Editor-in-Chief: Marina N. Moseykina, Doctor of Science (History), Professor ISSN: 2312-8674 (Print) ISSN: 2312-8690 (Online) Founded in 2002. Publication frequency: quarterly PUBLISHER: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University) Open Access: . APC: no article processing charge Peer-Review: double blind. Publication language: Russian, English Indexation: White List RCSI, Web of Science Core Collection's Emerging Sources Citation Index, Scopus, Russian Index of Science Citation, ANVUR, Google Scholar, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory, DOAJ, Dimensions
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University)
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Publishing Agreement (Public Offer) to Publish an Article in an Academic Periodical 'RUDN Journal of Russian History' The Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education "Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba” (RUDN University), represented by the Vice-Rector for Scientific Work Andrey Aleksandrovich Kostin, acting under a Power of Attorney No 0036-09/25-122 dated 21.05.2025, hereinafter referred to as the Publisher, on the one hand, hereby offers to the public at large, hereinafter referred to as the Author, on the other hand, hereinafter collectively referred to as the Parties, to enter into this agreement, hereinafter referred to as the Agreement, regarding publication of scholarly materials, hereinafter referred to as the Article, in the Journal named 'RUDN Journal of Russian History', hereinafter referred to as the Journal, under the following terms. 1. General Terms and Conditions 1.1. 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The processing of personal data shall be understood to mean any handing (operations) with personal data, including collection, systematization, accumulation, storage, refinement (update, alteration), use, distribution (including transfer to third parties), depersonalization, blocking and deletion of personal data in accordance with the effective Russian Federation legislation. 10.5. Where permitted by the Russian Federation legislation, the Author is entitled to withdraw his/her consent to processing of personal data as listed in Clause 10.3 by forwarding a respective notice to the Publisher. Upon receipt of such notice, the Publisher has a right to suspend services. 10.6. The Author will, on a goodwill basis, submit his/her details (and details of each Co-Author subject to their prior consent) to the Journal's Editorial Office consisting of his/her: last name, first name, patronymic, academic rank, academic degree, job title, employer details (name and mailing address), work phone number and e-mail address for the purpose of its general publication in the Journal along with the Article. 11. Registered Address and Particulars of the Publisher Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education "Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba” (RUDN University) Address: 6 Mikluho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation TIN 7728073720, CRR 772801001, PSRN 1027739189323. Vice Rector for Scientific Work A.A. Kostin
Soviet Physical Culture Parades and the Image of the “Ideal Athlete” in 1920-1930s
The author in their article examines the role of physical culture festivals and parades in the USSR in the 1920-1930s as an instrument of forming a “new man” and a new socialist society. The article is based on archival materials, including previously unpublished sources - scenarios and plans for musical arrangements, descriptions of parades stored in the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art in the personal collections of: Yu. K. Olesha (F. 358), V. E. Meyerhold (F. 998), S. S. Prokofiev (F. 1929), I. V. Zhilkin (F. 200), as well as in the editorial fund of the “Narodnoye Tvorchestvo” (“Folk Art”) magazine (F. 673). There are also involved materials from Soviet periodicals - the magazines “Ogonyok” (“Spark”), “Izvestia fizicheskoi kulturi” (“Physical Culture News”), and other publications. The article shows that mass sporting events, including physical culture and parades on national holidays, were transformed into ideological performances that combined sport, art, and politics. Through synchronous movements, paramilitary elements, and the promotion of a healthy body, the state constructed the image of an ideal athlete: strong, disciplined, devoted to socialist ideals and values, and ready to defend the motherland. Particular attention is paid to the preparation and holding of large-scale parades on Red Square, where thousands of participants demonstrated national unity and achievements of Soviet sport and Soviet system as a whole. The author analyzes the ideological objectives and social functions of these events: from fostering collectivism and inculcating the idea of the unity of labor and sport to preparing the country’s defense. The author also examines visual images of Soviet athletes created by the leading Soviet artists and filmmakers as the most convincing means of propaganda. They come to the conclusion about the importance of physical culture and sports in the social construction of the new Soviet society, and note the significant influence of: paintings, monumental and landscape art, sculptures, posters, and films on the popularization of Soviet sports in the USSR in the 1920-1930s.
