A Russian Point of View on German Rossievedenie

Abstract

This review deals with the chapter about modern Russian Studies in Germany given in the collective monograph "Izuchenie Rossii sovremennymi istorikami Zapada i Vostoka", recently published under the editorship of N.V. Trubnikova. Its authors, the Tomsk historians V.V. Ageeva and M.A. Shtanko, have set themselves a promising goal: in their overview on German rossievedenie covering the years from 1975 until 2014 they plan to apply theoretical-methodological criteria instead of using the more common in such cases political ones. In order to realize this project, they proposed to divide modern German historiography into three periods (1975‑1989/90, 1990‑2005, 2005‑14), with the latter one being a no less important innovation. However, the reader`s expectations are disappointed. Unfortunately, the chapter "Sovremennoe nemeckoe rossievedenie: specifika diskursa, tematicheskie polia i process institucionalizacii" occurs a mere compilation of superficially adapted facts, conclusions and ideas mostly taken from other works. V.V. Ageeva and M.A. Shtanko do not seem to care much that some of the data and personalia they draw on have already lost its actuality. Statistical material serves largely to confirm their own postulates, and most references to German historians and their studies are misspelled, which does not further comprehension. Overall, the reader gets the impression, that the authors were due to finish their work under some time pressure. This probably would explain why they chose „to take the easy way out” ‑ in the end, the welcoming innovative theses expressed at the beginning of the chapter are abandoned and long since outlived clichés confirmed.

Keywords:

historiography, rossievedenie, historical Russian studies abroad, German historical Russian studies, history of Russia in Germany, 1975 2014