Priest Pavel A. Ilenko,
Kolpashchikov A.V., Ilenko I.P.
Orenburg
orthodox theological seminary, Russia
HISTORICAL
SOURCES AS A HISTORICAL STUDY CATEGORY OF PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS IN ORENBURG
DIOCESE
Source study is
the subject of the special science, studying techniques to identify historical
sources, their critics, separation of types, systematization and classification
of them. One of the appropriate definitions of «historical source» belongs to
Leonard Derbov among Russian experts: «... under the historical source of
modern science we understand all remnants of the past, which were in the
historical evidence, reflecting the real phenomena of social life and the laws
of development of human society. In fact, it is a wide variety of products and
traces of human activity: artefacts, literary texts, ideology, morals, customs,
language, etc.» [1: 18]
The
aim of this study is to examine the basic meaning of «historical source» and
identification the surviving periodicals that appeared in the Orenburg diocese
in the 1799-1918.
Some historical
sources are part of a receding into the past reality, its relics (tools,
archaeological sites, religious buildings, certificates, agreements, etc.).
Others are reported about the past, describing, evaluating it (annals,
chronicles, works of art, preaching, instructions, and so on.).
Any source is a
product of the social people activities. Any source is subjective because it
reflects the past in the form of personal, subjective images. But at the same
time, it is a form of reflection of the objective world, eras, countries and
peoples in their real historical existence. In this sense, historical sources
can be considered as the basis of knowledge of historical reality, allowing to
reconstruct the events and phenomena of social life in the past.
Historical
sources are very diverse in nature. There are a variety of historical sources
classification, but we will focus on three major groups [2: 34]: written
historical sources are the first, the most numerous type, which, in its turn,
are divided into the following main types:
1)
legislative sources, including monuments of ancient law, civil law and other
legislative sites;
2)
assembly material;
3)
clerical current documents;
4)
statistical documents, as well as documents of economic and geographical order;
5)
personal documents (memories, diaries, correspondence);
6)
periodicals;
7)
journalism and literary monuments.
According
to the first group «Orenburg diocesan vedomosti» and «Orenburg Listok» were
widespread periodicals in the Orenburg diocese. In the article, the term
«Orenburg diocese» means the administrative and ecclesiastical district in Orenburg center, the boundaries of which
were composed in the XIX century. The final boundaries of the Orenburg diocese
were formed in the XX century with the formation of the Orenburg region, and
remained canonically inseparable until the St. Synod (October 5, 2011) [3].
The first report on the results of scientific research of archival
affairs was made at the 5th General Meeting of the Orenburg scientific archival
commission (OSAC) 01.09.1889 concerning
the legal status of the Church of Sts. ap. Peter and Paul in Orenburg by G.E.
Korolev-Antoshechkin, who was actively engaged in scientific development and
publication of church-historical documents on the history of the Orenburg
diocese, materials on the history of Orenburg and the local press [4].
35
issues of «Works» appeared during Orenburg scientific archival commission
activity. Editions were published from 1889 to 1917. The first edition was
prepared by another commission to review cases and device archive of the former
Office of the Orenburg governor-general. «Works» contain 18 monothematic issues
and 17 various authors` articles collections. Commission`s reports and protocol
were published in most editions, as well as lists of members. The issue
contains ethnographic work, archaeological, historical, including church
history. In 11 editions church-historical content was published and 3 issues
-monothematic. The work theme is focused on Commission activities, discussed at
the first meeting in 1887. Releases were published in various publishing houses
of the region. 8 issues were published in
Karimov and Husainov`s printing, in Turgay regional printing - 7, in the
provincial house - 7, in the printing of the Orenburg Spiritual Consistory - 2,
as well as in other publishing houses.
«Orenburg diocesan vedomosti» were and still exist as the official organ
of the Orenburg diocese. Published from 1873 to April 1917, then under the title
«Orenburg church-public bulletin» (to December 1917). I.I.
Evfimovsky-Mirovitsky was the initiator of the newspaper creation. He was at
that time Secretary of the Orenburg Spiritual Consistory. Editorial began its
work by October 11, 1872. All the activities were under the diocesan bishop`s
control.
