Abstract: the article analyses the cultural component in the structure of historical knowledge, its growth during the two cultural turnings: in early XX century, brought up by the crisis of the linear model of history, and in the last decades of XX century, associated with the formation of a new cultural history. Author shows the different role of the explication of cultural/co-existential context in research-oriented and socially-oriented history: in the science-oriented history the ability to place the phenomenon under study into the cultural space is an indispensable component of professionalism, while the socially-oriented modern history does not imply correct explication of cultural contexts.

Keywords: cultural turn, the new cultural history, source study, the concept of the methodology of history, cultural coexistential space, the cultural component of historical knowledge, socially-oriented history, science-oriented history.

Abstract: the article shows peculiarities for forming and activities of scientific schools in the Soviet historical science, describes the role of the subjective factor in this process. It shows that the presence in the community of Soviet historians in the mid-twentieth century of two generations of the antagonist: the historians of the “old school” and “red professors” generation limited to eminent the possibility of creating their own schools for pre-revolutionary historians.

Keywords: history, science, schools, ideology, politics, methodology, Marxism, the “thaw”, Grekov D.B., Sidorov A.L.

Abstract: the article makes an attempt to answer the question of whether science can give an objective historical knowledge of past to the human societies from the positions of source studies. The author believes that while answering to this question three things must be kept in mind: not all information was recorded on the validity of the contemporaries, and even the information that was recorded, is not fully preserved, and for various reasons only partly available to scientists; historian forming the source base for the work in his own turn selects the study material that the most relevant to the goals and objectives of the study; the terms of the interests of the creators of the sources are always selective, so that historians use a subjective reference picture of the past left by his contemporaries as a research base. Overcoming this is possible on the basis of the totality of information on the events contained in the documents from the creators and publishers with different goals. Chances to recreate a more objective picture of real past increases with the use an interdisciplinary approach in the historical research and by inclusion to the source base both written and graphic materials. The task of the scientists in the search of historical objectivity is to minimize their own subjectivity.

Keywords: history, historical studies, objective and subjective, historical sources, the subjective picture of the past, the repository of sources, an interdisciplinary approach, specifically, the concrete-problem method, “colored books”, satirical graphics.

Abstract: the article is devoted to the study of anamnesis of therapeutic clinic of the Moscow State University in 1890th as a source on the history of everyday life of the second half of XIX century. The author analyzes the characteristics of this source and its new informational opportunities.

Keywords: history, daily life, source studies, methodology of history, casualty, gender, health care, professions and occupations, food, education and literacy.

Abstract: the article describes Stolypin’s (national and rational) type of modernization in Russia, analyzes the methodology of the Stolypin’s reforms, shows that Stolypin has created an integrated program of reform in Russia, based on the idea of connecting the state and freed personality into a united creative-oriented whole, driven by a common aim creation of the Great Russia. In a relatively short period of time Russia has achieved visible results in all spheres of life, in terms of economic growth in 1913th the country came to the first place in the the world, and the by the gross industrial output to the fifth place. After the death of Stolypin the transformation he planned continued, but the executors of his plans lacked his will and energy.

Keywords: history, national history, the Stolypin reforms, holistic program, a national road, traditions, rational type of modernization, the rule of law, the release of "stanovyasheysya personality, " economic development.

Abstract: the article gives the review of International congress “The Unity of Italy Through the Eyes of Europe”, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy and held on September 15–19, 2011 in Turin and Moncalieri at the initiative of Inter-University Center for the Study of Travel in Italy and the European Library of Culture “Victor Del Litho”. The main theme of the congress was view of the Europeans on events in Italy, associated with the expulsion of foreigners and the national unification of the country: impressions of volunteers —direct participants of the movement for national unification, evidence of foreigners (correspondence, letters, diaries), the response of European states to the unification of Italy, women’s participation in events of 1860s, etc. Strong emotional response from Europeans and Americans is an evidence of worm emotional support.

Keywords: history, international congress, the Unity of Italy, Europe, public speaking, travel, memories, diaries, correspondence, women.

