Keywords
How to Cite
Abstract
This study is a critical review of ten scientific articles devoted to the Russian frontier in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean and the west coast of North America in the 18th–19th centuries, where Russian colonies were formed in Alaska and California – the so-called “Russian America”. All analyzed articles were published in 2024 in various academic journals, including journals from the list of the Higher Attestation Commission. A critical study of the texts of publications revealed a rather bleak picture: with rare exceptions, the general scientific level of works by certified historians is very low. One of the reasons for this is that this topic has become much more often studied by non‑specialists, who are characterized by an extremely poor knowledge of previous historiography, absolutely insufficient use of historical sources and foreign literature, and a frequent lack of elementary logic, when the title of the work, the abstract, and conclusions do not correspond to the content of the text of the article. However, partly the same can be said about the scientists studying Russian America professionally. All this is compounded by a low citation culture and sometimes careless presentation of references and bibliographies. The situation is aggravated by the connivance of reviewers and editors, including those from journals on the “VAK” (Higher Attestation Commission) list, who do not prevent the publication of frankly weak scientific works. As a result, articles appear that are essentially low-quality compilations with a greater or lesser sprinkling of various erroneous statements, formulations, and conclusions. In this regard, it is appropriate to raise the question of the advisability of funding such creations with grants so that public funds are not spent practically in vain. The author hopes for a continuation of the discussion of the problem of scientific publications’ quality raised in the article using other historical topics as examples.
References
Afanasyev, A. D., & Pigoreva, O. V. (2024). The Russian Posessions in North America during the XVIII‑XIX Centuries: Characteristics of Colonization and Factors Leading to the Loss of Territory. Society: Philosophy, History, Culture, 11, 140–146. https://doi.org/10.24158/fik.2024.11.18 (In Russian).
Bolkhovitinov, N. N. (1972). Dr. Schaeffer's adventure in Hawaii in 1815–1819. Recent and Contemporary History, 1, 121–137. (In Russian).
Bolkhovitinov, N. N. (1990). Russian-American Relations and the Sale of Alaska. 1834–1867. Nauka. (In Russian).
Bolkhovitinov, N. N., & Istomin, A. A. (1999). The sad fate of the Ross colony (1825–1841). In N. N. Bolkhovitinov (Ed.), Russian America: From Zenith to Sunset (1825–1867): Vol. III. Activities of the Russian-American Company (1799–1825) (pp. 205–230). World Affairs. (In Russian).
Gibson, J. R. (1976). Imperial Russia in Frontier America. The Changing Geography of Supply of Russian America, 1784–1867. Oxford University Press.
Gibson, J. R. (1983). The Sale of Russian America to the United States. Acta Slavica Japonica, 1, 15‑37.
Gibson, J. R. (1999). The problem of food supply in Russian America. In N. N. Bolkhovitinov (Ed.), Russian America: From Zenith to Sunset (1825–1867): Vol. III. Activities of the Russian-American Company (1799–1825) (pp. 231–319). World Affairs. (In Russian).
Golovin, P. N. (1862). Overview of Russian colonies in North America, compiled by Lieutenant Commander Pavel Nikolaevich Golovin. Marine Collection, 57(3), 19–192. (In Russian).
Golovnin, V. M. (1949). Works. Voyage on the sloop Diana... Voyage around the world on the sloop Kamchatka... Etc. Published by Glavsevmorputi. (In Russian).
Gornov, V. A. (2024). The Last Pioneers: The Expeditions of Lavrenty Zagoskin and Ruf Serebrennikov to the Interior of Russian America in the 1840s. Ryazan Region: History, Culture, Society. Proceedings of the Ninth Interregional Scientific and Practical Conference, 95–104. (In Russian).
Grinëv, A. V. (2000). Alexander Baranov's American Epic. Questions of history, 8, 153–159. (In Russian).
Grinëv, A. V. (2006). Russian politarism as the main reason for the sale of Alaska. Acta Slavica Iaponica, 23, 171–202. (In Russian).
Grinëv, A. V. (2009a). Russia's geopolitical interests in America and the Pacific North. 18th – first half of the 19th century. Questions of history, 3, 48–65. (In Russian).
Grinëv, A. V. (2009b). Who's Who in the History of Russian America. Encyclopedic Dictionary-Reference Book (N. N. Bolkhovitinov, Ed.). Academia. (In Russian).
Grinëv, A. V. (2015). The First Envoy of St. Petersburg (On the 250th anniversary of the birth of N.P. Rezanov and the 210th anniversary of his embassy to Japan). History of St. Petersburg, 1, 69–75. (In Russian).
Grinëv, A. V. (2016). Steamships of the Russian-American Company, 1839–1867. The Mariner’s Mirror, 102(4), 417–425. https://doi.org/10.1080/00253359.2016.1240976
Grinëv, A. V. (2018). Alaska under the wing of the double-headed eagle (Russian colonization of the New World in the context of domestic and world history). Academia. (In Russian).
Grinëv, A. V. (2022). The Theme of Russian America in the Pages of Legal Periodicals. Historical Expertise, 1, 256–285. (In Russian).
Grinëv, A. V. (2023). Russian America and its Problems in Contemporary National Works of Economists. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. History, 68(1), 277–300. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu02.2023.116 (In Russian).
Istomin, A. A. (1999a). I. A. Kuskov's California Expeditions (1808–1812). In American Yearbook 1998 (pp. 131–147). Nauka. (In Russian).
