Editorial Note

The Historical Reporter Volume 57 is devoted to general history, with the main body of materials belonging to the National History section. By tradition, we strive to cover various periods of Russian history, from the Middle Ages up to the early 20th century. In this issue, we also touch upon events of the late 1970s.

The issue opens with an article by our American colleague Charles J. Halperin, dedicated to the description of the northernmost outskirts of the Muscovite state on the White Sea (the Dvina Region) where a highly distinctive society took shape. Its history is reflected in a collection of more than two hundred little-studied transaction charters. A unique feature of this society was the absence of boyars and nobles; it consisted exclusively of peasants and clergy. The article by Alexander O. Buranok is dedicated to the biography of I.M. Oznobishin, a representative of an ancient noble family that produced a number of prominent figures, including the major 19th-century poet D.P. Oznobishin, I.M. Oznobishin’s great-grandson.

The third article in the section examines relations between Russia and the Venetian Republic in the late 18th century, when the two states first mutually accredited their envoys. The author, Dmitry I. Gots, pays special attention to the personality of Count S.R. Vorontsov, the first Russian envoy to Venice, and his diplomatic activity. Regional history is represented by the work of Elizaveta V. Savchenko, which explores issues surrounding the establishment of the southern border of the Elisavetgrad Province of the Novorossiysk Governorate. The very creation of the Novorossiysk Governorate in 1764 was an important step in shaping the empire’s southern territories.

The fifth article of the section highlights the work of the well-known Russian historian and geographer V.N. Tatishchev as the first Russian cultural studies scholar. The author, Ludmila A. Chernaya, for the first time in Russian scholarship, proposes viewing Tatishchev’s concept of global cultural development as the first attempt to create a theory of world culture.

In the sixth article, Vladislav M. Tarelko attempts to examine the history of the American Red Cross mission in Russia during World War I and its significance for Russian-American relations. Although the mission did not play a major role in organizing Russia’s medical corps, it contributed to fostering international communication and strengthening mutual trust.

The seventh and eighth articles describe the period of the Russian Civil War and post-revolutionary events. The study by Nikolay A. Zayats and Vitaly F. Zabolotin focuses on a little-studied episode of the Civil War, the Rostov armed uprising of 1917, which became the first major clash between the Bolsheviks and counterrevolutionary forces in southern Russia. The uprising is viewed as an important turning point that revealed divisions within the Cossack community and accelerated the formation of opposing camps. The article by Yury M. Goland addresses the circumstances surrounding the death of M.V. Frunze as a result of a failed surgical operation. Numerous publications have attempted to clarify the role of Joseph Stalin in this matter, as well as the motives behind his insistence on the operation. In our view, this publication may well provide a definitive clarification of this dramatic episode in our history.

We are confident that all seven articles in this section, largely devoted to lesser-known events in national history, will take a worthy place among the publications of our journal and allow for a deeper exploration of the topics we traditionally address.

The World History section consists of three publications. Dmitriy E. Mishin continues his series on the rule of the Sasanid dynasty, focusing on the conquest of Yemen by the Sasanid king Khosrow I Anushirvan. Mikhail M. Yakushev examines the first important steps toward the development of a Russian spiritual presence on the Bosphorus through the establishment of embassy churches in Constantinople, following the Treaty of Constantinople in 1700, which granted Russia the right to maintain a permanent diplomatic representative in the Ottoman capital. A joint article by our colleague from China, Yan Zun, and Evgeny I. Volgin addresses the Sino-Vietnamese armed conflict of 1979 in the context of the Sino-Soviet confrontation, with particular attention to the role of the Sino-Soviet split and the Soviet Union’s efforts to contain China through military aid and political alliance with Vietnam.

The Reports section is a rare guest in our publication. This time we present a work by Alexander V. Mirgorodsky, devoted to new details of the life and work of Eugène de Villeneuve, a historian, archaeologist, and writer who made a significant contribution to the study of the Novorossiysk region.

Our colleagues and readers have likely already noticed that The Historical Reporter has significantly increased the number of its issues. The editorial staff has taken on considerably more work, but we are inspired by the awareness that we serve national scholarship and, no matter how difficult it may be, we will devote all our efforts to this cause.

Alexey E. Titkov
Editor-in-Chief of The Historical Reporter