bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ivan Korostovetz — Russian Diplomat and Expert on China
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Samoylov N. A.
Published: January 2023

Ivan Yakovlevich Korostovetz (1862–1933) was one of the most prominent Russian diplomats of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He played an extremely important role in the developing Russian-Chinese relations and a no less significant part in the development of Russian-Mongolian ties. Not a sinologist by education, and at the start not speaking Chinese, Korostovetz could understand the specifics of China so deeply and delve into the peculiarities of Chinese realities that he became one of the best experts on China at that time. Korostovetz actively popularized his knowledge on China among the Russian public by writing books and articles about the country. At the turn of the 20th century, Korostovetz became one of the most capable diplomats in the Russian Empire and contributed to an active Russian policy in China and Outer Mongolia. Having a deep understanding of the Russian geopolitical interests in the Far East, he was able to clearly formulate the main goals of Russia’s policy in this region at the time when the Xinhai revolution broke out in China. Unfortunately, after 1917, Korostovetz failed to find a place for himself in the diplomatic field, and so he became the author of many published and unpublished works on the history of diplomacy and international relations in the Far East. The purpose of this article is to give an overview of Korostovetz’ activities in various diplomatic positions in China and evaluate his role in the development of Russian-Chinese relations, as well as analyze his articles and books about China and show the depth in which he understood political development, history and culture of this country.
Free Religious Communities in the North-West of Russia Between 1917 and the Late 1920s
Authors:   St Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Musaev V. I.
Published: January 2023

The article deals studies the existence and activities of the free Protestant communities (Baptists, Evangelists, Adventists, Pentecostals) in Petrograd/Leningrad and the Russian North-West, from establishment of Soviet power until the end of the 1920s. Soviet power had mixed consequences for the free communities. On the one hand, the new ruling party’s generally negative attitude to religion and its orientation towards constructing an atheist society had negative consequences for all religious organizations. On the other hand, due to elimination of the state church, free communities acquired equal rights with other religious groups. During the first years of Soviet power, anti-religious repressions centered first and foremost on the Russian Orthodox Church. The attitude of the new regime towards religious sects that were previously oppressed under the tsarist regime was more tolerable. Atheist propaganda in the 1920s was not so active as in the next decade. Confiscatory measures against church organizations had less serious consequences for free communities that did not possess considerable assets or real estate. During the 1920s, due to the difficulties experienced by the Orthodox, Roman-Catholic, and Lutheran churches, the free sects managed to intensify their activities and to expand their influence among the believers in the North-West, especially among the ethnic minorities (Finns, Estonians, Latvians, Germans). This situation had lasted until the late 1920s, when a total offensive against religion was initiated.
Concession Export Trade of Foreign Merchants during the Reign of Peter the Great
Authors:   Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M. V. Lomonosov, Minaeva Tatiana
Published: January 2023

The article is devoted to the study of the participation of Western European merchants in the concession export trade of Russia in the reign of Peter I. Concession as a way of solving financial problems was often used in the trade and customs policy of Russia in the 17th–18th centuries. Having ascended the throne, Peter I continued to actively use the concession form of foreign trade of the country. Stateowned goods were transferred to the concession: caviar, rhubarb, flax, bristles, sheep wool, timber, forest chemical products. The concession export trade was mainly of interest to English and Dutch merchants, who had a large trade turnover and established themselves as reliable business partners of the government and the tsar personally, both in commercial and in diplomatic affairs. The state used the concessions not only as a solution to financial issues but also as a means to carry out foreign trade in wartime conditions, to obtain profitable trade orders abroad, to organize the sale of state-owned goods, which were not always of high quality, to attract merchants to the development of the port of Saint Petersburg, to encourage entrepreneurs who provided services to the Russian government.
Phrygia According to the Works of Khorenatsi and Shirakatsi
Authors:   Yerevan State University, Harutyunyan Hakob
Published: January 2023

“Ancient Armenian Geography” (or “Ashkharatsuits”, literally — “World Map”) calls Phrygia the fifth among all the countries of Universal Asia, which is located between Lycia and Paphlagonia. Partly based on “The Geography” by Ptolemy, “Ancient Armenian Geography” complements the Greek author with its information. Outlining the borders of Phrygia, “Ashkharatsuits” shows the territorial limits that this state reached in the first half of the I millennium BC (especially in the 8th–6th centuries). These centuries can be characterized as the “golden era” of Phrygia since almost all of western Asia Minor was part of this kingdom, and Phrygia reached its apogee during this period. The authors of the Armenian source do not mention any historical person and speak exclusively about geography (administrative territorial divisions, urban map orography, hydrography, plains, etc.). All the data of the Armenian text have been scrupulously examined and compared/collated with the information of Ptolemy, as well as with the information ranging from the Bible and Strabo’s “Geography” to the works of the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus. Only a hermeneutic approach to the issue will make it possible to remove all the “brackets” since if the main text of “Ashkharatsuits” was written in the 5th century by Khorenatsi, then from a geographical perspective the source was supplemented in the 7th century by Shirakatsi. Information about the administrative division of Onoratia is also important, as well as its historical and geographical description — all this sheds light on the problem of studying both Onoratia and Phrygia. “Ashkharatsuits” traces the evolution undergone by Phrygia during its history.
Reconsidering the Campaign of Dnieper Liman
Authors:   Istanbul University, Yener Emir
Published: January 2023