Newspaper
circulation amounted 400 copies in 1873, of which 300 ones were mandatory
subscription, and only 100 were distributed free to honorable people in
exchange for other publications. Interesting fact, that the subscription was
compulsory for all the Clergy, college boards, spiritual guardianship,
monasteries and the office of a Bishop`s house [5].
The
second group of historical sources should be classified as physical (real)
monuments: it is preserved temples and remains of the foundations of the old
temples, preserved church utensils and other liturgical items, non-liturgical
objects, which reflect the monasteries life.
The third group includes ethnographic
monuments containing certain information about the different peoples, their
names, areas of settlement, the specifics of their cultural life, and the
nature of their religious beliefs and practices.
The
first attempt to develop scientific periodicals of Orenburg province was made
in the early 60-ies of XX century in preparation for the publication Guide to
the State Archive of the Orenburg region, which was published in 1966. In the late twentieth century - beginning of
the XXI century regional press studies were made as a source of data about the
formation of archival and local history in the Orenburg region. These studies
mainly related to the activities of the Orenburg Scientific Archive Commission
(OSAC) and are associated with Orenburg historians names, such as Y.S. Zobov,
D.A. Safonov and Chelyabinsk historian ethnographer V.S. Bozhe. The authors
evaluated the research activities OSAC in the field of Orenburg region history.
The authors noted, that all OSAC members` historical works were based on
documents that were available at that time, the old residents` memories and
archaeological finds. That was the first systematic historical research, which
has not always been successful. The commission members were engaged in very
different activities: archeology, ethnography, analysis of archive cases, compiling
a reference tool to archive cases, issuing archival information, a variety of
historical research. This difference is not always given the opportunity to
focus on a particular study. Positive aspects of research OSAC are undoubtedly the collection and
accumulation of historical data, based on historical documents and local
archives, old-timers` memories and
direct participants in historical events. It should be noted, that in assessing
the activities committee , modern writers passed by commission church history,
or limited to a brief work description by N.M. Chernavsky, published in the VII
and X releases TOSAC [6].
Historical
sources are the whole set of documents and artefacts, that depicted the
historical process and individual facts, after that the idea of a particular
historical era becomes recreated.
Periodicals
are a type of historical sources. In the Orenburg diocese there were several
periodicals, but complete their evaluation, as a source for the regional church
history, have not been performed.
During
the Soviet period not only the great damage was done to Orenburg diocese (in
the period from 1937 to 1944 all the diocese parishes were closed, even some
temples were destroyed), but also to church historiography. Interrupted
tradition of church-historical works, the lack of a unified methodological
center for the study of Orenburg Diocese history, makes it impossible for the
emergence of new systematic works on the one history of Orenburg Diocese
synodal period, which, in turn, creates an obstacle in new researchers in
understanding the preconditions for the history of modern period. For the local
history of the church development in the Archdiocese of Orenburg, which was
established on the canonical territory of the former Diocese of Orenburg, at
the present stage requires the local
heritage estimation of secular and diocesan media for the history of the Diocese and recovery largely forgotten
historians` works.
Written
sources are really important for studying Orenburg diocese history. Eventually,
sources are based on real events - subjectively describe objective reality and
on documents, some of which are permanently lost.
References
2. Zhukov E.M. Essays on the
methodology of history. - M .: Nauka, 1987.
3. The Holy Synod Journal from the
5-6 th October, 2011 ¹ 132 [electronic resource] // Official site of the
Russian Orthodox Church: http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/1639858.html
4. Korolev-Antoshechkin G.E. The
first attempt at publishing the newspaper in the Orenburg region // Proceedings
of the Orenburg scientific archival commission. Vol. XXII. - Orenburg: N.G.
Volkov Typography, 1903. - P.: 129-152.
5. Chernavsky N.M. «Orenburg
diocesan vedomosti» // OSAC Works. -1903. -ed.12.
6. Keepers. Pages of archival
affairs History in the Orenburg region / under com.red. S.M. Muromtseva;
scientific. Ed. D.M. Safonov, com. for architects. Orenb. Region. - Orenburg:
Dimur, 2009. - P.: 34-35.