On December 7, 2024, in the UN Hall of of the Regional Centre for the Development of Public Diplomacy and International Relations named after Yevgeniy M. Primakov, a scientific seminar was held, which was conducted by the research team working under the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 24-28-01430 “War and the temporal regime of modernity: a study of the vital experience of the present in the perception of combatants and non-combatants of the First World War”.
Y. A. Golubinov, Dean of the Faculty of History, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor; Y. A. Zherdeva, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of World History, International Relations and Documentation Studies; A. I. Eliseev and A. E. Gulina, senior teachers of the Department of National History and Historiography, Candidate of Historical Sciences, presented reports on the work done.
Y. A. Golubinov spoke about the features of the temporal organization of life of combatants on the Russian Front of the First World War. The researcher showed that there was a similarity in the experience of time in the eastern and western theaters of military operations. Combatants adapted to the changing pace of life, the rhythm of events, the alternation of combat operations and forced periods of inactivity. A. E. Gulina clarified that religious holidays played an important role in the life of combatants, marking the change of seasons that broke (like intermissions in the theater) the already familiar routine of front-line life. A. I. Eliseev revealed the importance of reading practices at the front They allowed combatants to synchronize their lives with the life of the home front (reading letters from home), other fronts and allied states (reading newspapers and magazines), and, finally, with the cultural life of society (reading fiction). Y. A. Zherdeva‘s report was devoted to theoretical aspects of the study of temporality, in particular, the works of historian and cultural critic Stephen Kern, who included the phenomena of the First World War in the framework of a longer period — the Modern era (1880-1918).
Also a report on the topic “Public Moods in the early twentieth Century: from Futuroschock to Temporal Uncertainty ” presented by V. B. Aksenov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Senior Researcher of the Center for the Study of Modern Russian History and Political Science of the IRI RAS. Together with the participants of the seminar, he discussed the peculiarities of the formation of mass ideas about the war, revolution and change of epochs in Russian society in 1914-1918.
The seminar was attended by teachers of Samara State University named after Korolev M. M. Leonov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor O. B. Leontieva, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor L. N. Popkova and 3rd year student K. M. Dunavetsky, member of the Social Council of History Faculty. Guests from other universities and research institutions of Samara also took part in the discussion of the reports: M. A. Koretskaya (Head of the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies of Samara State Medical University), S. G. Malkin (Head of the Department of General History, Law and Teaching Methods of Samara State Pedagogical University), Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor N. F. Tagirova (SNC RAS), Ph. D., Associate Professor N. A. Balakleets (SamSTU).
The seminar participants discussed not only the stated problems, but also, together with the participants of the grant research group, outlined ways to apply the stated scientific optics for studying other historical periods, gave a number of tips on attracting the latest scientific literature, new sets of sources (documents from archives and libraries in Russia and other countries).
Photo: Alina Kavtaskina, “Porthole ” photo Club. Vladimir Kakovkin
Source: Samara State University.