The naval campaign of the Dnieper Liman, fought from the autumn of 1787 to the end of 1788, was one of the most decisive maritime confrontations in the modern history of the Eastern Mediterranean. Fought in conjunction with two major siege operations, the campaign between the naval forces of the Ottoman and Russian empires decided the fate of the key Turkish fortress of Özi (Ochakov), which controlled the mouth of the Dnieper. The campaign was part of the Russian empress Catherine II’s second war with the Ottomans, a confrontation initiated by the Porte in response to Catherine II’s provocative “Greek Project” and fought with the aim of liberating the Crimean Khanate, annexed by Russia through force of arms in 1783. For the Ottoman side, the decisive operation was the storming and reduction of the Russian fortress of Kinburn, which blocked access to the Crimean interior. Since both Russians and Turks were fighting at the furthest point from their supply lines, gaining naval support and superiority was of paramount importance. Conscious of the role of sea power, Ottomans had prepared the greatest armada they ever put to the seas since the Morean Wars of 1684–1718, greatly outnumbering their adversary, the nascent Russian Black Sea Fleet. The protracted campaign of Liman resulted in the most shattering and costly Ottoman naval defeat of the Russo-Turkish Wars. Russia’s much trumpeted but in reality barren victory at Chesma in 1770 pales in comparison regarding the strategic results of the Liman campaign. The incident also serves as a perfect case study to reassess the Age of Sail in the Mediterranean.
The Emergence of Habsburgs in Early Works of Joseph von Hormayr
Authors:   Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M. V. Lomonosov, Ragozin German
Published: January 2023

The paper deals with the issue of emergence of the Austrian historical myth in the early 19th century. The identity crisis in Austria, Holy Roman Empire and Habsburg possessions due to the French revolution and collapse of the “Old empire” brought a discussion on loyalty towards dynasty, throne, and the state. Relations of Habsburgs with their non-Germanic realms also underwent a transformation connected with the creation of the Austrian empire in 1804. Intellectuals in the early 19th century Vienna were faced with the challenge to revisit the remains of the old model of identity and relationships between the state and the society in a new context. The new model combining romanticism and conservatism pursued to find a model of “natural” relations between the sovereign, state and society. Joseph von Hormayr was the author of concepts for Austrian history, Habsburg dynasty, and its relations with the society in the early 19th century. He justified them with legitimism, dynastic patriotism, and general historical memory. “The Austrian Plutarch” made an impact on Austrian historical memory in the 19th century. The images of early Habsburgs were supposed to demonstrate the role of monarchy in the success of the state, social stability, and European balance. The essays showed the moral right of the dynasty to leadership in Germany and Central Europe. Hormayr disseminated the concepts of “Austrian freedom” in the Empire, “putting an end to the anarchy”, consistent centralization of Southern-eastern German areas, and its support from estates. The sovereigns appeared both in the image of mobilization figures for the duchy and neighboring countries, and possessors of the personal features turning Austria into the Empire later.
Beringia and the Settlement of the Western Hemisphere
Authors:   Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Hoffecker John , Pitulko Vladimir ,   Institute  of  the  History  of  Material  Culture, RAS, Pavlova Elena ,   Arctic & Antarctic Research Institute
Published: January 2023

Previously, we addressed the problem of what variable(s) limited widespread human settlement of the Americas before ~15 ka. We concluded that while non-modern human taxa (e. g., Neanderthals) probably did not inhabit high-latitude environments (due to cold climate and/ or low plant and animal productivity) and thus could not disperse in the Western Hemispherevia Beringia, modern humans likely were denied access to mid-latitude North America >15 ka by coastal and interior ice sheets. Here we reexamine the problem with respect to modern humans in light of a revised chronology for glaciers and sea level, new research in paleo-genomics, and some new archaeological discoveries. During 35–30 ka, a lineage with west Eurasian roots occupied the Great Arctic Plain and may have expanded into eastern arctic Beringia and mid-latitude North America via an ice-free corridor. An East Asian lineage associated with microblade technology occupied the Lena Basin during the LGM and expanded onto the Great Arctic Plain >15 ka, possibly as early as the GI 2 interstadial (24–23 ka). Their immediate descendants probably occupied the southern Bering Land Bridge and Northwest Pacific coast >15 ka and dispersed widely in the Western Hemisphere during GI 1 (14.5–12.9 ka), primarily if not exclusively via a coastal route. The coalesced Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets blocked interior access to mid-latitude America until 13.8 ± 0.5 ka (and possibly later due to the length and narrow width of the ice-free corridor >13 ka).
Ancient Derbent in the History of the Early Christian World
Authors:   North-Caucasus Federal University, Kudryavtsev Alexander
Published: January 2023

