Territory: Journal of Historical Research

Dear Readers!

This issue of the journal Territory is devoted to several themes, each of which broadly relates to the anthropological dimension – we seek to present human activity across the vast expanse of the Russian Empire and the USSR.

In the section "Communities and Corporations in the History of the Russian Empire," we publish articles in which the authors analyse the activities of several significant groups and communities. Vitaly Voropanov examines the system of training personnel for the state civil service in the provinces of the Volga region and the Urals at the end of the 18th century and in the first half of the 19th century. Gleb Chernov presents the results of his research on the judiciary of the district courts of the Middle Volga region in the late imperial period. Finally, Vladimir Shaydurov shares the findings of his investigations into the specific development of the Armenian community of St. Petersburg in the second half of the 19th – early 20th century.

The section "Space and Its Development" includes articles in which this theme is examined both in terms of the implementation of practical measures and from the perspective of the mental appropriation of space. Maria Ivanova presents an overview of research and trends related to the "spatial turn" in contemporary humanities, while Nikita Vorobyov raises the question of the topogeodetic exploration of the Russian Far East in the 1920s.

The block "At the Turning Point of Eras: People and Destinies" contains two biographical sketches. Roman Badikov's article deals with the early years of the life of the renowned historian Academician Isaak Mints. Evgeny Krestyannikov, by contrast, writes about the later period of the activities of the lawyer and politician Pyotr Vologodsky. This latter article is a continuation of the research whose results were published in our journal last year.

In this issue, we also present three reviews to our readers. Dimitrios Chronopoulos examines Alexei Miller's new book The Imperial Nation in the Russian Empire; Vadim Parsamov reviews the recently published work by E. E. Lyamina and N. V. Samover, Ivan Krylov – Superstar: The Phenomenon of the Russian Fabulist; and Ekaterina Boltunova reviews A. V. Morokhin's monograph Nicholas I and the "Dynastic Documents" of the Romanovs: From the History of "Classifying the Past" in 1825–1855.

We wish you an enjoyable and rewarding reading experience. Thank you for being with us!

Ekaterina Boltunova