Russian culture abroad: Book covering three centuries of Russian culture in Baltic States comes out in Latvia

Presentation of the book entitled “Baltic Russians: history in monuments of culture”, edited by Alexander Gaponenko, Institute of European Studies, kicked off at the Russian Culture Center of the Baltic International Academy in Riga.

The 734 pages-folio contains 224 essays written by 34 authors from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, as well as many photographs. For the first time the book spans the history of Russian population in Baltic states from 1717 to 2010. Authors focus reader’s attention on artefacts, created by Russian people in these lands: monuments, churches, monasteries, necropolis, palaces, public buildings, engineering and military constructions. Thus according to Alexandr Gaponenko, project’s initiator, curator and editor, Head of the Institute of European Studies  (Latvia), authors relied on the indisputable material evidences of life of Russian people in Baltic states, avoiding a very popular mythological interpretation of many historical events.

The book’s content is grouped in 5 sections, each accompanied by a brief description of social and political life in that particular historical stage. The edition provides maps of the main political and administrative formations on the territory of Baltic states. Popular science material also contains all the necessary references.

The work on exploration of monuments of culture, their description, systematization, holding of the scientific conference, creation of the photo exhibition “Lost and forgotten monuments of Russian culture” and publication of the book “Baltic Russians: history in the monuments of culture" were sponsored by the “Russkiy Mir” foundation and Moscow City government. Book’s publication is timed to 300th anniversary of annexation of Swedish Livonia and Estland to Russia, what promoted an intensive development of Russian culture tradition, founded in 17th c. by the Old believers and Orthodox people in Baltic states on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.