Researchers from 27 countries gather for the 3rd International St Petersburg Historical Forum at St Petersburg University

Participants and guests of the forum were welcomed by Professor Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University. In his address, Nikolay Kropachev noted that this year’s event coincides with several significant anniversaries, including the 90th anniversary of the reestablishment of history education in Russia, marked by the founding of faculties of history at both Leningrad State University and Moscow State University. A degree in history attained from Russia’s top universities equips students with skills to excel in nearly any profession, since future historians are taught to find, systematise, and analyse vast amounts of information. Rector Nikolay Kropachev emphasised that today’s historians face a crucial challenge: not merely to analyse the past and present, but also to safeguard history from revisionism. Achieving this, he stressed, requires interdisciplinary collaboration with experts from other scientific fields. 

Interest in the St Petersburg International Historical Forum has been steadily growing. According to Professor Abdulla Daudov, Director of the Institute of History at St Petersburg University, the forum attracted more than 680 scholars and 200 attendees in 2019. By 2022, those numbers had risen to over 930 historians presenting to an audience of about 600. This year, the forum received over 1,240 applications from prospective participants.

From its inception, the primary goal of the St Petersburg International Historical Forum has been to unite the research and cultural-historical potential of St Petersburg and other regions of Russia.

Professor Abdulla Daudov, Director of the Institute of History at St Petersburg University

This year, the forum have gathered scholars from over 50 regions across Russia, representing all federal universities, Russia’s leading museums and archives, and professional associations specialising in historical knowledge. Despite the heated geopolitical situation, experts from 27 countries—including China; India; Japan; Iran; South Korea; the USA; France; Great Britain; Argentina; Mexico; Colombia; and Canada — will participate in panel sessions and roundtable discussions. 

Alexander Chubarian, Academic Director of the Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, President of the State Academic University for the Humanities, Co-Chair of the Russian Historical Society, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, highlighted the forum’s comprehensive nature, noting that it encompasses all modern trends in historical study. The forum programme seamlessly integrates world and national histories, spanning antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern history, with a particular focus on the role of individuals in shaping historical events. 

"Today, historical memory is both an arena for constructive development of historical science and a battleground for differing approaches to this topic. I believe that this forum is instrumental in promoting our understanding of historical memory, an understanding that resonates with many colleagues overseas," said Alexander Chubarian. ‘Recently, we have held meetings to discuss the general state of world historiography. These meetings were attended by many specialists from Asia, Africa, BRICS, SCO, and other countries. I must say that these partners are quite active, and their views often align with our approach,’ he added.

We, Russian scholars, demonstrate a commitment to understanding that Russia is an integral part of the world, world history, and civilisation.

Alexander Chubarian, Academic Director of the Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Ruslan Gagkuev, Chairman of the Board of the Russian Historical Society and Executive Director of the History of the Fatherland Foundation, sent his address to the forum participants. "As per tradition, the St Petersburg Historical Forum is going to 'inspect resources' of Russia’s historical scholarship," Ruslan Gagkuev noted in his address. "I hope that the 3rd St Petersburg International Historical Forum will draw wider public and professional attention to events significant for our national memory." 

Aleksey Sirenov, Director of the St Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, highlighted the historic significance of the St Petersburg Historical Forum’s opening venue. The Assembly Hall of St Petersburg University was the site of the renowned 1860 public debate between Nikolai Kostomarov and Mikhail Pogodin on the beginning of Russian statehood, which was a pivotal moment in the development of historical science in Russia. 

"There is no doubt that we must safeguard both historical knowledge and historical memory. This can and should be achieved through various means, but, I believe, the primary safeguarding method available to us is through scientific discourse. It is through discussions that historical knowledge thrives, as science should be dynamic and alive," emphasised Aleksey Sirenov. "By engaging in broad discussions about our ideas and findings, we strengthen and solidify our historical knowledge and memory." 

Efim Pivovar, Deputy Academician Secretary of the Division of Historical and Philological Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific Director of the Russian State University for the Humanities, emphasised the uniqueness of the St Petersburg International Historical Forum, noting that it unites all professional historians and related public organisations within the community. 

"All participants in the forum strive to promote historical truth and combat its distortion in public consciousness, fight for the minds and hearts of young people, in particular those seeking an objective understanding of the past," said Efim Pivovar. "Our mission is also to prevent the belittling and distortion of Russia’s role in history, across the globe and specifically in Europe under the current conditions. In order to achieve this, we are actively engaged in historical education."

Lev Belousov, Dean of the Faculty of History at Moscow State University, Member of the Russian Academy of Education, congratulated the forum participants on the 90th anniversary of the reestablishment of history education in Russia. He noted that since their inception, the faculties of history at Moscow State University and St Petersburg University have been instrumental in training specialists who played a crucial role in societal consolidation during World War II. 

"The current situation is, indeed, more complex because threats, coming at us from various directions, are now harder to pinpoint," the scholar explained. "In this context, the mission of historians is to remain rooted in deep, fundamental scientific knowledge. Only by doing so can we truly confront and reconstruct historical truth to the best of our ability. This foundation is essential for addressing the challenges faced by higher education and liberal arts education."

The responsibility to keep politics out of the past lies with us. Armed with fundamental knowledge grounded in historicism, we can succeed in this endeavour. I am absolutely certain that if we stand firm on this principle, we will prevail.

Lev Belousov, Dean of the Faculty of History at Moscow State University

The 3rd St Petersburg International Historical Forum will take place from 7 to 13 October. The programme includes over 70 panel sessions, roundtables, research presentations, and other events. The forum will also feature a roundtable titled "Historical Memory: Research and Practice", which will present the project "Without Statute of Limitations", supported by the National Centre for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation. 

The forum is co-organised by the State Hermitage Museum, Lomonosov Moscow State University and the St Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Panel sessions will be held at more than a dozen institutions, including: the State Museum of the History of St Petersburg; the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library; the Russian National Library; and some new venues: St Petersburg Theological Academy; the Russian Christian Academy for the Humanities; the Russian Geographical Society; and the Russian Museum of Military Medicine.