor in German historical literature concerns, rather, the psychological aspects of his personality, the metamorphoses that occurred with the emperor Tsarevich and with the ruler. The results of the analysis make a certain contribution to the general historiography of Frederick II of Prussia and Paul I and can be used both in the educational and research process.

On the basis of the archival materials from the Foundation of the All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries of the State Archives of the Russian Federation, the author considers the process of the book exchange in 1944–1946 between Soviet Orientalists and their Egyptian colleagues. That exchange played an important part in the Soviet-Egyptian relations, the genesis of which was interrupted with the beginning of the “Cold War”. The book transaction was carried out largely due to the activities of the Soviet Egyptologist, TASS correspondent M.A. Korostovtsev, who was sent to Egypt at the very beginning of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the USSR and Egypt. The documents of the above Foundation cover the contacts between the Orientalists within the framework of the major institutions: the French Institute of Oriental Archeology in Cairo and the Permanent Archaeological Mission of France in Lebanon, on the one hand, and the USSR Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences, on the other. As part of the shipment, the Soviet side sent the works on Iranian studies by V.V. Bartold, Arabic studies by I.Yu. Krachkovsky, the textbooks on the History of the Ancient East by B.A. Turaev and V.V. Struve, the works of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the copies of the Journal of Ancient History for 1937–1941, as well as the five-volume edition of works by N.Ya. Marr. The article is based on the archival documents that are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time

This article considers the initiation history of the compound of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in Pine Bush, New York State (USA). The materials of the R-6991 foundation (the Foundation of the Council for Religious Affairs attached to the Council of Ministers of the USSR), of the State Archives of the Russian Federation, as well as the Archives of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate were used as sources of the research base. The documents identified and introduced into scientific circulation for the first time made it possible to find out the reasons for the purchase of the real estate and to disclose the plans for its development among the leadership of the American Exarchate. The main factor that caused the purchase was a difficult financial situation of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA. The initiators of the purchase hoped to develop the commercial potential of the property and create an additional source of Exarchate income from it. The archival documents indicate the sale of part of the Patriarchal Estate land for residential development and for a cemetery, and at the same time there were attempts to establish a children’s camp and a private nursing home on its territory. In addition, the complex of sources made it possible to identify the hitherto unknown stages and details of the construction of the Church in Honor of All the Saints in the Land of Russia Shining – the church located within the boundaries of the courtyard. It was determined that the construction of the church began in November 1963, and in 1969 the building had been completely built. At the same time, the article answers the question why the Pine Bush estate became the subject of discussion during the negotiations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the American Metropolitanate.

The article analyzes actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the events related to the schism in the Estonian Orthodox Church in the 1990s, when in 1996 when there happened renewal of the 1923 Tomos of Patriarch Meletios IV granting autonomy to the Estonian Orthodox Church and approving its transfer to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The efficacy of Tomos was cancelled in 1973 by the decision of Patriarch Demetrius of Constantinople. However, in the 1990s, Tomos was restored by the decision of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. The renewal of Tomos and, as a result, the final division of the Estonian Orthodox Church into two jurisdictions, became the culmination point of the time of troubles in the history of that Church in the post-Soviet period.
Based on the results of the study, it is concluded that the schism in the Estonian Orthodox Church was provoked by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, that carried out a systematic program undermining Orthodoxy in Estonia and separating the Estonian Orthodox Church from the Moscow Patriarchate.
The study is grounded on the archival materials, mainly from the Archives of the Metropolia of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Tallinn. For the first time, the reports of the Bishop of Tallinn and All Estonia Cornelius and other documents are introduced into scientific discourse; all those materials are valuable historical sources revealing the events related to the schism.

The article deals with one of the important areas of historical science – the history of famous public and political figures, in particular, with the study of the contribution to the development of education and science of the famous Belarusian scientist N.K. Yaroshevich.On the basis of archival materials and research by specialists, information is provided on the work of the scientist in the system of higher education and in the scientific field of Belarus and Uzbekistan at the initial stage of the university education formation during the years of the establishment of Soviet power. Through a scrupulous study of each stage of N.K. Yaroshevich’s labor activity, an analytical review of his professional sphere was made and its directions and scales indicated. The authors define as important the scientist’s role in the formation of the system of higher education, the development of agricultural science, as well as in the education of young people in the spirit of patriotism, valor, diligence, aspiration to creative work.
The materials of this scientific article contain the primary source information about the scientist-educator and public figure N.K. Yaroshevich and serve to replenish knowledge about his personality, life, about the issues of forming a higher education system and the organization of research work in the 1920s-1930s in the Soviet republics.