Istomin, A. A. (1999b). The founding of Fort Ross in California in 1812 and relations with Spain. In N. N. Bolkhovitinov (Ed.), History of Russian America (1732–1767): Vol. II. Activities of the Russian-American Company (1799–1825) (pp. 190–274). World Affairs. (In Russian).
Istomin, A. A. (2023). Russian America, Russian California, and the Problems of the Typology of Colonialism. Sibirskie Istoricheskie Issledovaniia – Siberian Historical Research, 4, 21–44. (In Russian).
Ivashintsov, N. A. (1872). Russian voyages around the world from 1803 to 1849. Printing house of the Ministry of the Navy. (In Russian).
Jensen, R. J. (1975). The Alaska Purchase and Russian-American Relations. University of Washington Press.
Khlibnikov, K. T. (1979). Russian America in the unpublished notes of K. T. Khlibnikov. Nauka. (In Russian).
Kopelev, D. N. (2021). From Cape Golovnin to Alexander I Land: Russian circumnavigations in the first half of the 19th century. Political Encyclopedia. (In Russian).
Kopelev, D. N. (2023). “All conquests for Russia have already been accomplished”: Russian circumnavigations in the dynamics of imperial construction (first half of the 19th century). In Natural and Cultural Heritage: Interdisciplinary Research, Preservation, and Development. Collection of scientific articles based on materials from the XI All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with international participation (pp. 444–466). Herzen State Pedagogical University. (In Russian).
Lyapunova, R. G., Dridzo, A. D., & Kinjalov, R. V. (Eds.). (1994). Russian America. Based on the personal impressions of missionaries, explorers, sailors, researchers, and other eyewitnesses. Mysl. (In Russian).
National Archives and Record Service (NARS). (n.d.). Wash. RRAC, roll. 57.
Norchenko, A. N. (1999). Chronicle of half-forgotten voyages. Elmor. (In Russian).
Okun, S. B. (1939). The Russian-American Company. State Socio-Economic Publishing House. (In Russian).
Petrov, A. Yu. (2006). The Russian-American Company: Activities in Domestic and Foreign Markets (1799–1867). Institute of General History, Russian Academy of Sciences. (In Russian).
Petrov, A. Yu. (2024). A.I. Andreev and S.B. Okunon the Essence of Russian Colonial Policy at the End of the 18th – first Half of the 19th Centuries. Historical notes, 23, 317–328. https://doi.org/10.25986/ISN.2024.141.23.016 (In Russian).
Petrov, A. Yu. (2024a). The formation of the Russian Empire's border in Alaska in the 19th century. Historical memory and spiritual experience in the formation of Russian statehood (on the 280th anniversary of the Kostroma Diocese and the 80th anniversary of the Kostroma Region). Collection of papers from the VII International Scientific and Practical Conference, 20–24. (In Russian).
Petrov, A. Yu. (2024b). On the confrontation between the Russian Empire and Western powers in the Pacific North in the 18th century. Eurasian Yearbook, 2, 356–372. (In Russian).
Petrov, A. Yu. (2024c). Round-The-World Voyages from St. Petersburg in the First Half of the 19th Century: Financial and Economic Aspects. Sibirskie Istoricheskie Issledovaniia – Siberian Historical Research, 4, 160–180. (In Russian).
Petrov, A. Yu., & Ermolaev, A. P. (2024). Russia, Mexico and the USA in the struggle for California in the 1820–1840s. RUDN Journal of Russian History, 23(1), 98–108. https://doi.org/10.22363/2312-8674-2024-23-1-98-108 (In Russian).
Pierce, R. A. (1965). Russia’s Hawaiian Adventure, 1815–1817. University of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520412033
Plotnikov, A. Yu. (2024). Russian Colonies in the Pacific Ocean and the Russian-American Relations in the XIX Century. In American Studies: Current Approaches and Contemporary Research. Issue 16 (pp. 266–282). Kursk State University. https://doi.org/10.24412/cl-35952-2024-266-282 (In Russian).
Preobrazhensky, A. A. (1960). On the composition of shareholders of the Russian-American Company in the early 19th century. Historical Notes, 67, 286–295. (In Russian).
Report of the Russian-American Company's Main Board for two years, as of January 1, 1842. (1842). Fisher Printing House. (In Russian).
Salomatov, A. Yu., & Polyanskova, L. Yu. (2024). Russian America and the sale of Alaska in the context of geopolitical and historical realities of the mid-19th century. In Fundamentals of Russian Statehood: Prospects for Research and Interdisciplinary Study: Collection of papers based on materials from the All-Russian Scientific Conference (Penza, December 13, 2023) (pp. 42–55). Penza State University Press. (In Russian).
Tikhmenev, P. A. (1861). Historical review of the formation of the Russian-American Company and its activities to date. Part I. Edward Weimar Printing House. (In Russian).
Zavalishin, D. I. (1866). The Case of the Ross Colony. Russian Herald, 62(3), 36–65. (In Russian).
Zorin, A. V. (2024). Mikhail Bakadorov: Merchant from Kursk, Employee of the Russian-American Company. In American Studies: Current Approaches and Contemporary Research. Issue 16 (pp. 225–265). Kursk State University. https://doi.org/10.24412/cl-35952-2024-255-265 (In Russian).
Zubov, N. N. (1954). Russian navigators – explorers of the seas and oceans. State Publishing House of Geographical Literature. (In Russian).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.