Derbent has gone down in history as an outstanding monument of world fortification erected in the 5th–7th centuries AD to protect against the invasions of nomads of Eurasia. Extensivearchaeological research of Derbent, under the guidance of the author, revealed completely new stages of the city’s existence, and Derbent emerged not only as the main military and political stronghold of the world powers of the medieval East in the Caucasus but also as the largest economic and religious center of the region, where Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism penetrated and developed early. Derbent acquired a special significance in the history of the Christian world of the Caucasus during the reign of the Sasanian kings Yezdegerd II (439–457) and Peroz (459–484), ardent opponents of Christianity, when the struggle of the peoples of the Caucasus with the “teaching of magicians” severely aggravated. The Derbent fortifications began to play an important role in the anti-Iranian uprisings of the Caucasian rulers who relied on the nomads and mountaineers of the North Caucasus in their fight against the Sasanians. It was in the 60s of the 5th centuries, as our excavations have shown, that a cruciform temple was erected in the citadel of Derbent, which was transformed at the beginning of the 17th century into a reservoir. The most recent geophysical research, conducted in 2020, using georadar and laser scanning and photogrammetry confirmed the data obtained during the excavations about the religious purpose of the cross-domed structure in the citadel and its identification with the Christian temple of the 5th century, one of the oldest in Russia.
Eurasianism from the Point of View of Erengen Khara-Davan
Authors:   Samara State University of Social Sciences and Education, Bystryukov Vladimir
Published: January 2023

The personality of E. Khara-Davan is a landmark for characterizing the history of the peoples of our country in the first half of the 20th century. He became one of the first Kalmyk students who received higher education at the university of the Russian Empire, and the first doctor among the Kalmyk people. He took part in the events of 1917–1920 in southern Russia, collaborated with the Russian Provisional Government, the Soviet government, and the white movement. In the modern historiography, E. Khara-Davan is quite often called a member of the Eurasian movement, who made a great contribution to the formation of its ideology. However, this view contrasts with the fact that he was not part of any organization of the movement and published only two articles in Eurasian publications. The main topic of his works was the history, current state and future structure of the Kalmyk people. There is no doubt that he was deeply influenced by the ideas of the Eurasians, which is especially evident in the texts on the Mongol Empire history as well as in his main work — the book “Genghis Khan as a commander and his legacy”. His assessments of the influence of the Mongols on the development of Russian statehood were of a pronounced “Eurasian” character. However, outside of this discourse, the works of E. Khara-Davan practically did not intersect with Eurasian concepts in any way, and even diverged in characterizing the current state and future structure of the peoples of Russia.
Autographs of the Stolniks Melnitskii in the Ancient Storage of the Pushkin House
Authors:   Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Markelov Gleb , Semiachko Svetlana ,   Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: January 2023

The article presents autographs of Nazarii Petrovich, Iakov Nazar’evich and Ivan Nazar’evich Melnitskii kept in the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the Russian Academmy of Science, in the Ancient Storage (Drevlekhranilishche) named after V. I. Malyshev: their letters to their close relative Gavrila Alexandrovich Melnitskii and the Latin-Russian dictionary, the Latin part of which was written by Iakov Nazar’evich Melnitskii. The letters of Iakov and Ivan Melnitskii relate to the different circumstances of the Crimean campaigns of the late 17th century, in the first of which Nazarii Petrovich Melnitski was involved (he was responsible for escorting to Azov suppliers of provisions caught in embezzlement), while his sons Nikita and Semen participated in the second (Nikita served under the command of Patrick Gordon). A letter from Nazarii Melnitski tells about the circumstances of his dispatch to serve in the conquered Tavan’ and Kazykermen’. Letters date back to 1695, 1696, and 1698/99. They were sent from Moscow, presumably, to the estate of G. A. Melnitskii. The Latin-Russian dictionary, in the creation of which Iakov Nazar’evich Melnitskii played the main role, is not only of lexicographic interest. On the one hand, it allows us to evaluate the education of the Petrine generation of service people; on the other hand, — to make some observations regarding the organization of scribal work in creating such books. Iakov Melnitskii not only wrote the Latin part of the dictionary, but also organized people who filled out its Russian part, and paid for their work. Despite the fact that the Russian part of the dictionary was not completed, the book was bound. Iakov Melnitskii gave it a complete look, writing the chapters and placingthe output note on the binding sheets. The article suggests a paleographic analysis of the manuscripts under consideration and demonstrates both the general features characteristic of the manuscript culture of the beginning of the Petrine era and the individual features of each scribe. The article is supplemented by the publication of samples of the handwriting of stolniks Melnitskii and the texts of three their letters.
The Issues of Alcohol Production and Abuse in Russia in Mikhail Katkov's Publications
Authors:   Institute of Economics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Stepanov Valerii L. ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: January 2023

