No 4 (2025)
Articles
Two emperors – two eras. A view from Russia on the personality and politics of Napoleon Bonaparte and Napoleon III: a comparative analysis
Abstract
The subject of this study is the views of domestic conservative and liberal thinkers from the mid-19th to the second half of the 19th century on the personality and activities of Napoleon Bonaparte and Napoleon III. It is noted that there has always been a high level of interest in Russian society regarding events occurring in France. This interest was associated both with the ideological attitudes among the Russian nobility and with the contradictions that existed between Russia and France in the 19th century. This concerns the Patriotic War of 1812 and the anti-Napoleonic wars of the early century, as well as the Crimean Campaign of 1853-1856. These events had a significant impact on the perception of France in Russia, as well as on the assessments made in Russian society about French rulers. However, the authors emphasize a marked difference in the representations of domestic thinkers regarding Napoleon Bonaparte and Napoleon III, with a certain respect for the former and clear criticism and even disdain for the latter. The main methods of this research can be called comparative, allowing for a comparative analysis of opinions and assessments, and revealing the characteristic features in the perception of French leaders in Russian public opinion. It seems that this problem has not been studied before, i.e., no special research has been undertaken to compare the policies of French emperors in Russian public thought of the 19th century. In this regard, it seems quite interesting to conduct a comparative analysis of existing assessments, helping to understand the reason for the respectful attitude towards Napoleon Bonaparte in Russia and the almost complete oblivion or criticism of his nephew. Among the main conclusions reached by the authors, the following can be highlighted: in Russian society of the 19th century, there was a constant interest both in foreign policy aspects and in individual states. In particular, such interest was observed in relation to France, the embodiment and collective image of which were undoubtedly those rulers who were remembered for their bright reforms, military successes/failures, and, of course, their interactions with Russia.
Genesis: Historical Research. 2025;(4):1-11
1-11
Changes in the legal status of the Yenisei Cossacks in the 17th – early 20th centuries
Abstract
The author examines in detail the issues of changing the right position of the Yenisei Cossacks in the period from the beginning of the 17th century to the end of the first quarter of the 20th century. The object of the study is the Cossacks of the Yenisei region of Eastern Siberia (Yenisei Cossacks) in the XVII – early XX centuries. The subject of this study is the evolution of the right-wing status of the Yenisei Cossacks in the period from the appearance of the first Cossack detachments in the Yenisei Region (early 17th century) to the announcement at the First Congress of the Yenisei Cossacks of the Krasnoyarsk Cossack Division by the Yenisei Cossack Army (May 25, 1917). The principles of historical materialism and a systematic approach to the study of historical phenomena. The author used both general scientific research methods, as well as special historical (periodization, historical-genetic, historical-systemic and historical-comparative) and legal (comparative-historical) research methods. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that the historical stages of the change in the legal status of the Yenisei Cossacks in the pre-revolutionary period of national history are highlighted, common features and differences in the legal status of the Yenisei Cossacks are revealed in comparison with the Cossacks of the Siberian and Trans-Baikal Cossack troops, as well as with the Russian peasantry. The results obtained can be used to create a textbook on the discipline "History of the Cossacks of the Krasnoyarsk Territory". The author comes to the following conclusions: The Yenisei Cossacks, as a separate territorial estate group of the population, have been formed since the beginning of the 17th century exclusively as a service category of the population, supported by the state, possessing rights and privileges, bearing duties established by the state to solve the tasks of expanding Russia's territorial possessions in Siberia and the Far East, and maintaining control over the acquired territories. The Yenisei Cossacks have never experienced the stage of free Cossacks, as a group of the Cossack population of the European part of Russia. In the history of the Yenisei Cossacks, four periods were identified in which the legal status of the Yenisei Cossacks changed.
