Auxiliary historical disciplines
The annual collection “Auxiliary historical disciplines” was regularly published by the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences from 1968 to 2023. Thanks to the co-founder, the publishing house “Nauka” (Moscow-St. Petersburg), the collection has been reformatted into a journal publication. Since 2024, it has been published at a frequency of four issues per year.
The journal continues to publish materials that present the results of the study of a wide range of diverse sources of written, artistic and material heritage of the VI-XXI centuries and rare publications of a small volume of narrative and epistolary character related to newly discovered archival collections: domestic and foreign. The traditional rubrics devoted to domestic and foreign archaeography, issues of source studies and methods of research of historical sources and monuments are preserved.
Currently the journal is indexed in the e-library / RINC system. On June 25, 2024 the journal is again included in the list of scientific peer-reviewed journals of the Higher Attestation Commission.
“Auxiliary historical discipliness” is published under the grip of the Department of History (now the Department of Historical and Philological Sciences) of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the St. Petersburg Branch of the Archaeographical Commission of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The publication was founded in 1937 on the initiative of Academician M.N. Tikhomirov and Professor S.N. Valk and resumed after a break in 1968. 42 issues have been published till 2024.
The responsible editors were: S.N. Valk - issues I-VII (1968-1976), N.E. Nosov - issues VIII-XV (1977-1983), V.A. Shishkin - issues XVI-XXVII (1984-2000), V.N. Pleshkov - issues XXVIII-XXXVII (2002-2013). N.N. Smirnov - issues XXXIII-XXXVIII (2015-2019). A.V. Sirenov has been the Editor-in-Chief since issue XXXIX.
Current Issue
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Vol 45, No 2 (2026)
Articles
From the Editor-in-Chief
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):239-240
239-240
Custodians, presses, cords: a few remarks on the terminology and working methods of the Moscow chancellery of the XVth–XVIIth centuries
Abstract
Despite the significant fruitful work done over the past two centuries on the introduction of letters of the XVth-XVZIth centuries into scientific circulation, it should be recognized that certain difficulties still remain in this matter, caused primarily by the lack of elaboration of the terminological apparatus and the inattention of publishers to a number of details of the design of published documents. The least attention is paid to applied and hanging seals, as well as to the artistic design of letters. As an example, we can cite the story of a long-running dispute about what the open seals were. In addition, there are still questions about the form in which documents were transported and a number of other technological issues. The author has attempted to summarize the material accumulated to date on certain issues of the work of the grand ducal and royal chancelleries of this period. In particular, an attempt has been made to understand what is currently understood by custody, what is affixing, open seals, how the practice of hanging hanging seals has transformed, and evidence of the existence of seal presses has been collected. This material makes it possible to lift the veil over how the Moscow chancelleries of the XVth-XVIIth centuries worked to a greater extent.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):242-283
242-283
Russian–Swedish treaties of the second half of the 15th century–the first half of the 16th century
Abstract
The article examines the Russian-Swedish treaties of the second half of the 15th century and the first half of the 16th century. Most of them was lost as a result of wars, fires and neglect. We learn about their existence from later inventories and copies. The comparison of the sources reveals that our knowledge is mostly based on the materials from Sweden where the tradition of copying documents was widespread by the 16th century. Moreover, the inventories often contradict each other, as well as the rare original letters which have survived to the present day. In this regard, the reconstructed complex of treaties and their copies remains hypothetical. The analysis of the Russian-Swedish treaties demonstrates how their written materials, language and content changed over the course of a century. The obtained results allow us to raise questions about the centralization of the Russian-Swedish negotiation process, the development of diplomatic records, the change in the status of negotiation participants and the use of the past in diplomacy. The article also formulates hypothesis regarding the treaties with controversial status in historiography. Information about the original letters of treaties, their copies and mentions in the inventories is collected in the special table and included in the appendix to the article.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):284-313
284-313
Synodic condemnation of Andrei Savvinovich Postnikov, protopope of the Annunciation Cathedral, the 14th of March 1676: source-based aspects.