The article is devoted to the study of the evolution of views on the issues of alcohol production and abuse by the largest ideologue of Russian conservatism M. N. Katkov – editor-publisher of the newspaper “Moskovskie Vedomosti” and the magazine “Russkii Vestnik”. It analyses the speeches of the famous publicist and his associates on the pages of these publications aimed at alterations in the excise system, in force since 1863, in order to limit the excessive consumption of strong alcoholic beverages and overcome its severe social consequences. The reasons that prompted the famous publicist in the early 1880s to launch a campaign for the introduction of a wine monopoly are explained: the decline of the popularity of the liberal economic doctrine in the West as a result of the world economic crisis of 1873–1878; the rise of the movement in European countries for the transfer of the drinking trade to the treasury under the influence of stagnation in agriculture; the expansion of state intervention in economic life in Russia. The article points out the arguments given by Katkov in favor of a monopoly, which, in his opinion, had to allow regulating the distillery industry, ending rampant drunkenness, eradicating drunkenness and corruption in the beverage business. It is particularly noted that Katkov considered this reform one of the main points of his program for creating a “national” economy in Russia, protected from the West by high customs barriers and assuming multilateral participation of the state in the development of the national economy, and these attitudes largely corresponded to the protectionist course of the government in the reign of the penultimate Russian tsar, Alexander III.
Geoarchaeology, Age and Chronology of the Zhokhov Site
Authors:   Institute of the History of Material Culture, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pitulko Vladimir V. ,   Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera), Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: January 2023

The Zhokhov site, investigated in 1989–1990 and 2000–2005, is located at 76°N in a remote part of the East Siberian Arctic. Excavations yielded tens of thousands of artifacts and faunal remains including the oldest anthropological remains known in the high arctic regions up to date. The culture-bearing deposits appear to represent the backfill of ice wedge casts formed after the site was abandoned when the island area became isolated due to the development of the post-glacial marine transgression. A large sample of radiocarbon ages obtained on various materials (n = 102) provides a chronology for the site, which was occupied 8300–7800 14С years ago. There were multiple occupation episodes, but it is not possible to estimate their duration with precision (within less than 50–100 years). The most intense human activity occurred within the interval 8050–7900 radiocarbon years BP, or ca. 9000 calBP but overall human occupation of the site spans roughly 2000 years. This is the oldest known archaeological site in the high-latitude Arctic. The identification and analysis of habitation episodes at the Zhokhov site has important implications for the study of Palaeolithic sites. The radiocarbon chronology indicates that repeated / cyclic human habitation at the same place is possible for up to 2000 years and possibly longer. Repeated or cyclic human occupation in the Zhokhov island area was possible due to locally available food and material resources. Thus, the radiocarbon dates provide more than chronomentric or chronological data; they are a source of information source about human ecology and its role in the evolution of culture.
Old Norse Rite Blótweitzla
Authors:   Sebastopol State University, Khlevov Alexander A. , Goubanov Ilya B. ,   Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera), Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: January 2023

A serious problem in the study of the cultural characteristics of archaic Scandinavia is the verification of the sources. The main questions that arise: to which extent pagan ritual practices continued to exist after the beginning of mass Christianization, and what Christian ideas were extrapolated by later sources to the pre-Christian era. One of the major rituals mentioned in the sources – the feast of sacrificial blood, which was a crucial element of the structures of everyday life in pagan society, seems to be very important. A sufficiently detailed description of the ritual in the sources allows us to draw a number of conclusions about its role in the life of the ancient Scandinavians. The correspondence between the songs of the “Elder Edda” and the ancestral and royal sagas in the designation of objects of worship and their functions, as well as the preservation, even after the baptism of Iceland, of the traditional formula of the legal oath, which was originally given on the sacred ring of the godi, and after 1000 – on The Bibles, and the ancient formula of the agrarian cult (“for a harvest year and peace”) in a similar ritual of drinking beer in Norway at Christmas, according to Gulathing, with a high degree of probability confirms the historicity of ancient Icelandic information about a pre-Christian temple and a feast of sacrificial blood – blotweizl. In a broader context, it provides additional confirmation of the historicism of Icelandic sources and their extraordinary value for the process of reconstruction of the way of life in archaic Scandinavia.
Technological Peculiarities of Old Russian Books as Reflected in Early Modern Inventories of Monastic Libraries
Authors:   National Library of Russia, Tsypkin Denis O. , Simonova Ekaterina S. ,   National Library of Russia, Shibaev Mikhail A. ,   National Library of Russia
Published: January 2023