Genesis: Historical Research. 2025;(4):12-51
12-51
The history of scientific misconceptions in the USA and their socio-economic prerequisites according to the research of Naomi Oreskes
Abstract
The article examines the main works of the famous American historian of science Naomi Oreskes, highlighting examples of scientific misconceptions and their background in sources of funding, academic ambitions, and social values. Her works attract the attention of both a wide range of readers and specialists. For fans of the popular style, complex questions about the relationship between science and business in the United States, modern criteria of research activity, and the epistemological role of ecology in the system of scientific knowledge are presented. For specialists, a thorough archival work is obvious, and the novelty of covering events from a historical perspective is interesting. Describing examples of incompetent research and views, Oreskes uses the phrase scientific ignorance. Due to the lack of a direct semantic analogue in Russian, the concept of delusion replaces it in the article. The analysis and synthesis of the key theoretical provisions of Oreskes' works was carried out by identifying the role of epistemic standards that the author adhered to in characterizing questionable research practices. Historical-genetic and historical-systemic methods were used to study the relationship of misconceptions with commercial interests in the socio-historical context of the development of science in the United States. The productivity of the regulatory function of expert consensus, interdisciplinarity, value pluralism in the criticism of destructive doubts, outdated criteria, and fundamentalism in the scientific community is determined. The history of scientific misconceptions is an important aspect of the sociology of knowledge, presented in Oreskes' writings using a variety of empirical material. The historical approach made it possible to highlight both the social and epistemological consequences of distortions and falsifications in science that arose under the influence of the material motives of scientists or their sponsors and employers. The appeal to Oreskes' works is designed to actualize the sense of social responsibility among scientists, which, in her opinion, contributes to the perception of research norms adequate to the modern level of knowledge. The article may be useful for specialists in the history and philosophy of science, used in educational courses in these disciplines.
Genesis: Historical Research. 2025;(4):52-65
52-65
Research and development work on the creation of electromagnetic artillery in the USSR in the late 1920s–1930s
Abstract
The subject of study in this article is the scientific development of the problem of creating electric artillery in the USSR in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Proposals made earlier (the magnetofugal gun suggested by M.P. Kostenko, M.M. Podolsky, and N.S. Yapolsky) are analyzed, and the reasons for the interest in this type of military technology in the USSR are determined. The main stages of developing the theoretical foundations of electric artillery are considered, the leading scientific center – the Artillery Scientific Research Institute – is identified, and the main projects (magnetoelectric, electrosolenoid guns, and other types) are analyzed. The complexities and problems faced by Soviet engineers are indicated, along with possible solutions. An objective barrier to the creation of powerful electric guns was, first of all, the problems in the field of extremely high power currents and their generation, which Soviet science in the 1930s was unable to resolve. The following research methods were used in working on this material: historical-scientific analysis of specialized research literature, comparative-historical method, and processing of archival data (CAMO RF, CGA St. Petersburg, RGA Samara, etc.). New data regarding the development of the scientific school of weapon design in the 1930s is introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, pointing out the engineers leading the main projects. Based on newly identified archival materials and the study of reports on the research conducted at the Artillery Scientific Research Institute, it is concluded that the attempt to create artillery of this type suitable for combat use ended in failure. Achieving the desired firing parameters from electromagnetic guns was hindered by two main reasons: the insufficient power of the energy sources available at that time and the inability to ensure reliable transmission of electrical energy to a moving projectile. As further research has shown, there is no satisfactory solution to this problem with classical contact methods of energy transmission. The materials of the study can be used in examining the general patterns of development of domestic science during the Soviet period.
Genesis: Historical Research. 2025;(4):66-83
66-83
Underground «brokers» of Leningrad during the «Khrushchev Thaw»
Abstract
The shadow activities of illegal businessmen in the second most important city of the RSFSR – Leningrad are examined in the article, based on the study of a diverse array of materials stored in the State Archives of the Russian Federation and introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The economic liberalism that was observed during the period of «Khrushchev's reformism» had both positive and negative consequences. The purpose of the article is to identify and analyze the reasons that led to the growth of the shadow economy in Leningrad during the «Khrushchev thaw». The illegal purchase and sale of goods created conditions for the enrichment of individuals, officially called «parasite speculators». The «swindlers» condemned by the authorities caused significant damage to state trade, introducing elements of disorganization into the Leningrad commodity supply system. Private intermediaries, engaged in illegal business in Leningrad, entered into collusion with «responsible employees» of some state trade organizations that were subordinate to the Ministry of Trade of the RSFSR. During the research it was revealed that shadow entrepreneurs «became immeasurably rich» thanks to the «criminal accumulation of capital», having gained illegal access to the acquisition of the «deficit» of the food and commodity fund of Leningrad. The responsible employees, who were in collusion with illegal businessmen, deliberately complicated the process of accounting for food products, falsified documents for the payment of travel expenses, «cash payments» of large sums for intermediary services, etc. In addition, secret entrepreneurs actively took advantage of their impunity. As a rule, «shadow traders» did not identify themselves in documentary and accounting records, so for a long time, without coming to the attention of law enforcement agencies, they could freely engage in illegal activities, which contributed to the flourishing of various economic frauds.