Copyright (c) 2026 Barysheva E.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Soviet Physical Culture Movement in Rural Areas in 1924-1928: Theoretical Principles and Implementation Practice
The authors examine the development of physical culture and sports in Soviet villages in the 1920s. These practices are important instruments of the cultural revolution, asthey were supposed to discipline and improve the health of peasants so that they could work as effectively as possible for the benefit of society. It was peasants themselves that made up most of the population, so the goal of “reforging” rural people was paramount; without it, the task of building socialism in the country would be impossible. To explore this topic, the author used regulatory, administrative, and statistical materials, stored in the State Archive of the Russian Federation, in the fund of the USSR Committee for Physical Culture and Sports (F. R 7576), and in the fund of the Central Committee of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (F. M 1) of the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History, as well as various periodicals. It is shown that the rural population was highly distrustful of any innovations, including in physical culture. The analysis of sources reveals that the promotion of physical culture in rural areas began as part of the “Facing Village” policy of 1925-1926, with the primary goal being to “improve” physical and ideological health of rural people. The Komsomol shouldered the brunt of the practical work, employing a flexible approach that sought to motivate rather than coerce. The author reveals that the highest percentage of physical culture enthusiasts was in the central region part of Russia, whereas the lowest percentage was in the national republics and regions. The author concludes that, due to financial problems and lack of coordinated policy of all the agencies involved, progress in promoting physical culture in the rural areas by the end of the period was relatively insignificant; the number of physical culture clubs grew slowly, and they were often created spontaneously and lacked state oversight. In addition, there were few women involved, and the primary focus was on football rather than general physical training.
Copyright (c) 2026 Khorosheva A.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Influence of High-performance Sports on the Formation of Armenian Citizens’ National Identity in the Second Half of the 20th Century
The authors examine a little-studied scientific problem: the connection between the collective image of the future and sporting identity, which is based on the achievements of talented Armenian athletes such as Tigran Petrosyan (chess), Yuri Vardanyan (weightlifting), and Eduard Azaryan (gymnastics). It is shown that their successes, as well as those of the Ararat football club enhanced the Armenians’ national pride. The authors conclude that in the late 1980s, sport became a communicative mechanism for expressing national sentiment. In the context of Soviet reality, the achievements of Armenian athletes aroused a sense of pride among citizens and contributed to the increasing of national self-awareness, shaping a positive image of Armenia both within the USSR and internationally. The success stories of outstanding Armenian athletes, their performances on the international stage and at world championships, have become part of the nation’s cultural heritage. In the second half of the 20th century, high-performance sports in the Armenian SSR, serving as a means of social consolidation and a symbol of national pride for the Armenian people, influenced social processes in the multinational USSR, fostering a sense of local identity.
Copyright (c) 2026 Margaryan E.H., Berberyan A.S. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Soviet Leaders and Ice Hockey during the Period of “Developed Socialism”
The author in their article determines the Soviet leaders’ role and degree of involvement in the fate of the popular game of ice hockey. The source base is the memoirs, periodical press materials, L.I. Brezhnev’s diary, as well as the documents from the Russian State Archive of Contemporary History (RGANI). It is evident from materials that L.I. Brezhnev, the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee was the number one fan of hockey in the Kremlin. The article reveals his personality as a hockey enthusiast. At the same time, on the basis of various sources, there is an examination of the degree of involvement of other Soviet leaders (in particular, A.N. Kosygin and Yu. V. Andropov) in making important decisions for hockey in the country and the USSR national team during the period under review. The author concludes that, despite the fact that L.I. Brezhnev was a fan of the CSKA Moscow team, K.U. Chernenko of Spartak, and Yu. V. Andropov oversaw Dynamo Moscow, the USSR national hockey team was the main point of interest for state leaders. The prestige of the national team was valued above club allegiances. The decision about holding matches with Canadian professionals in 1972 was taken by the CPSU Central Committee. A key role in this was played by L.I. Brezhnev and A.N. Kosygin. It was the national team’s interests that prompted the Kremlin’s decision in 1977 to appoint V.V. Tikhonov as head coach of the CSKA Moscow team and the USSR national team.
