The History of Russian Cities in Responses to Geographical Surveys of the First Half — the Middle of the 18th Century

Abstract

The article examines the preservation of historical memory in Russian cities of the 18th century. The sources of the study are the answers to historical questions received from the provincial offices, to the questionnaires of the Office of Heraldry (1720s), the Academy of Sciences (1760s) and the Land Gentry Corps (1760s). The geographical scope of the study is limited to the European part of the Russian Empire with an emphasis on the study of ideas about the medieval past in ancient Russian cities. The analysis of these materials demonstrates the weak historical knowledge of clerks. Written evidence of the city's past has been lost in most archives. The memory of the Tatar raids and the devastation of cities during the Time of Troubles was transmitted through oral traditions and stories of old people. In most cities, the respondents did not remember the wars of the past years, and those who mentioned the sieges of the city by the enemy found it difficult to say when it was. In contrast to the oblivion of the events of secular history, the memory of the history of the church, the time and circumstances of the founding of temples and monasteries was much better preserved. As a result, among the historical figures, the rulers who ordered the cathedrals to be built, as well as venerated local saints.