Genesis: Historical Research. 2025;(4):84-92
84-92
General inspectors of infantry, cavalry, and engineering units in the Russian army and the issue of the boundaries of their powers in the system of high military administration of Russia in the early 20th century
Abstract
The article examines one aspect of military policy between 1905 and 1914 – the introduction of the institution of general inspectors of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and engineering corps into the overall structure of the highest military administration of the Russian Empire at that time. The subject of the research is the scope of the powers of general inspectors from 1905 to 1909, i.e., during the period of decentralized military administration when the military minister’s authority in the army was significantly reduced through the separation of the General Staff and the establishment of the Council of State Defense – a collegial, advisory body composed equally of the military and naval ministers, the head of the General Staff, general inspectors, and other figures from the highest military circles. The aim of the study is to analyze the process of preparing and adopting the "Regulations on General Inspectors" within the higher military administration – an important document intended to define the clear status of general inspectors within the military management hierarchy and delineate their areas of responsibility and powers. The methodology of the research involves working with archival, unpublished materials from the RGAVMF (Fund 830, Council of State Defense of Russia) and is based on a comparative approach to the sources. An additional source consists of published memoirs of the military minister of Russia from 1905 to 1909, A.F. Rediger. The analysis of official documentation and personal sources indicates that the creation of roles for general inspectors at the top of military administration, as autonomous from the military minister, was an attempt by an influential group from the August House of Romanov, traditionally closely connected with the Russian army, to control the process of military reforms following the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The author suggests that this group (including the emperor himself) either did not fully trust the traditional bureaucracy to carry out the reforms during such a crisis or sought to pursue their personal interests in the army (the grand dukes) through the institutions of general inspectors. In any case, this administrative reorganization ultimately complicated the already intricate higher administration of the Russian army, while the integration of autonomous general inspectors into the army demonstrates the complexity and inertia of the military-bureaucratic machine of that time.
Genesis: Historical Research. 2025;(4):93-104
93-104
Nicos Poulantzis as a theorist of law and founder of structuralist Marxism.
Abstract
The article analyzes the work of the renowned sociologist and political scientist Nikos Poulantzas, who adhered to left-radical views and sought to reinterpret Marxist theory through the ideas of political sociology. The main works of the author are analyzed, focusing on the key issues addressed by the scholar, such as political regimes, the crisis of the state, transitions to new political regimes, and state legal regulation. From a methodological perspective, the article justifies a new approach to contemporary historiography and its role in the history of political and legal theories. By analyzing Nikos Poulantzas's scientific legacy, the author concludes that the scholar highlights class affiliation and the role of the state in the legal regulation of relationships and interactions among various classes; in this context, the independence of the state is largely determined by the content and intensity of political struggle within that state. The methodological foundation of the research is based on a system of modern general scientific and private legal methods, employing the following general scientific methods: analysis and synthesis, abstraction and modeling, observation, generalization, description, classification, and more. In addition to the methodological aspects, the novelty of the research lies in the clarification of some basic provisions of Nikos Poulantzas's legal concepts regarding the state and law, and his significance in contemporary research in the fields of philosophy, theory, and history of the state and law. The political and legal thought of Nikos Poulantzas represents a departure from classical Marxism and socialism; the scholar pays special attention to: political regime and its changes; political crisis and its consequences; law and its properties. In domestic legal philosophy, theory, and history of the state and law, scholars have frequently referred to the works of Nikos Poulantzas; however, the author's teachings have not been fully explored but only mentioned in relation to certain topics of socialism and Marxism.
