Editorial Note

The 58th volume is devoted to general history. The main part of the issue consists of the Russian History section, which, as per tradition, comprises materials dedicated to various periods of our country's history. The materials cover the period from the 17th to the early 20th century.

The issue opens with an article by Bulychev, which examines the attribution and dating of an incomplete copy of a printed Horologion. The article is interesting, among other things, because it sheds light on the publishing policy of the Print Yard regarding editions used for teaching faith and letters. The article also clarifies the period when Simeon of Polotsk wrote his work Preface to the Horologion, which is valuable in itself, as it provides additional information about the creative output of a figure emblematic of his time in Russian culture. Petrukhintsev's article examines the set of measures concerning Siberia carried out between 1695 and 1700, which was shaped with the active participation of Peter I. These measures became one of the Tsar's first interventions in the country's domestic policy. The article analyzes the role of the monarch and one of his associates, A.A. Winius, in shaping and implementing this policy, which marked the beginning of the formation of a new industrial region in the east of the country. The Petrine times are a traditional topic on the pages of our publication, and this material makes a significant contribution to the study of this fateful period of Russian history. The work by Abidulin and Baldin touches upon a topic that can also be called traditional for our journal – the travels of Russian pilgrims to the East. This time, the focus of our authors is on the travel notes of Father Ioann Dobrotvorsky, a clergyman from Sergachsky Uyezd of the Nizhny Novgorod Governorate. The impressions of an ordinary church servant are very interesting from the perspective of how the memoirist and other Russian pilgrims constructed their national, religious, and cultural identity in a foreign environment. The article by Shevyrev and Yudin concerns Russian military history, a most fascinating and inexhaustible subject. The authors examine the state and development of the Russian army and navy during the reign of Emperor Alexander III, noting both the positive and the negative aspects of this crucial stage in the evolution of the empire's armed forces. While acknowledging certain undeniable successes in reforming the military machine, the authors conclude that this period also laid the groundwork for the crisis phenomena that would lead the empire to military and political defeats in the early 20th century. Erokhov's article is devoted to the little-known topic of interfaith relations in the Northwestern Region following the decree on religious tolerance of April 17, 1905. The article examines instances of religious violence committed by Catholics against Orthodox Christians shortly after the decree was issued. The author objectively analyzes the reasons for such behavior and its historical background. Revolution and the Civil War. These publications are particularly interesting because they trace the fates (often tragic) of the participants in the events of those years. This time, the focus is on an unknown case involving the Military Agent Section of the All-Russian General Staff and the fate of a former Tsarist colonel, K.I. Zhikhor. Concluding the section is an article by Rybin, dedicated to the historiography of the activities of Russian conservative liberals ("legalists") in the early 20th century, whose position was based on the ideas of such renowned scholars as K.D. Kavelin and B.N. Chicherin.

The General History section opens with an article dedicated to the Ottoman Empire. In the past, we have published several thematic issues on the history of this state and always welcome new contributions on this fascinating subject. This time, we publish an article by Demirci and Demirci, in which the authors undertake a comparative analysis of three key administrative institutions – timar, devshirme, and millet. The article is interesting because the authors draw on the comparative sociology of empires and the theory of internal colonialism, thereby contributing to overcoming the Eurocentric framework of colonial studies. Next in the section is a work by a young author, Krylov, who reexamines the established historiographical reasons for the Allies' victory in the Battle of the Alma River during the Crimean War. The author is still a university student, but his work struck us as so interesting and professional that we decided to publish it as an exception. It is possible that not all specialists on this topic will agree with his conclusions, but the editorial board felt it was right to encourage a budding historian at the very beginning of his professional path. The section continues with an article by Askhanov and Muftakhtutdinovа, devoted to issues related to the history of both the Ottoman and Russian Empires. In it, the authors attempt to determine whether the claims of Russian gendarmerie officials about the existence of a widespread organization called - Tarrakion Islamiya (“Progress of Islam”), allegedly centered in Istanbul, had any real basis, and whether the ties between Tatar intellectuals and the Young Turks posed a real threat. An article by our regular contributor Mishin concludes both his research on the Sasanid rule over Yemen in the 7th century, and the section itself.

In the Communications section, we have placed a piece by Batiev on local government reform in the Russian Empire, using the example of the modernization of municipal administration in Nakhichevan-on-Don in the mid-19th century, when Nakhichevan was drawn into the mainstream of transformations during the Era of Great Reforms.

The editorial board continues its work on future issues and thanks our new and regular authors for their contributions.

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