The paper analyzes inventories of the late 15th–17th centuries from four major Russian monasteries: St Cyril’s of Belozersk, The Solovetsky monastery, Joseph-Volokolamsk monastery, and The Holy Trinity – St Sergius monastery. These inventories list the monasteries’ property for its safekeeping. The inventories of monastic libraries contain valuable information about the system of book keeping and the development of bibliography in Old Rus’. They also provide some clues for attribution of books, which can help in reconstructing the concepts of bookmaking technologies in Early Modern period. These technological notes in descriptions of books are organized according to the system created by the inventories compilers: the format, the binding, the artistic values, the type and technique of writing, the page’s composition, the writing material, the state of preservation. The paper shows that the major goal in creating these inventories was to single out the most important elements allowing to recognize the book. Yet the description of these elements was not uniform. The attention was mainly directed to external attribution of a book. From the second half of the 16th century the cursive writing and the so-called metnoe pismo (a sort of scrittura usuale) were already recognized as different from standard book writing and had to be distinguished and indicated in book inventories. The inventories reflected those characteristics of books that were important for the librarians and therefore shaped certain semantic structures in professional mentality of Old Russian bookmen. For modern scholars they can serve as markers that follow the process of the development of book technologies in Early Modern period.
In the Hallways of the Tauride Palace during the February Days of 1917: Memoirs of a Veteran Staffer of the Duma Chancellery А. А. Kondrat’ev
Authors:   University of Notre Dame, Lyandres Semion
Published: January 2023

This publication presents an autobiographical account of the February Days in Petrograd by a long-standing mid-level staffer of the Duma Chancellery, Aleksandr Alekseevich Kondrat’ev (1876–1967). The author spent the first days of the February Revolution inside the Tauride Palace and diligently recorded his impressions, some of which he also shared in letters to his contemporaries. Later, he systematized what he had remembered and turned it into a cohesive narrative published below. His reflections on the revolution’s key moments offer a unique perspective of a well-informed insider who at the same time remains detached from party politics and allegiances. It is from inside the Tauride Palace, from its offices and hallways that the author witnessed the meteoric rise (and soon, the precipitous downfall) of the propertied but nevertheless revolutionary Fourth Duma, as well as the breakdown of the old political and social order. His testimony augments some of the established views on the attitudes and behavior of contemporaries caught up in the revolutionary whirlwind. Of special interest is the author’s testimony about his fellow Duma Chancellery staffers who — unlike insurgents and Duma politicians who flocked into the revolutionary headquarters in the wake of the unprecedented popular uprising that engulfed the capital city — came to the Tauride Palace on 27 February to fulfill their bureaucratic duty, that is to ensure orderly functioning of the Duma apparatus. The text below is supplemented by textual and contextual annotations incorporating the most up-to-date scholarship.
The Origins of Conservative Ideology in Russia
Authors:   St Petersburg Institute of History, Russian Academy of Sciences, Andreeva Tatiana V.
Published: January 2023

The review is devoted to the analysis of the book “Romantics, Reformers, Reactionaries. Russian Conservative Thought and Politics in the Reign of Alexander I” by the famous American historian Alexander Martin dedicated to the history of Russian conservatism in the first quarter of the 19th century. The author explores the process of formation of conservative ideology in politics, Russian social thought, culture, and also reveals its origins, defines features that are distinctive from the liberal doctrine. Against the broad background of the political and cultural life of Russia at that time, the complex relationship of various systems of conservative ideology is shown. It is demonstrated that the religious conservatism of such prominent defenders of Catholicism and Orthodoxy as Mestre and Sturdza, the clash of their opposite positions, disputes about the historical fate and civilizational purpose of Christianity, as well as the romantic nationalism of A. S. Shishkov and S. N. Glinka and the noble conservatism of N. M. Karamzin and F. V. Rostopchin reflected the search for new forms of anti-revolutionary conservative worldview. The position of Alexander Martin is especially noteworthy in relation to the significant contribution of conservative thinkers of Alexander's reign to the formation of state policy in the interests of Russia, the formation of the foundations of civil society, the development of national identity, Russian culture and language. The author comes to a reasonable conceptual conclusion that although the early conservatives did not develop a single ideology, they laid the foundation for various forms of Russian conservatism in the second quarter of the 19th – early 20th centuries.
Was the Orthodox Church in the Rearguard of the February Revolution
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Mironov Boris N.
Published: January 2023

