English-Language Historiography of Russian History from Peter the Great to the Great Reforms

2026/2027

Учебный год

ENG

Обучение ведется на английском языке

3

Кредиты

Кто читает:

Школа исторических наук

Статус:

Дисциплина общефакультетского пула

Когда читается:

4 модуль

Преподаватели

Аксенова Мария Дмитриевна

Новикова Арина Дмитриевна

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course explores the evolution of Western scholarship on Russian history from Peter the Great till the beginning of Great Reforms under Alexander the 2nd. The course is organized chronologically and thematically and focuses on key historiographical schools, trends, and debates associated with each ruler. It investigates the source bases and methodologies used by different historians. Lectures cover mainstream interpretations and major debates within the field. Seminars are dedicated to in-depth discussion of more specialized topics and readings, and to developing practical skills in locating, evaluating, and critically engaging with international research. Course assessment is based on active seminar participation, a written review of a recent academic monograph and peer-review component, where students will critically evaluate each other's book reviews.

Learning Objectives

• to develop a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of English-language historiography on Russian history from the Petrine era to the Great Reforms (1700–1860s) within the context of the underlying patterns of historical process and and the value systems of both world and Russian cultures
• to develop skills in the critical analysis of primary and secondary sources, encompassing both special and interdisciplinary domains, academic and public (including digital) communication, and the capacity to design an individual trajectory for continuous scholarly development

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Identifies the stages of development of English-language historiography of Russia (1700-1860s) and key research institutions
• Classifies source types and identifies the limitations of their interpretation within the English-language historiography of the imperial period
• Explains methodological shifts in English language Russian studies and historiographical interpretations, providing a rationale for the selection of analytical frameworks
• Utilizes academic databases and library catalogs to locate and verify English-language publications on the history of Russia
• Composes a critical review of a scholarly monograph, assessing the author's argumentation, evidentiary basis, and methodology

Course Contents

• Russia in the Early Modern World and Petrine ‘Revolution’
• The Succession Crisis and Elite Politics After Peter the Great
• Enlightened Autocracy and the Political Role of the Elites in Russian Empire at the Age of Catherine the Great
• Alexander I and Russia at the Age of European Upheaval
• Russian Empire of Nicolas I: Official Nationality, Autocracy, and the ‘Quiet Revolution’ of the 1830s
• Law and the State in the Era of the Great Reforms
• English-Language Historiography of Russia in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries: Theory and Methodology of Historiographical Analysis.

Assessment Elements

• Seminars activity
• Book review
• Peer review
• Oral exam

Interim Assessment

• 2026/2027 4th module
  0.4 * Oral exam + 0.1 * Peer review + 0.25 * Book review + 0.25 * Seminars activity

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• "История России с древнейших времен" Том 1-8 - AC-2022-0002 - Сергей Михайлович Соловьев - 0 - МХК: Русская классическая литература - https://ibooks.ru/products/347711 - 347711 - iBOOKS
• Лавренов, С. Я.  История России до ХХ века : учебник и практикум для вузов / С. Я. Лавренов, М. Н. Зуев. — 6-е изд., испр. и доп. — Москва : Издательство Юрайт, 2026. — 298 с. — (Высшее образование). — ISBN 978-5-534-21831-2. — Текст : электронный // Образовательная платформа Юрайт [сайт]. — URL: https://urait.ru/bcode/582251 (дата обращения: 02.07.2026).

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Анна Иоанновна. От герцогини к императрице - Анисимов Е. В. - Издательство «Академический Проект» - 978-5-8291-2101-3 - 2017 - русский - https://e.lanbook.com/book/132162 - ЛАНЬ - 132162
• Бордэриу К. - Платье императрицы. Екатерина II и европейский костюм в Российской империи - 978-5-4448-0595-4 - Новое литературное обозрение - 2016 - https://znanium.ru/catalog/document?id=315656 - 315656 - ZNANIUM
• Елизавета Петровна. Афродита у власти - Анисимов Е. В. - Издательство «Академический Проект» - 978-5-8291-1868-6 - 2017 - русский - https://e.lanbook.com/book/132163 - ЛАНЬ - 132163
• Император Александр II - Арсеньев К.К. - Издательство "Лань" (мировое наследие) - 978-5-507-39544-6 - 2014 - русский - https://e.lanbook.com/book/50298 - ЛАНЬ - 50298
• Император Николай I и иностранные дворы. Исторические очерки. - Татищев С.С. - Издательство "Лань" (мировое наследие) - 978-5-507-12840-2 - 2013 - русский - https://e.lanbook.com/book/13822 - ЛАНЬ - 13822
• Лобов В.Н. - Александр I и его военно-политическая деятельность - 978-5-98704-683-8 - Логос - 2020 - https://znanium.ru/catalog/document?id=367692 - 367692 - ZNANIUM
• Николай I. Время застоя или стабильности? - Кирсанов Р. С. - Пензенский государственный аграрный университет - 978-5-00196-195-6 - 2023 - русский - https://e.lanbook.com/book/412136 - ЛАНЬ - 412136
• Петр Великий: личность и реформы, Анисимов, Е. В., 2009

Authors

• AKSENOVA MARIIA DMITRIEVNA
• NOVIKOVA ARINA DMITRIEVNA