Review article
NEW THEMES AND APPROACHES TO SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY 1990 AND 1991
Andrej Čebotarev
; Institute of Contemporary History, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Great political changes in the USSR during last years have had a reflection on Soviet historiography. Based on monographs and discussions which were published in leading historical and other journals during 1990 and 1991, the author analyzes the exact character of these changes and their significance.
1) There is a great interest for bourgeois historiography, which is manifested in numerous reprint editions or reeditions of historical works that appeared at the beginning of the century.
2) A significant number of historiographical issues of Russian history before the revolution, and especially the Soviet, began to be interpreted in a way that differs from the hitherto official interpretations.
3) Many themes which were taboos up to this point have been acknowledged and have become the matter of research and discussion.
4) Soviet historiography is now characterized by an initial process of deideologization of historical events.
5) There have been methodological discussions about the tasks that Soviet historiography has to accomplish on the level of theory; some authors are already using more contemporary research methods.
6) A significant a mount of the archives materials have been made available to scholars, which made possible publications about the number of famine victims, losses in concentration camps, and other so far prohibited themes.
7) The publication of historical sources and the study of auxiliary historical
Sciences is continuing.
8) There is an interest in Croat and Soviet historiography, especially by the Slavists specialized in historical studies, but in comparison to other southeastern European countries Croatia could have a greater share in their preoccupations.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
190682
URI
Publication date:
1.7.1992.
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