The article evaluates the second edition of M. A. Babkin's monograph “The Priesthood and the Kingdom” in the context of numerous reviews of the first edition. Most historians think that the Russian Orthodox Church was an uncomplaining tool in the hands of the state during the synodal period. According to Babkin, the leadership of the Orthodox Church was dissatisfied with its position, was burdened by state control and sought to gain self-government. By supporting the Provisional Government, the hierarchs hoped to gain new prerogatives, but they miscalculated. The first edition of monograph caused heated debate. Many reviewers recognized the conclusions of the author; some objected to certain provisions, the adequacy of sources and methodology. According to B. N. Mironov, many of Babkin’s findings are well-reasoned, but he doubts the assessment of the degree of democracy of the hierarchs and the clergy in general and their ability to influence the course of events. In 1985, Gregory Freeze challenged the point of view about the Russian Orthodox Church as a servant of the state. In his opinion, after the reforms of Peter the Great and until 1917, the Church retained the status of an institution parallel to the state apparatus and firmly defended its prerogatives, remaining a force to be reckoned with by the authorities. By 1917, the alliance between the throne and the altar had disintegrated, and the Orthodox Church had become a prominent factor in the revolution. In fact, Babkin, using other sources and a theological approach, reasonably supported and developed Freeze’s opinion, which would be correctly called the concept of Freeze-Babkin.
The competitive advantage in the age of digitalization
Authors:   Graduate School of Business, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vikhansky Oleg S. , Katalevsky Dmitriy Yu. ,   Graduate School of Business, Lomonosov Moscow State University
Published: January 2023

The nature of the competitive advantage concept is changing in the digital era. The relationship between the company and its customers emerges at the core of the company’s competitive advantage. This relationship is formed by digital technologies. The value proposition in digital industries is provided not by a single company but rather with the help of a network of cooperating companies. This transforms the nature of competition into the “cooperative competition” realized through ecosystems. Ecosystems emerge on the basis of cooperation network by partnering companies building joint value proposition to their customers. Ecosystems experience their own dynamics and require special management skills, often different from the skills required to manage a single company.
Target’s financial performance in corporate acquisitions: BRICS evidence
Authors:   ITMO University, Vayner Oleg V. , Rogova Elena M. ,   Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg State University
Published: January 2023

Corporate acquisition success can be influenced by many factors, e. g. financial performance of acquirer or target firm, market reaction, rumors, contract clauses etc., having either negative or positive effects. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of target’s financial performance in acquisition process and its influence on acquisition success. Research scope of the study is narrowed to BRICS companies, where lack of experience and intensively growing economies led to a growth in M&A deals number. The study uses the accounting-based approach that implies calculation of combined ROA change to measure acquisition performance and answer the posed research question. Based on 70 acquisition deals data collected from Bureau van Zephyr, Refinitiv Eikon and SPARK, the research relies on building logistic and OLS regressions in order to observe long-term effects of various parameters influencing acquisition success. The results of this study suggest that acquisitions affect combined financial performance of the companies negatively, on average, but they are more successful if the target company was making losses prior the deal than if the target had sufficient financial health. In addition, we revealed that cross-border and crossindustry factors positively influence the performance of the deals. The paper contributes to the literature as it focuses on both the fact of the acquisition success or failure and its numerical expression, therefore it helps to investigate the impact of variables on the result. In addition, it highlights the reasons why the acquirers in BRICS quite often make deals with loss-making targets.
Byzantium after Byzantium? Forum
Authors:   Institute of Russian Literature, Russian Academy of Sciences (Pushkin House), Bulanin Dmitriy Mikhailovich , Dmitriev Mikhail Vladimirovich ,   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Dzyarnovich Oleg Ivanovich ,   Institute of History, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Korenevsky Andrey Vitalyevich ,   Southern Federal University, Kostromin Konstantin Alexandrovich ,   St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Kushch Tatiana Viktorovna ,   Institute of World History, Russian Academy of Sciences, Martin Russell ,   Westminster College, Polyvyanny Dmitriy Igorevich ,   Ivanovo State University, Shukurov Rustam Mukhammadovich ,   Lomonosov Moscow State University
Published: January 2023

