The Scientific Research School of Archaeography at the Institute for History and Archives: the History and the Present

Abstract

The treatise by O.A. Shashkova “ ‘…It Makes the Mute Artefacts Speak’: Essays on the History of Archaeography of the 15th- the Beginning of the 20th Centuries”, published in 2017, is analyzed in the context of history of the scientific research school of Archaeography at the Institute for History and Archives. The treatise reconstructs the unique pages of the history studies. Besides, the monographic work presents the evolutionary development of archaeographic thought and the scientific praxis of domestic and foreign historians’ publication procedures. The author of the treatise has traced the milestones in the history of the publication activities in Western Europe (since the15th c.) and in Russia (since the 18th c.). It is found out that the evolution of archaeographic praxis abroad and in Russia was characterized by close tendencies, identified by the author in the gradual establishment of dynamic links of history-writing / historiography with publishing, as well as the general development of book publishing business. It is shown in the article that the author of the treatise does not only feature “corresponding” historical issues which were reflected in the publications of Russian and foreign historians, but she also analyses the relationship of those issues to the general historical events, to the buildup of national statehood and to the formation of the science management systems, to historiography. The author of the monographic work does not fix archaeography on methodological issues, but presents it in as a “barometer”indicative of the state of historic community in general. The article reveals an important achievement of the author of the treatise - a thorough description of the development of the scientific research school of Archaeography at the Institute for History and Archives, the school which has accumulated the best traditions of the national historical science.