Abstract: name of the great Knyazh Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky is known to all from the school course of history. The visualization created by the actor Nikolay Cherkasov, became an idol reference for several generations of our countrymen. In the mass consciousness the Battle on the Ice is one of the major milestones in the history of medieval Russia. The article not only traces its causes, course and consequences, but also searches for answers to the following questions: why was the Battle on the Ice is so widely known, why Alexander Nevsky became sacral character of national history and one of the most famous figures in medieval Russia.

Keywords: history, the Battle on the Ice, the Battle of Lake Chudskoye, Alexander Nevskiy, Novgorod lands, the Crusaders, the Teutonic Order, the Baltics, the Middle Ages, historical stereotypes.

Abstract: the articles expresses in the modern views of foreign historians on the development of different types of defensive weapons in the medieval East.

Keywords: history, the East, Persia, “Shah-Nameh”, armor, plate armor, scaly armor, chain armor

Abstract: the conference “The role of Media in promoting the memorable dates of Russian History”, held April 23rd 2012, encouraged the author (who is not a professional historian) to share thoughts on the celebration of anniversaries in the history of Russia. He wonders why and how logical this terms are used in the normative documents, and offers to restore order in our memorable historic “sector” (at least to recommend without a doubt the memorable dates for the country’s history textbooks and to be sure that the younger generation will want to remember them).

Keywords: history, national history, historical milestones, memorable dates, dates of memory, the days of military glory, holidays, professional holidays, holiday Knights of St. George, February 19th (1861).

Abstract: the article is devoted to the major theoretical meanings that are found in the work of Russian economist, historian and orientalist Alexander Mikhailovich Petrov (1946-2010). The main content of the Petrov A.M. works is devoted to economic aspects of the interaction the two “macro-civilizations” (West and East) over the centuries. Historical views of Petrov are related to the correction of the modern historiography of the old concept of “Asiatic mode of production”. Petrov wrote about the traditions of human alienation (in particular - the village people) through the institutions of ideology and power. The great educational and research experience of Petrov A.M. was intended to be a stimulus for further development of the whole sphere of socio-humanitarian knowledge.

Keywords: history, economics, Oriental studies, source studies, formations and civilization, “Asiatic mode of production”, “gene of the East”, alienation, freedom.

Abstract: the article deals with the prevailing views in the historiography of the ineffectiveness of the organization of the central government in Muscovy in XVI-XVII centuries. Based on the archival materials author analyzes the degree of responsiveness of the central and provincial administration orders, as well as the level of professionalism in dealing with administrative matters. The observations made allows to suggest that the common views of a slow and confused mandative management system does not correspond to the actual state of affairs in Moscow’s orders.

Keywords: history, orders, administration, management, deacons, scribes, bureaucrats, petitions, paper work, corruption.

Abstract: the article discloses the subject of organization of cargo transportation in the basin of the Oka River in the XVIII – late XIX centuries.: the characteristics and design features of the river boats used on the Oka River and its tributaries are given, the basic centers of formation of traffic and the construction of river vessels are viewed.

Keywords: history, geography, ships, ship, cargo, shipping, shipyards, river navigation, the self-floating.

Abstract: the life of Vorontsov M.C., one of the most important figures in Russian history of the first half of XIX century, is a vivid example of the free mind at the enserfed society. The foundations of his worldview was formed in England, in a legal state with a developed civil society. And it is a priori created a dissonance between the reality and the inner world of Vorontsov. Repeatedly he was faced with incomprehension and condemnation of his actions at work and in private life. For an internally free man it was not easy to live in serfdom Russia in the first half of the XIX century. Autocracy as a variant of an oppressive regime in all social strata fostered a certain type of mind arising from the organizing principles of tyranny: arbitrariness and fear. Such consciousness is, in principle, is outside of the legal field and evaluate the phenomena of life based on the dichotomy of “unconditional domination / submission”. The serfdom consciousness has become an important factor in the popularity of socialist ideas in post-reform Russia on different social levels.

Keywords: history, the Vorontsovs’ family, consciousness, freedom, serfdom, monarchy, legal consciousness, emancipation, rights, socialism.