The Byzantine Empire has existed longer than all the empires that were on Earth — more than 1000 years. She created the «Byzantine Commonwealth» of countries (D. D. Obolensky’s term), stretching from the South Baltic to the Mediterranean and from the Adriatic Sea to the Caucasus Mountains. The Commonwealth countries had religious and cultural unity, a close political culture and a similar tragic fate. All of them fell victim to foreign conquest, from the Mongols to the Ottomans, and with great difficulty, centuries later, regained their sovereignty. With the death of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, its historical role did not stop. Byzantium remained a relevant historical actor for a long time, as an ideal and as a symbol, as a heritage and as a hope for the revival of its former greatness. It is not for nothing that the ideas of «lasting Rome», «New Constantinople», etc., were so popular. According to the Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga, the time of «Byzantium after Byzantium» has come, which continues to this day. In the article, historians, specialists in the history of Byzantium, consider the following questions: 1) What is «Byzantium after Byzantium»? Is it an symbolic image, is it a historical memory of a bygone empire, is it a political, spiritual, cultural ideal? Or is it a fictitious concept, Byzantium died in 1453? 2) How long did «Byzantium after Byzantium» exist? What is the chronological depth of Byzantine influence in the Balkans, in Eastern Europe? 3) There is a point of view about the «unfavorable heritage» of Byzantium — all countries belonging to the «Byzantine Commonwealth» have a difficult historical fate. Is this a fatal coincidence, or the negative influence of the «Byzantine heritage»? 4) Did Byzantium have a successor (cultural, political, spiritual)? To what extent can they consider Russia, the Balkan states?
The «Fatherland» of the Serbian Kings Milutin and Dečanski or Some Additional Thoughts on the «Medieval Serbian Oecumene»
Authors:   Institute for Medieval Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Popović Mihailo St. , Zervan Vratislav ,   Institute for Medieval Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences
Published: January 2023

Mihailo St. Popović, in his part of the Study, follows up on the premise that an own local concept of ecumene was emerging during the reigns of Stefan Uroš II Milutin and Stefan Uroš III Dečanski. In his analysis, he relies on Serbian medieval charters and inscription. Following the analysis of the charter of Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin for the Ulijare settlement, he recognizes the clear antithesis between the fatherland and the Serbian Land of the Serbian King on one hand, and Great Romania and the Greek Empire of the Byzantine Emperor, on the other. According to him, the narrative part of the manuscript clearly proves that it is not possible to notice the concept of universality in Milutin’s politics. Inspired by the research of Paul Nick Kardulias, he considers the Kingdom of Serbia as a self-contained space. With an emphasis on the examination of the charters and inscriptions, he states that during the reign of Milutin, such a space was probably created. From the World System Analysis perspective, charters and inscriptions from the reign of Stefan Uroš III Dečanski paint a slightly different picture. They probably illustrate the transition from selfcontained space to the great realm. In his part of the study, Vratislav Zevran focused mainly on the semantic level of the use of Slavic pendants of the Greek word οἰκουμένη and expressions otьčьstvije and otьčьstvo. The most common equivalent of the word οἰκουμένη was the loan translation vъseljenaja. By analyzing the use of the adjective derivative vьseljenьskyi in connection with the Byzantine common titles, he finds that the idea of universality prevailed only in the titles of general councils, and the only Byzantine Emperor thusly named was Andronikos II. Although he does not recognize the use of the adjective derivative vьseljenьskyi anywhere near the Serbian monarch, he believes that based on several examples, Serbian panegyric probably promoted the idea of a Serbian ruler who was also vьseljenьskyi. The key concept of a fatherland still lacks a comprehensive analysis of sources. Two forms otьčьstvije and otьčьstvo have settled in Church Slavonic. Over time, the ambivalence of both forms merged into a concept that implied the meaning of «family», «genus» and/or «generation». At the same time, they were joined by the attributes «royal» or «rulers», which indeed emerged on the basis of the word otьcь and worked with the meaning of the authority and power of the father. This concept then also appears in the hagiographic work of Danilo and his disciple.
Importance of Dynastic and Political Ties for Cross–cultural Connections of Nemanide Serbia with the Mediterranean World and Central Europe around the First Fall of Constantinople, and its Reflections on Visual Culture of Nemanide Serbia
Authors:   Art Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Piperski Nikola
Published: January 2023

The aim of this text is to draw attention to importance of dynastic ties of the members of Serbian Nemanide dynasty with the Byzantine, Venetian and Hungarian ruling dynasties to cross-cultural connection between medieval Serbia and The Balkans with Mediterranean and Central Europe, and its reflection on visual culture. Special attention will be focused on the period around the first fall of Constantinople, which directly affected on political and dynastic relations of the Nemanide with the ruling and noble families of Byzantium, Hungary and Venice. A unique phenomenon in the visual culture of the Balkans of the period is Stephen Nemanja’s major foundation in Serbia ― Studenica monastery, with its katholikon church dedicated to the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin. This landmark monument of Nemanide Serbia founded, built and decorated with frescoes in the years immediately before and after the first fall of Constantinople is possibly the best example of how the political and dynastic connections of the time reflected on visual culture. It is only the initial step of broader study intended to reassess the visual culture of Nemanide Serbia and The Balkans in view of the concept of premodern globalization characterized by and resulting from a transfer of knowledge, technological change and homogenization of spatial and technological particularities, by the concept of common culture and particular individual and collective identities. Importance of dynastic ties in cross-cultural interaction of medieval Serbia, with Mediterranean world and Central Europe opens a new perspective on the general nature of visual culture of this period. It appears that from this perspective we could better perceive the power and creative life of imagery and visual culture in general in this period as an essential element of an awareness of living in the present and looking towards a future.
Confessio vs natio. Byzantine theological tradition as hindrance in formation of ethnic and national identity discourses in medieval Rus’
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Dmitriev Mikhail Vladimirovich
Published: January 2023