Abstract
The article examines the synodic condemnation of Andrei Savvinovich Postnikov, protopope of the Annunciation Cathedral, according to which the last confessor of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was anathematized and exiled to the far away northern Kozheoz-ersky Monastery in March 1676. The external features of this document (its format, paleographic characteristics, the markings of various years) are brought into focus. The structure of the ecclesiastical court’s decision is examined in comparison with synodic condemnations of other high-ranking clergy of that time, and its content is estimated in general. This provides an opportunity to find new data about creation of this source and its history within the convolute from State Historical Museum collection (the convolute GIM. Sin. I) and, in a broader context, in the Synodal Library. As well as the reconstruction of the investigative case initiated against the protopope of the Annunciation Cathedral in late 1674 becomes possible. At the same time, the article touches on issues related to the keeping of judicial documents from the patriarch’s chancery and investigative documents of the Patriarchal Razryadny Prikaz in the Synodal Library during the second half of the 19th and first quarter of the 20th centuries. A comparison of the church court’s decision regarding the former royal confessor with other, chronologically closest, decisions (notifications) on hierarchical cases demonstrated the specifics of the preparation of official documents of this type in the 1660s and 1670s.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):314-334
314-334
Orders and instructions of Russian diplomats in Istanbul during the reigne of Peter the Great
Abstract
The article analyzes the main orders and instructions that Russian diplomats received in the Russian Foreign Policy Department before being sent to the Ottoman court. The Sublime Porte accepted two diplomats as Peter I’s permanent representatives: Ambassador Peter Tolstoy and Resident Ivan Neplyuev. It is shown that Peter Tolstoy’s main order was based on the order of the great ambassador Dmitry Golitsyn and had an established format by that time, the content of which did not reflect the specific duties of an ambassador permanently residing in a foreign country. Resident Ivan Neplyuev and other Russian diplomats arriving in Istanbul on various missions received instructions, not orders. The Resident’s instructions devoted considerable attention to his actions at the Ottoman court. In scholarly literature, the terms “main orders” and “instructions” to ambassadors are often used synonymously. However, these documents appeared at different stages in the development of embassy administration and had different formats.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):335-347
335-347
The 1782–1783 Description of the Saratov viceregency and the beginning of Volga regional studies
Abstract
The Description of the Saratov Viceregency (1782-1783) belongs to the large body of topographical accounts produced in Russia from the late eighteenth to the early nineteenth centuries. Shortly after its compilation, the document received a favorable assessment from Academician Nikolai Ozeretskovsky in private correspondence. Nikolai Rubinstein later offered a brief evaluation, pointing out its shortcomings, while Aleksandr Kleitman provided a more detailed analysis, though his conclusions largely echoed those of his predecessor. Both scholars relied on the published version of the description. However, manuscript copies of the text also survive, and their dating allows for a more precise consideration of questions related to its content. The Description of the Saratov Viceregency was compiled at a time when the settlement and study of the Saratov Volga region were only beginning. It is a valuable source that captures key features of the region’s natural environment as well as its socio-economic development at the time. The document also sheds light on the level of knowledge held by local officials who administered the viceregency and on contemporary local conditions. When compared with other similar accounts published in Part VI of the Collection of Essays Selected from Almanacs for Different Years, the Saratov description reveals striking contrasts in the pace of economic development across different regions of the Russian Empire.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):348-373
348-373
Note by Grand Duke Paul Petrovich concerning the reform of the Senate.
Abstract
This material represents the first comprehensive publication of Grand Duke Paul Petrovich’s note concerning the reform of the Senate - a historical source important for understanding the evolution of Pavel’s political views prior to his accession to the throne. Following the ideals of Panin, the Grand Duke envisioned the Senate as the highest judicial institution («the first judicial tribunal») headed by the Chancellor of Justice. At the same time, the Senate was granted the right of «representation» to the sovereign on all matters of state administration, with the exception of foreign policy. Direct administration, according to Pavel’s conception, was to be concentrated in a new governing body - the «imperial’s council», headed by officials who were chiefs of various branches of administration (a prototype of ministries). Pavel avoided discussing the competencies of the «imperial’s council». However, taking into account the influence of Count N. I. Panin’s ideas on the Grand Duke, it can be assumed that this institution was intended to function as the emperor’s personal chancellery on matters of state administration. In view of the excessive burden and the Senate’s remoteness from many places, Pavel Petrovich proposed to establish it in Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, and Glukhov, with each assigned a specific number of provinces with similar regulations and laws. The published source allows tracing the origins of reform projects in Russia at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):374-388
374-388
Decembrist L. P. Wittgenstein in memoirs of Amalia Lilienthal..