Copyright (c) 2026 Rudnik S.N. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
History of Changes in Staffing Table of the Courts of Conscience in the Russian Empire in 1848
The author examines the activities of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Empire in 1848 (including the opinions of the Minister of Justice, Count V.N. Panin) regarding changes to the staffing schedule of courts of conscience. The introduction of previously unpublished materials from the collections of the Russian State Historical Archive has made it possible to uncover the reasons (official and unofficial) and mechanisms behind the changes to the staffing schedule of courts of conscience. The study concluded that judges of conscience were the most financially vulnerable servants of Themis in the pre-reform period, despite being located at the provincial level in the Russian justice system. Among the innovations in the temporary staffing schedule of courts of conscience in 1848, a significant one was the proposal by the Minister of Justice, V.N. Panin, to completely abolish state salaries for judges of conscience. This was officially explained by the fact that these positions were primarily filled by wealthy noblemen with financial security. In fact, the state salary played a significant role for conscientious judges, which is why they feared its abolition. The real reason for the complete abolition of the salary of judges of the courts of conscience was the preparation for their gradual closure and abolition. The courts of conscience were established in 1775, and by the very essence of their activities, contradicted the bureaucratic system of the era of Nicholas I as legal positivism was increasingly expanding its influence on domestic legal proceedings.
Copyright (c) 2026 Podlesnykh S.N. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Propaganda and Foreign policy Activities of the Soviet Information Bureau in China during the Great Patriotic War
The authors examine the role of Soviet foreign policy propaganda in China during the Great Patriotic War. They present the main projects that were being carried out by the Soviet Union abroad in China on the eve of and during the war. Their focus is on the activities of the Soviet Information Bureau and the Soviet anti-fascist committees under its direction. Based on an analysis of documents from the State Archives of the Russian Federation and the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History, the main forms and directions of the Soviet Information Bureau’s propaganda activities in China are identified. These include the exchange of information materials with the Chinese press, the publication of newsletters by the Press Bureau of the USSR Embassy in Chongqing, and the organization of radio broadcasts to a broader Chinese audience. The authors conclude that foreign policy propaganda during the Great Patriotic War was of great strategic importance for countering the enemy in the information space and shaping a positive image of the USSR in China during its battle against fascism. The Soviet Information Bureau played a key role in this. Its activities in the Chinese direction, despite certain difficulties (territorial remoteness, the military-political situation in China, poor communication, the language barrier, competition with foreign news agencies, etc.), were carried out in accordance with the country’s objectives and represented an important instrument of international diplomacy for the Soviet leadership during the war.
Copyright (c) 2026 Pryamitsyn V.N., Moseykina M.N., Kryazheva-Kartseva E.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Soviet defectors in Western Germany at the end of the 1940s and the beginning of the 1950s and Mensheviks-emigres
The article is devoted to the phenomenon of defectors from the Soviet Union in the first years after the end of the Great Patriotic War. The author focuses on the attitude of the old Russian Social Democrats, who were in exile in the United States, toward the defectors. The article draws on documents from the Hoover Institution’s War, Revolution, and Peace Archives (Stanford, USA), the Bakhmetev Archives of Russian and East European Culture at Columbia University (New York, USA), the Archives of the Center for East European Studies at the University of Bremen (Germany), and others. The author shows that a group of Soviet defectors who were in Displaced Persons camps in Germany came into contact with representatives of the Menshevik émigré center in the late 1940s. On the basis of this group, the German Department of the League of Struggle for People’s Freedom was created, which claimed to act as a key Russian émigré organization with a democratic orientation. The article shows that the defectors received funding from the USA, various foundations and non-governmental organizations through the mediation of the old Mensheviks. The result of this action was the exposure of the leader of the group of defectors Major Vasily Denisov as an agent of the Soviet secret services. The article proves that this case was not an isolated phenomenon: a number of defectors broke with anti-communist émigré organizations and decided to return to the Soviet Union. The author comes to the conclusion that the reason for this was the disappointment of many defectors in the values of Western democracy, their critical attitude to the spiritual atmosphere within Western societies and the political elite of the USA.
