Generations of Odessa historians (1920–1941): Identification, composition, and features

V.V. Levchenko

Odessa National Maritime University, Odessa, 65029 Ukraine

E-mail: levchenkolav@yandex.ua

Received June 16, 2019

Full text PDF

DOI: 10.26907/2541-7738.2020.1.133-145

For citation: Levchenko V.V. Generations of Odessa historians (1920–1941): Identification, composition, and features. Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Gumanitarnye Nauki, 2020, vol. 162, no. 1, pp. 133–145. doi: 10.26907/2541-7738.2020.1.133-145. (In Russian)

Abstract

A model was introduced for studying the laws of formation, development, and dissemination of scientific knowledge among historians from the academic community of Odessa in 1920–1941 through the prism of the identity of their generations. The available published works provide no data on this problem. The term “generation” was defined. Chronological periodization of the generations of Odessa historians in this period was proposed with regard to the general development of history in the USSR. Two generations of Odessa historians, which were active in the period under study, were described. Their size and chronology of activity were considered. The direct influence exercised by them within a single and neighboring generations, including the succession of generations, was determined. The emergence of innovations, internal relations, as well as the place and role of historians during various political regimes and their attitude to power were covered. The ethics of relations between historians was studied. The personal characteristics of historians were revealed. The research is important for understanding the evolution of history as a science and major trends in its development, both at the local and global levels. The prosopographic analysis demonstrated that historians of the studied generations had the same conditions of everyday life – they faced complex socio-political and socio-economic situations that negatively influenced their activities.