Genesis: Historical Research. 2025;(4):105-114
105-114
Russian Military Emigration in Paraguay and Its Contribution to the Victory in the Chaco War (1932-1935)
Abstract
The article is devoted to the history of the formation of the Russian military migration in Paraguay during the post-revolutionary period and its participation in the Chaco War of 1932-1935 on the side of the Paraguayan army. The aim of this article is to study the composition of Russian military emigration, its adaptation in the conditions of a new country of residence and the application of combat experience in the Paraguayan army. The article is based on the principles of historicism, credibility, scientific objectivity and systematicity; it used general and special-historical methods, including analysis and synthesis, unity of historical and logical, comparative-historical method, problematic-chronological. The object of research is Russian military emigration to Paraguay in 1920-1930. The subject of research is the forms of participation of Russian combat officers and military engineers in the training of military personnel of the national army, in the conduct of cartographic works, personal contribution of Russian officers to the victory of Paraguay in the Chac war with Bolivia. The participation of military emigration in strengthening the national army of Paraguay, its contribution to the victory in the Chaco War, the nature of the relationship between the Russian and Paraguayan military and the policy of preserving historical memory about the Russian military standing up for their «second homeland». Features of the formation of the Russian diaspora in Paraguay are revealed, and the structure of the Russian military community in this country is described. Special attention is paid to the process of social adaptation of former military («rusoses blankos»), the institutional structure of military organizations. Concluded the involvement of military emigration in the internal life of the country of residence, some of its representatives have taken an important position in the state authorities, which has contributed to the integration of «Rosoz Blankos» in the structures of Paraguayan society and the formation of a positive image of the Russians in the public consciousness of the local population.
Genesis: Historical Research. 2025;(4):115-125
115-125
The Commonwealth of Nations as an actor of the soft power of the British Empire
Abstract
The object of the study is the soft power of the British Empire in the 20th century; the subject is a unique interstate organization, which has been functioning under the name of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1949. The author examines such aspects of the topic as the potential of the soft power of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, key success factors of London's policy in this area, including the historical legacy of the British Empire; the process of creating the British Commonwealth of Nations, the activities of the renewed Commonwealth of Nations in the second half of the twentieth century; ideological foundations, principles of work and specific projects of the organization, which had a serious impact on the formation of the soft power system and public diplomacy of the British Empire; finally, in general, the role of the Commonwealth of Nations as an actor of soft power in the transformation and modernization of the imperial Albion project. The methodological basis of the research is the principle of historicism and scientific objectivity, a systematic approach, methods of analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, observation. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that in modern historiography, the analysis of the activities of the Commonwealth of Nations as an actor of the soft power of the British Empire is carried out for the first time. The author concludes that thanks to the activities of the Commonwealth, Great Britain was able to consolidate the reconfiguration of its imperial project on a fundamentally new basis. A special role in this process was played by the technologies of soft power, which long before the appearance of J. P. Blavatsky's theory itself. They were actively used by the political elites of the United Kingdom. And it was within the framework of the Commonwealth of Nations that they were used most actively. This fact allowed London not only to maintain its influence over a significant part of the former empire, but also to create a powerful resource and institutional base that allows the UK to effectively pursue a policy of soft power in the international arena.
Genesis: Historical Research. 2025;(4):126-134
126-134
Czech-Russian cultural ties during the transformation of mutual interest in the second half of the 19th century
Abstract
This article examines Czech-Russian cultural ties in the second half of the 19th century within the context of shifting mutual interests and the strengthening of Czech national identity. Special attention is given to the motivations behind scientific and cultural cooperation from both the Russian and Czech perspectives. The study aims to identify patterns of cultural and academic exchange between the two nations, as well as to trace the evolution of Czech perceptions of Russian culture and the attitudes of Russian intellectuals toward Czech contacts amid political and social changes. The analysis reveals the reasons behind the parties' abandonment of a romanticized and idealized view of mutual dialogue in favor of more rigorous academic collaboration. Additionally, the article highlights the achievements resulting from the interactions between Czech and Russian cultural figures during this period. The research is based on a comparative analysis of historical sources, scholarly works, and publications related to Czech-Russian relations from the given era. A qualitative approach was employed in studying archival materials, including correspondence between cultural figures, as well as content analysis of periodicals reflecting the dynamics of cultural interaction. For the first time, this study meticulously traces the transformation of Czech-Russian interaction—from a romanticized perception of Slavic reciprocity to pragmatic cooperation emphasizing the autonomous development of cultures. New aspects of the influence of Russian reforms in the 1860s–1870s on the growing interest in Czech culture are revealed. The analysis highlights both the distinctions between Czech and Russian cultures and the areas of mutual interest where cultural figures achieved significant results. Many Russian cultural and public figures, leveraging their extensive networks and high standing in Czech society, actively contributed to preserving, strengthening, and developing ties between the Czech and Russian intellectual communities. It is also noted that Czech migrants living in Russia made substantial contributions to the development of economics, science, and culture. Meanwhile, Russian figures, drawing on their broad connections and authority in Czech society, played a key role in promoting knowledge of Slavic history—and Russian history in particular—within Czech intellectual circles.
Genesis: Historical Research. 2025;(4):135-143
135-143