Copyright (c) 2026 Antoshin A.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Orphanage in Skobelev: the Care of the Russian Empire for the Children of Russian Immigrants in the Turkestan General Government at the early 20th Century
The author examines the history of the formation and activities of a children’s orphanage in Skobelev, Fergana Region, and analyzes the problems that arise in the work of the Fergana Board of Trustees for Children’s Orphanages. The purpose of the article is to study the implementation of Russia’s imperial policy on the issue of orphans in the territory of the Turkestan Governorate-General, which was part of the imperial authorities’ efforts to modernize the national frontier. The source base is based on administrative materials extracted from the Russian State Historical Archive. The author describes the conditions under which a children’s orphanage was established in the Fergana region, which was one of the last such institutions in the Turkestan Governorate-General. In addition, the author reveals the activities of the Board of Trustees of Children’s Homes, founded by the wife of Alexander II to manage such institutions, and then established in the Fergana Regio in particular to oversee the activities of the orphanage and maintain contact with the Department of Institutions of the Empress Maria. The author concludes that the organization of the orphanage’s activities was no different from similar institutions in the central regions of the Russian Empire, which can serve as evidence of the Russian administration’s desire to elevate the national frontier its own level. As the study shows, the existence of such institutions in the Turkestan Governorate-General is a testament to the Russian administration’s concern for its subjects who found themselves in challenging circumstances in a foreign land.
Copyright (c) 2026 Brezhneva S.N. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
USSR Policy on Communist Education and Promotion of Women of the East to Leadership Positions: Exemplified by the Uzbek SSR
The author analyzes the reforms implemented by the Communist Party of the Uzbek SSR through its propaganda and political education departments to increase women’s socio-political activity. They consider the process of training female cadres for leadership positions. The author also examines: the easing of conditions for women’s admission to the party, the opening of special cultural centers and propaganda schools for them, the introduction of communist ideology into families through women, the use of cinema for propaganda purposes among women, and their inclusion in the nomenklatura list. From the first days of the Soviet state, mass events were held to widely involve Uzbek women in: socio-political life, communist ideology, atheistic education, and the promotion of the new culture. At various meetings, congresses, plenary sessions, and sessions of party cells held by party leaders at all levels, in addition to efforts to involve women in party life, there was an effort to eradicate illiteracy. The younger generation was also inspired by Soviet ideology. By inculcating the “attractive” Soviet ideology, party representatives aimed to cultivate the younger generation, including women, as loyal citizens of the Soviet state. To this end, party officials sought to involve women more widely in community service, political readings, and production. Clubs, kindergartens, “red corners” and their branches were established, which offered tailoring training and medical care to children and mothers, as well as consultation centers, cooking houses, laundries, etc. Books and magazines published for women, films, and theatrical productions also played a significant role in promoting women. The author concludes this effort was actively carried out through communist propaganda, as well as the processes such as the introduction of new holidays and rituals, numerous lectures on political and ideological issues for women, and their broad involvement in the active life of the country and the activities of the Communist Party of the Uzbek SSR, especially during the Great Patriotic War.
Copyright (c) 2026 Rasulova N.S. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Russia as Civilization-State: New Methodological Projections in Representing the Course in Russian History
The author substantiates the necessity of transitioning from the evolutionist-modernization paradigm to the civilizational approach in representing the course in Russian history, while correlating this shift with the state and societal demand for strengthening sovereignty and a unified identity. The methodological framework of the study is revealed through the comparison of the core content of the current course in history with the fundamental principles of civilizational theory and their logical projections onto Russian historical material. The author traces the formation of the civilizational discourse in contemporary Russia at the state level and its reflection in educational processes. The author also proposes a set of methodological recommendations related to the transition to examining Russian history through the prism of characterizing Russia as a civilization-state. Recommendations are provided for introducing corresponding adjustments in: the representation of state genesis, the identification of the driving forces of Russian history, historical periodization, assessment of reforms, the determination of the nature of social crises, explanation of external conflicts, and the role of ideology and identity systems. The practical result of the research lies in outlining guidelines for updating school and university courses in Russian history within the unified framework of a civilizational approach.
Copyright (c) 2026 Bagdasaryan V.E. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Pskov Chronicles on the History of Russian-Horde Relations
The author examines the Pskov Chronicle collections, written in the 15th century, towards the end of and after the end of the yoke of the Golden Horde. These chronicles represent not only a separate layer of information on the history of the Golden Horde and Russian-Horde relations, but also a unique perspective and evaluative characteristics of the period and its events. The author presents the viewpoint of intellectuals assessing events in the territory not subject to the Mongol-Tatar invasion. It is shown that the understanding of the history of Russian-Horde relations and the events associated with them took place in Pskov in the context of relative political independence, at least from the Golden Horde authorities and their steppe political doctrine. The author concludes that the history of the Golden Horde and Russian-Horde relations in the Chronical is presented with reliable evidence, and that some of this evidence is unique and that it requires further research. Moreover, when taking into account other data, the information of the Pskov Chronicles provides important additional information on the history of the Golden Horde and Russian-Horde relations. Of specific importance is the layer of evaluative, historiosophical, and religious information revealed it through systematizing evidence about the Horde and Russian-Horde relations. The sources differ in their geographical origin and reflect the sequence of events based on the availability of information about the events that inspire them.