Keywords: historians, Odessa, generations, descendants, academic community

References

1. Appatov S.I., Pershina Z.V., Demin O.B. Historical science in Odessa for 200 years. In: Andronati S.A. (Ed.) Ocherki razvitiya nauki v Odesse [Essays on the Development of Science in Odessa]. Odessa, Titul, 1995, pp. 450–490. (In Russian)
2. Sidorova L.A. Generation as a change of historian subcultures. In: Mir istorika. XX vek [Historian World. 20th Century]. Moscow, IRI Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2002, pp. 38–54. (In Russian)
3. Onoprienko V.I. Generations of science: A view of the sociologist. Sotsiologicheskie Issledovaniya, 2007, no. 4, pp. 75–85. (In Russian)
4. Sidorova L.A. Sovetskaya istoricheskaya nauka serediny XX veka. Sintez trekh pokolenii istorikov [Soviet Historical Science in the Middle of the 20th Century. The Synthesis of Three Generations of Historians]. Moscow, IRI Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2008. 294 p. (In Russian)
5. Serykh A.A. Generational identity of Russian historians in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. Extended Abstract of Cand. Hist. Diss. Omsk, 2010. 23 p. (In Russian)
6. Kuhn T. Struktura nauchnykh revolyutsii. S vvodnoi stat’ei i dopolneniyami 1969 g. [The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. With an Introductory Article and Additions of 1969]. Moscow, Progress, 1977. 300 p. (In Russian)
7. Onoprienko V. Academic Community. Introduction to the Sociology of Science. Kiev, IVTs Goskomstata Ukr., 1998. 99 p. (In Ukrainian)
8. Popova T.N. Special Historical Disciplines: Problems of Theory and Methodology. Collection of Scientific Papers. – Number 12. Pt. 2. Kiev, NAN Ukr. Inst. Ist. Ukr., 2005, pp. 94–117. (In Ukrainian)
9. Popova T.N. Istoriografiya v litsakh, problemakh, distsiplinakh: iz istorii Novorossiiskogo universiteta [Historiography in Persons, Problems, Disciplines: From the History of Novorossiysk University]. Odessa, Astroprint, 2007. 536 p. (In Russian)
10. Popova T.N. The academic community of historiographers at Novorossiysk University (theoretical aspect). Lukomor’ya: Arkheolohiya, Etnolohiya, Istoriya Pivnichno-Zakhidnoho Prychornomor’ya, 2008, no. 2, pp. 40–43. (In Russian)
11. Popova T.N. Disciplinary community of historiographers at the end of Postmodern (fragments of thoughts). Eidos. Al’manakh Teorii ta Istorii Istorychnoi Nauki, 2009, no. 4, pp. 210–235. (In Russian)
12. Popova T.N. Zhizneopisanie uchenogo-istorika na perekrestke istoriograficheskikh traditsii. Teoriya. Metodologiya. Praktika [Biography of a Historian at the Intersection of Historiographic Traditions. Theory. Methodology. Practice]. Odessa, [b.i.], 2017. 456 p. (In Russian)
13. Myagkov G.P. Nauchnoe soobshchestvo v istoricheskoi nauke: opyt “russkoi istoricheskoi shkoly” [The academic community in historical science: The experience of the “Russian historical school”]. Kazan, Izd. Kazan. Univ., 2000. 295 p. (In Russian)
14. Bobkova M.S. Science and power: Schools of thought and professional communities in history. Novaya i Noveishaya Istoriya, 2003, no. 3, pp. 215–217. (In Russian)
15. Korzun V.P. Local academic communities in the intellectual landscape of the province. Metodologiya regional’nykh istoricheskikh issledovanii: Materialy mezhdunar. seminara, 19–20 iyunya 2000 g., Sankt-Peterburg [Methodology of Regional Historical Research: Proc. Int. Semin., June 19–20, 2000, St. Petersburg]. St. Petersburg, Notabene, 2000, pp. 47–49. (In Russian)
16. Ivanova T.N., Myagkov G.P. The school of Vladimir I. Guerrier: Its main characteristics and its place within Russian academic space. Dialog so Vremenem, 2013, no. 44, pp. 165–185. (In Russian)
17. Mannheim K. Problema intelligentsii. Issledovaniya ee roli v proshlom i nastoyashchem [The Problem of the Intelligentsia. Studies of Its Role in the Past and Present]. Pt. 2. Moscow, INION, 1993. 104 p. (In Russian)
18. Mannheim K. Diagnoz nashego vremeni [Diagnosis of Our Time]. Moscow, Yurist”, 1994. 700 p. (In Russian)
19. Mannheim K. Izbrannoe: Sotsiologiya kul’tury [Selected Works. Cultural Sociology]. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Univ. Kn., 2000. 505 p. (In Russian)
20. Levchenko V.V. The Jewish generation of the professional corporation of Odessa historians in the first half of the 20th century. Evrei Evropy i Blizhnego Vostoka: traditsiya i sovremennost’. Istoriya, yazyki, literatura: Materialy mezhdunar. nauch. konf. pamyati V.A. Yakobsona, 17 aprelya 2016 g. [Jews of Europe and the Middle East: Tradition and Current Times. History, Languages, and Literature: Proc. Int. Sci. Conf. Dedicated to V.A. Jacobson, April 17, 2016]. Mel’tsin M.O. (Ed.). St. Petersburg, Peterb. Inst. Iudaiki, 2016, pp. 342–348. (In Russian)
21. Levchenko V.V. The academic community of Odessa historians of the first half of the 20th century through the prism of generation processes: Theoretical aspect. Positivism: Reflections on the Classical Model of Historical Writing: Proc. Panel Discuss. (Kharkov, Nov. 29, 2016). Kharkov, Apostrof, 2016, pp. 220–230. (In Ukrainian)
22. Levchenko V.V. Generations of historians in the academic community of Odessa: Terminology, periodization, history. Studia internationalia: Materialy V Mezhdunar. nauch. konf. “Zapadnyi region Rossii v mezhdunarodnykh otnosheniyakh X–XX vv.” (1–3 iyulya 2016 g.) [Studia internationalia: Proc. V Int. Sci. Conf. “The Western Region of Russia in International Relations of the 10th–20th Centuries” (July 1–3, 2016)]. Bryansk, RIO BGU, 2016, pp. 262–266. (In Russian)
23. Levchenko V.V. The generation of Odessa historians in the first half of 20th century: Periods, terminology, history. Visnyk Odes’koho Istoriko-Kraeznavchogo Muzeyu, 2016, no. 15, pp. 220–223. (In Ukrainian)
24. Levchenko V.V. Intellectual biography is a key model for studying the history of generations of Odessa historians. Biographistica Ukrainica, 2016, no. 14, pp. 157–176. (In Ukrainian)
25. Levchenko V.V. The generation of historians and the Great Purge: From intellectual vicinity to repressions (using the Odessa corporation of humanitarians as an example). Kraeznavstvo, 2017, no. 1/2, pp. 201–207. (In Ukrainian)
26. Odesskii universitet za 75 let (1865–1940) [Odessa University over 75 Years (1865–1940)]. Odessa, [b.i.], 1940. 198 p. (In Russian)
27. Levchenko V.V. The History of Odessa Institute for Public Education (1920s–1930s). Khmarskii V.M., Popova T.N. (Eds.). Odessa, TES, 2010. 428 p. (In Ukrainian)
28. Levchenko V.V. Sud’by uchenykh Odessy na rubezhe epokh (1917–1922) The fate of Odessa researchers at the turn of the era (1917–1922). Problemy Slavyanovedeniya, 2009, no. 11, pp. 134–146. (In Russian)
29. Levchenko V.V. Odessa researchers under the conditions of Russian first-wave emigre: Ways, adaptation, fate. In: Mir glazami istorika: pamyati akademika Yuriya Aleksandrovicha Polyakova [The World through the Eyes of a Historian: In memory of Academician Yurii Aleksandrovich Polyakov]. Moscow, IRI Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2014, pp. 139–156. (In Russian)
30. Levchenko V.V. In the abyss of the Russian first-wave emigre: The fate of Odessa historians and consequences for historical science. In: Rossiiskoe nauchnoe zarubezh’e: lyudi, trudy, institutsii, arkhivy [Russian Researchers Abroad: People, Works, Institutions, Archives]. Tribunskii P.A. (Ed.). Moscow, IRI Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2016, pp. 160–171. (In Russian)
31. Komarenko N.V. Establishment and activities of historical departments in Ukraine during the 1920s. Istoriohrafichni doslidzhennya v Ukrayins’kii RSR, 1971, no. 4, pp. 33–35. (In Ukrainian)

The content is available under the license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.