This article attempts to verify some aspects of the research hypothesis which implies that normative orientations of the Byzanine orthodox theological thought (in ideologies, mentalities, discourses) contained traditions and constructions that were in odds with tendency to see communities of ethnic type in people whom we used to qualify as Russians and Ruthenians. In the East European Orthodox medieval Christian identity of groups included in the Church was thought of as a hindrance in forming discourses, which would claim that the Church community could be fragmented into ethnic and «national» groups (nationes). Old Russian texts, and texts of Muscovy, as well as writings of some Orthodox authors in Ruthenia (Ukraine and Belarus’) of the early 17th century have been taken in account. In these sources, very often, theological discourses were entering in conflict with tendency to transfer norms of ethnic (tribal) identity on the Christian communities. This generated a situation when «Russianness» was not perceived in ethnic terms, and in this respect relationships between Christian and «ethnic» were understood in a very different way, than in the theological culture of medieval West. Search for an explanation leads to the area of the Byzantine theological tradition, in which Christian and ethnic identities were regarded as two conflicting discourses. The Orthodox identity of emperor’s subjects was understood as «effacing» traces of tribal (ethnic) belonging. For subjects of Christian history (id est history of those, who got baptized) were regarded not the multiple nationes, but «new people» who became a united «nation of God». In medieval Rus, this discursive ligic was expressed by «Tale of the bygone years»; the same discursive «scenario» seems to be implemented in other texts of Russian Middle Ages, and this lead to Orthodox culture of Muscovy, which repelled the ethnic definition of «Russianness». It is very likely, that the same tendency was alive — disappearing and reappearing — in the worldview of literati and broader circles of the Orthodox population of Ruthenian lands.
The image of Byzantium in the narratives of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (15th – first half of the 17th century)
Authors:   National Institute for Higher Education, Vаrаbyou Pavel Anatolievich
Published: January 2023

The article is devoted to the perception of the heritage of Byzantium in the socio-political thought of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the period from 1453 to the middle of the 17th century. Already in the second half of the 17th century, the Left-Bank Ukraine left the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Metropolitanate of Kyiv withdrew from the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The process of influence of the Byzantine civilization on the East Slavic culture after the fall of the Byzantine Empire is investigated. According to the findings, in the process of discussing the Union of Brest in the written tradition of the GDL and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Orthodox, Uniate, Catholic and Reformation narratives developed, in which the image of Byzantium had different shades: from positive to extremely negative, respectively. However, these narratives, which well complement the rather meager information about Byzantium in local letopis sources, are similar in one thing: they tend to see in it not the imperial past, but the current church heritage of the Greek people, which had a significant impact on the historical fate of the lands of Rus’. For the Polish-Lithuanian szlachta as an estate, the heritage of Byzantium was not a source of their own identity. Attempts to update the political idea of the liberation of Constantinople from the rule of the Turks came from the environment of the Greek diaspora of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, such projects were not approved here and were cut off from life. And even a major Orthodox magnate, Prince Wasyl-Konstanty Ostrogski, did not support, albeit difficult to implement, but a more realistic project to transfer the residence of the Patriarch of Constantinople to the city of Ostrog. He also did not claim political succession from the Byzantine emperors, but did not interfere with the idea of his spiritual succession. The article pays more attention to the writings of Orthodox polemicists, because the heritage of Byzantium is very important and deserves special attention.
«Orthodox Greek Emperors have had this many times»: Byzantine Example in legislative acts, panegyric and historical-political writings in Russia, late 17th – first quarter of the 18th century
Authors:   Ural Federal University, Sokolov Sergei Vasilievich
Published: January 2023

The article examines the use of examples from Byzantine history to explain current and historical events in Russia at the end of the 17th – first quarter of the 18th century. The usage of historical examples to clarify the meaning of events is one of the most common explanatory strategies. The source base of the research is mainly composed of panegyric literature, legislative acts, preparatory legislative documents, works of a historical and political nature. The history of Byzantium was well known in Russia at the end of the 17th century, however, the frequency of examples from Byzantine history was much inferior to the biblical and ancient ones. The article shows that in the studied chronological period, Byzantium was known to Russian authors mainly under the name «Greek Tsardom», the history of which dates back to the era of Emperor Constantine the Great. The name of this emperor and other emperors of early Byzantium (late Rome) were often mentioned as an example in the texts of the late 17th – first quarter of the 18th century. The article analyzes the use of facts from Byzantine history to clarify legislative acts, build historical analogies for Russian tsars, primarily Peter I. The role of the Byzantine example in the situation of Peter’s acceptance of the imperial title is also shown, as well as the application of the fall of Byzantium as political notation.