Copyright (c) 2026 Seleznev Y.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Role of Stanislav Zholkiewski in the Time of Troubles: Based on an Unknown Letter from the Hetman in the Collection of N.P. Likhachev
The article reveals the role of the Polish Crown Hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski in the election of Prince Vladislav to the Moscow throne, the conclusion of the Treaty of August 17 (27), 1610, and the administration of the Moscow state during his stay in the Kremlin in the autumn of 1610. The article analyzes both published sources (memoirs and letters by Stanisław Żółkiewski and contemporaries of the Russo-Polish War of 1609-1618), as well as an unpublished letter from the hetman to Polish King Sigismund III dated October 8, 1610, during his stay in the Kremlin. This letter was discovered in the archives of the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in the Rossika collection assembled by Academician Nikolai Likhachev, and has been translated into Russian. The combination of all the collected sources allows us to conclude that Hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski concluded an agreement with the Moscow boyars to elect Władysław exclusively on Moscow terms. The entry of Polish troops into Moscow was carefully coordinated with members of the Boyar Duma, and Żółkiewski himself did not play any role in the government.
Copyright (c) 2026 Eilbart N.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Navy Lieutenant Ya. K. Tumanov’s Diaries of 1912 in the Context of his Autobiographical and Literary Heritage
The article is devoted to two volumes of diaries of Russian Navy officer Yazon Konstantinovich Tumanov (1883-1955) from the collection of the department of manuscripts of the National Library of Russia, which have not been introduced into scientific use. They cover the events of 1912, when Lieutenant Tumanov, as an inspector, was on board the gunboat Khivinets in the Mediterranean Sea. The diaries describe the realities of naval service and everyday life of the Navy on the eve of World War I: relations between officers, relations with lower ranks, daily service and entertainment, social life “on land,” as well as foreign policy and diplomatic events of the First Balkan War (1912-1913). Prince Ya.K. Tumanov, who emigrated to Latin America after the 1917 revolution, dedicated a number of literary works to these events, but it is the diaries that make it now possible to reconstruct the circumstances and names of the characters with accuracy. The discovered artifact is of particular significance as it is the only surviving diary of an officer who was on service in the Mediterranean Sea in the 1910s. The authors conclude that the value of Ya.K. Tumanov’s diaries lies in the fact that they contain informal information about Russian Navy officers and are an important source for the history of the Russian Navy and everyday life of officers on the eve of World War I.
Copyright (c) 2026 Nazarenko K.B., Smirnova M.A. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Problems of Archive Volunteerism in Russia and Development Prospects
The author identifies the specifics of archive volunteerism in the Russian Federation. They reveal and explain including the existing problems in relations between archives and volunteers have been caused by both the lack of a regulatory framework for archive volunteerism and the specifics of the work of archive institutions; the article outlines possible ways to solve them. The author analyzes the current state of archive volunteerism in the Russian Federation based on the results of a survey of federal and state archives of the Russian Federation subjects, municipal archives, as well as the regulatory legal framework for this area of volunteerism. They give an analysis of the attitude of archives at three levels to the use of volunteer labor in the work of archival institutions. They identified the main areas of activity of archival institutions, which already involve volunteers, and the number of volunteers that archives need to work offline and then online using crowdsourcing IT platforms. The author explains why these particular areas of activity require the involvement of volunteers. There are considered reasons hindering the development of archive volunteerism and they outlined the ways to solve a number of identified problems and possible prospects for interaction between archives and volunteers. The author comes to the conclusion that the implementation of interrelated activities within the framework of a single concept for maintaining archive volunteerism will help bring this area of volunteerism to a level where it can provide real assistance to archives and become attractive to volunteers.
Copyright (c) 2026 Sabennikova I.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Book Review ofShkola i uchitelstvo Yuzhnogo Urala v 1941-1945 gg.[School and teaching staff of the Southern Urals in 1941-1991: monograph] by R.Z. Almayev. Ufa: Izdatelstvo BGPU Publ.; IP Kopyltsov P.I. Publ., 2024. 204 p.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mukhametov P.A. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0