Abstract
This article publishes a translation of the excerpt from Amаlia Lilienthal’s french memoir, “Une famille princiere d’Allemagne”. It reconstructs the history, creation, and publication of these memoirs, published in Paris in 1886. It concludes that they represent a text that emerged during A. Lilienthal’s confrontation with the Sayn-Wittgen-stein-Sayn family, combining features of a work of fiction, a pamphlet, and a memoir. The second and third chapters of this text comprise an account of L. P Wittgenstein, likely based on information the memoirist received from her husband, L. P Wittgenstein’s son, Ludwig. The article presents a Russian translation of these chapters, accompanied by factual commentary. The published memoirs touch on various biographical themes. The memoirist focuses primarily on L.P. Wittgenstein’s efforts to free the enormous fortune he inherited from his first wife, Stefanie Radziwill, from debt and litigation. Much attention is also devoted to Wittgenstein’s efforts to restore his status as a mediatized prince, the founding of the House of Sayn-Wittgestein-Sayn, and the development of his family seat, Sayn Castle in Prussia. But she also touches on the history of L. P Wittgenstein’s and his father, P Ch. Wittgenstein’s, relationships with Nicholas I, and offers insights into the reasons for L. P Wittgenstein’s departure from Russia. It is not surprising that, in retelling information obtained secondhand, Amаlia makes many inaccuracies. Her memoirs are valuable not so much for their factual information as for the image they capture of L. P. Wittgenstein, as he remained in the memory of his son, is the image of a kind and active man.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):390-409
390-409
The role of metric books in the study of the de- cembrist movement on the example of Sergei Grigorievich Volkonsky’s family
Abstract
The article is devoted to the study of metric books as a key source of information about the facts of the birth and marriage of Volkonsky Sergey Grigorievich, Volkonskaya (Raevskaya) Maria Nikolaevna, the birth of Volkonsky Nikolai Sergeevich. Data from metric books, entries in which were made upon the fact of the baptism, marriage and funeral ceremony, allow us to establish the date of the event of interest as accurately as possible, and also carry additional information that is not always available when using other archival documents. Explicit information from metric records of birth, marriage and death helps to obtain, analyze and correctly interpret other archival documents available. The studies conducted provide a comprehensive answer about the facts of the biography of these persons, which were previously questioned and served as the subject of heated discussions. The sources are metric books identified in the Central State Archive of Moscow and the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):410-421
410-421
An unpublished letter of Bonifacius Amerbach to Lukas Schroteisen from the collection of N. P. Lik- hachev at the Archive of Institut of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg
Abstract
A previously unpublished text stored in the Archive of the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences is edited in the present article. It is a letter from Basel lawyer Bonifacius Amerbach (1495-1562) to Lucas Schroteisen (d. 1564), chancellor of Duke Wurttemberg and count of Montbdliard Christoph (15151568), dated 17 March 1552. The publication provides also a thoroughly description of the letter as an autograph of Amerbach and its unique significance for the extensive correspondence between the two 16th-century legal scholars. The accompanying article provides biographical information about Bonifacius Amerbach and Lucas Schroteisen and reveals the main themes addressed in both the St. Petersburg letter and the correspondence between the legal scholars: expertise in matters of wine and the use of quotations and phrases from the works of classical antiquity in everyday written speech. A separate study traces the history of the letter’s journey from Schro-teisen’s personal archive in Montbeliard to N.P. Likhachev’s collection in St. Petersburg. The main focus is on establishing the owners of the letter in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Archival data reveals that the letter belonged to Swiss manufacturer and collector Alfred Bovet (1841-1900) and was sold in 1884 at an auction held by E. Charavay to Heinrich Lempertz the Elder (1816-1898), a scholar and collector from Cologne, resold 1906 to Berlin antique dealer Martin Breslauer (18711940), from whom the letter was purchased in 1909/1910 by Nicolai P. Likhachev (1862-1936). This publication serves both as a study of the Renaissance in Europe and humanistic jurisprudence, and as a research of the formation of N.P. Likhachev’s collection.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):424-458
424-458
War Etchings as a historical source: «The battle of Breitenfeld» by Matthäus Merian the Elder
Abstract
The article deals with the depiction of the Battle of Breitenfeld from the second volume «Theatrum Europaeum», which was published in 1633 by the publishing house of Me-rian in Frankfurt am Main. In order to properly evaluate this masterfully created etching, which was based on a drawing by one of the Swedish cartographers Olof Hansson and was also published as a broadsheet, interdisciplinarity is required, the application of the methods of both history and art history. Art historians believe Merian’s etchings can be categorized as analytical-topographic battle scenes. Merian’s oeuvre is characterized by the shift from idyllic landscapes to the topographical depiction of besieged cities or battlefields. Landscape gradually becomes a theatrum belli and, in Merian’s later works, plays the role of visual documentation of places and events. Historians who favor the methods of media history or military history compare the illustrations and text of «Theatrum Europaeum» with the content of contemporary pamphlets and newspapers that circulated throughout the Holy Roman Empire. Using these methods, they gain insight into how contemporaries might have assessed major victories and defeats. «Theatrum Europaeum» was one of the best «chronicles» of current events and of the Thirty Years’ War, composed of a mix of news reports from around the world. The author has attempted to elucidate the circumstances surrounding the publication of this etching in the lead-up to the Frankfurt Lent Fair. A comparative analysis of Merian’s etching with contemporary illustrations and information about the battle is carried out.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):459-491
459-491
Letter of John Adams written on May 10, 1776. Publication and comment.