It is noted that in the absence of any archival service in Belarus until the autumn of 1922, its functions were performed by Belarusian State University (BGU) opened in October 1921. Rector V.I. Picheta, who was at the same time the head of the department of the General Archives Administration of the RSFSR, headed the Archival Commission at the Academic Center of the People’s Commissariat of Education of the BSSR and brought forward the issue of the need for founding an archival journal in Belarus. The second time, they returned to that idea in the early 1930s, thanks to the initiative of A.R. Iodko, the head of the archival service of Belarus. However, even then the planned quarterly “Arhiu Savetskay Belarusi” was not established either. It was only in the context of the changed socio-political situation in the USSR after 1956, that the Information Bulletin of the Archival Administration of the Internal Affairs Ministry of the BSSR (the Scientific Information Bulletin of the Archival Administration attached to the BSSR Council of Ministers) started appearing. In 1961, being a small-circulation departmental publication, the Bulletin stopped being published with the 12th issue. At the end of 1991, when Belarus gained a state sovereignty, the journal “Belaruskaya Minuushchyna”, one of the founders of which was the State Archives of the Republic of Belarus, began to appear in the republic. In 1993-1998, 29 issues came out. On its basis in 1999, the journal “Arhivy i Spravavodstva” was founded with a publication frequency of once every two months. The founder of the journal is the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus; it is published with the assistance of BelNIIDAD and BelNITsED. Significant scientific additions to the journal are the “Belaruski Arheagrafichny Shtogodnik” published since 2000 (23 issues have appeared) and the collection of scientific reports and articles “Arhivaryus” published since 2001 (20 issues have appeared). The first one is issued under the auspices of the Archaeographic Commission of the Department for Archives and Records Management, the second one is prepared by the NIAB. Since 2020, BGAMLI has been publishing the almanac “Autograph” (3 issues have been published). In conclusion, the article states that there is a significant archive-archaeographic base of periodicals and ongoing publications in the archival industry of Belarus, and they contribute to the improvement and development of archival science, archaeography, document management, as well as to the practical activities in the field of archiving and office work in the country

The article considers V.N. Autocratov’s contribution to the development of the theory of Russian archival science; it also provides an assessment of the scholar’s understanding of the object, subject and the boundaries of archival science as a scientific discipline, of the issues of acquisition, recording and organization of recordkeeping of the USSR State Archival Fund. The paper characterizes the conditions in which V.N. Autocratov developed his archival theory. The latter was based on Marxist methodology and the so-called “principle of partisanship”, to which Autocratov gave a rather original interpretation, essentially defining it as a search for professional criteria for assessing the source significance of a document when appraising its value. At the same time, it is noted that in his work Autocratov widely used a popular at his time information approach, giving it a paramount importance in a number of cases, for example, in determining the object of archival science. The scholar did not resort to the theory of archival science based on social memory, which was being developed at that time. However, while standing a historian, in his work he emphasized the historicism of archival knowledge, its orientation not only towards an archivist, but also towards the user of archives – a historian. The article highly evaluates Autocratov’s fund theory, which retains its significance at the present time. Autocratov’s contribution to the development of the concept of the USSR State Archival Fund is shown

The article analyzes the publication by N.A. Komochev and A.A. Karandeeva, related to the activities of the Russian historian, source researcher Pavel Petrovich Smirnov during his directorship at the Institute for History and Archives in 1941–1942. The authors compiled a chronicle of the scientist’s life with the help of the preserved biographical materials, the memoirs of P.P. Smirnov’s wife. The publication, for the first time, introduces into scientific circulation the documents from the personal collections of the Archives and the Scientific Library of the Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH), the Department of Manuscripts of the Russian State Library, the Central State Archives of Moscow, the Archives of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Tver Center for Documentation of Modern History. The book includes the research, archaeographic and reference parts, each of which allows us to fully evaluate P.P. Smirnov’s personality, his multifarious activities and contribution to the national historical science. The chronicle of P.P. Smirnov’s life is at the heart of the publication – it was compiled by the authors and indicates the milestones of the scholar’s life and activity. The inclusion in the text of the chronicle of the quotations from the memoirs of S.V. Smirnova and other sources, revealing in great detail the circumstances of the events described in the chronicle, the professional path of the scientist, his views, personal experiences, provided the means to brighten up the “matter of fact” biographical information, to make such data complete