07.02.2025
Representatives from the Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), archival institutions, and the academic and expert communities attended the event, where they assessed plans for publishing new volumes and discussed individual books in detail.
The multi-volume project was initiated by President Putin and is being developed by the Institute of Russian History (RAS) under the aegis of the Russian Historical Society.
Yury Petrov, Director of the Institute and a member of the Presidium of the Russian Historical Society, described the project’s approach:
“The aim was to create a comprehensive work based on reliable historical data, incorporating the latest advancements in the field and the most relevant findings. Over 400 authors from various academic institutes, research centers, and universities have contributed to this effort. The selection criterion for authors was straightforward: each had to be a distinguished professional in the field of historical science. Several volumes have already been published.”
A special focus of the discussion was on the 11th volume of the series, Empire, War, Revolution: 1914–1917, which examines the military and revolutionary events of 1914–1917 in Russia and Europe. The first part covers the period from the outbreak of World War I to the fall of the autocracy, while the second part explores the attempts to establish a new regime, culminating in the Bolsheviks’ rise to power and the beginning of the Russian Civil War.
In his address, Yuri Petrov pointed out certain inaccuracies in the preparation of this volume:
"Vladimir Buldakov is probably the leading expert in the country on the Revolution of 1917–1922, which is why he was entrusted with the preparation of this volume. He completed the work fairly quickly. His conceptual approach to the revolution as a 'red insurrection' is valid, it is his academic position. However, in his enthusiasm for literary imagery, he at times crossed the line separating an academic publication from a journalistic one. Additionally, some rough edges and direct inaccuracies emerged due to an attempt to adopt a more striking style. We acknowledge these issues and are working on refining this volume."
Sergey Karpov, President of the Faculty of History at Lomonosov Moscow State University and a member of the Presidium of the Russian Historical Society, emphasized the importance of an objective approach to the events of 1914–1917:
"This publication is intended as a collective representation of the academic community’s perspective on the historical development of our country and civilization. The 11th volume covers a crucial period—World War I and the 1917 Revolution. For a long time, these events remained on the periphery of Russian historical research, beyond the scope of any military operations, as the significance of the War itself was underestimated. This volume presents a more detailed account of events. However, it is vital that the work reflect the collective viewpoint of the scholarly community, encompassing different schools of thought. It is equally important that such a publication be free of errors and ambiguities."
Andrei Sorokin, Academic Director of the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History, also provided his assessment:
"Analysis of the volume has shown that it does not fully capture the scholarly consensus on this complex period in history. Therefore, I believe it would be appropriate to refine the 11th volume of the History, incorporating the perspectives of all leading academic schools in a revised edition that presents a more precise and objective account of World War I and the 1917 Revolution."
The multi-volume is based on the principle of continuity and succession across all periods of Russian history. The fundamental work is divided into volumes according to chronological order, with each volume overseen by an editor who assembled the team of authors. Scholars from 23 academic institutes, 52 universities, as well as archives, museums, and libraries are participating in the project.