Abstract
John Adams (1735-1826) was one of the U. S. “Founding Fathers”, the President of the USA, 1797-1801. In the year 1776 he was member of Continental Congress, representing the colony, or province, of Massachusetts, being at the same time member of ruling Provincial Council of Massachusetts. On May 10, 1776, John Adams sent a letter to Perez Morton, Secretary of the Council, in order to let him know that the deputies of legislative body of Massachusetts should not elect Adams to be member of the Council for the next year. This letter, deposited in the West-European Section of the Archive of St. Petersburg Institute of History, is now printed with translation into Russian and also with comment. The historical importance of the letter is defined by the fact that it was written in the very day when Adams, in collaboration with Richard Henry Lee, proposed the “Adams-Lee Resolution”, basic for the process of creating the USA as independent Union of the States. prescribing the formation of governments independent from Great Britain in all colonies, and subsequent transformation colonies/provinces into the States. Ceasing to be member of the Council of Massachusetts, John Adams, one month later, took part, with Thomas Jefferson, in writing the U. S. Declaration of Independence.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):492-505
492-505
Heraldry and coats of arms in the 17th-century treatise by Alvaro Ferreira de Vera
Abstract
The 17th-century Portuguese author Alvaro Ferreira de Vera’s «Origem da nobreza po-litica, brasoes de armas, apelidos, cargos e titulos nobres» is a treatise on nobility. This genre is characterized by its examination of the history of the origin and use of coats of arms. The author attributes the origin of coats of arms to the custom, dating back to ancient times, of «rewarding the good and punishing the wicked», in pursuit of honor and glory for oneself and one’s descendants. Nobles acquired coats of arms by which they were recognized in war, representing their nobility and recalling the exploits of their ancestors. In this regard, the author cites several legends about the acquisition of coats of arms. At the same time, he attempts to determine the time of the emergence of coats of arms on the Iberian Peninsula and concludes that the use of coats of arms in Portugal predates that of Castile, dating back to the 11th century. He links the emergence of coats of arms of individual Portuguese families to memorable events in their history. Overall, he recreates the erudite mythology of heraldry, within which he attempts to expound the meaning of heraldic colors. Reflecting the norms of his time, Ferreira de Vera argues that noble and distinguished individuals have distinctive emblems denoting the dignity each holds within the state. He addresses the issue of granting coats of arms but denies individuals of humble origin the right to bear the same shields as prominent fidalgos.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):508-527
508-527
Knight-chronicler of the end of the XIth century
Abstract
In 1971, employees of the general history group of the Leningrad branch of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR prepared a typewritten collection of their works in honor of the 70th anniversary of the birth of the group leader Victor I. Rutenburg (1911-1988), which was called “I Fiori e le Spighi” - “Flowers and ears”. Later, almost all of these articles were published in different journals and became publicly available. But the present work of Alexandra D. Lublinskaya (1902-1980) remained unknown and did not fall into the list of her printed works. The text was prepared by Arkadiy V Fedorov, a graduate student at the Higher School of Economics (Moscow), and Vladimir V. Shishkin, a senior researcher at the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Auxiliary historical disciplines. 2026;45(2):528-535
528-535
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