The Presidential Library to portray the historian Valentina Chernukha

On January 31, 2024 at 11:00 Moscow time the Presidential Library, as part of the video lecture Knowledge of Russia will host a lecture dedicated to Valentina Grigorievna Chernukha (1930–2014) - a prominent Russian historian who made a significant contribution to the study of the internal politics of the Russian Empire in the second half XIX century.

The range of scientific problems that Valentina Grigorievna investigated was very wide, but the main theme remained the topic of historical alternative: the choice made by the authorities and the opportunities they missed for evolutionary (“peaceful”) modernization. Continuing the work of his mentor S. N. Valka, together with colleagues at the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences (formerly LOII) - V. S. Dyakin, Yu. B. Solovyov, R. Sh. Ganelin, B. V. Ananyich, A. N. Tsamutali, V. A. Nardova, - V. G. Chernukha studied the multifaceted problem of the crisis of autocracy. January 31, 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of her death, so on this day, students will gather to remember their mentor.

The lecture “Valentina Grigoryevna Chernukha: Reflections of a Historian” will be given by an associate researcher at the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the department of modern history of Russia, associate professor, doctor of historical sciences, professor of the department of history of Russia from ancient times to the beginning of the 19th century and professor of the department of humanitarian education Vyborg branch of the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, student of V. G. Chernukha Inna Barykina. The event will be joined by an associate employee of the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, head of the Department of History and Philosophy of the St. Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation, Associate Professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences Leonid Gusman.

When studying many issues of the internal politics of the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century, Valentina Grigorievna Chernukha often had to be the first - in her own words, “to wander through virgin soil” paving the way for the next generations and passing on the “baton of the baton” to them. She became such a pioneer in the study of previously unexplored aspects of government constitutionalism and the struggle for the creation of the cabinet of ministers, the first period of the Council of Ministers (1857–1882) and government policy regarding the press, the history of the passport system. The result of the work on each aspect of domestic policy was a series of articles and a monograph, and some of the materials remained outside the scope of publications, among the drafts.

In one of her speeches to the audience, Valentina Grigorievna emphasized that “this is not a narrative, but the reflections of a researcher, in which there are more questions than answers”. During the video lecture dedicated to the memory of the scientist, the event participants will try to penetrate the historian’s creative laboratory in order to imagine how his research method was formed, how scientific questions arose and the search for answers took place.  

The video lecture will follow the series “Outstanding Historians of the 19th–20th Centuries” which the Presidential Library holds jointly with the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The video lecture is free. The meeting will be broadcast on the Presidential Library’s portal in the Live Broadcasts section in accordance with the program of live broadcasts as well as on the institution’s Rutube-channel, on the social networks VKontakte and Odnoklassniki.

Accreditation of media representatives is until 12:00 January 30, 2024

Please forward applications for accreditation following the attached form marked Media Accreditation at media@prlib.ru, dyatko@prlib.ru Olga Dyatko, tel.: (812) 305-16-21, ext. 190; mob. +7 (900) 658-48-32.

The letter should contain the full name, date and place of birth, passport data (series, number, place of registration), a list of carry-on equipment, contact phone numbers, the name of the media.

We draw the attention of the media representatives that it is necessary to forward applications for accreditation and arrive at the event in advance.

Entrance to the Presidential Library is carried out only by prior registration and upon showing a passport: for media representatives - through entrance № 2, participants and guests of the event - through entrance № 1.