Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the Soviet Scientific Discourse (1923–1939)
Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the Soviet Scientific Discourse (1923–1939)

Summary/Abstract: The article explores the features of the image of the Bulgarian Prince/Tsar Ferdinand in Soviet historiography 1923–1939. It reveals the factors that determined the assessments of Ferdinand’s activities in the works of historians and publicists in USSR. The research clarifies how Pokrovsky’s opinion influenced the study of the Bulgarian history. The author concludes that Ferdinand’s activity is a demonstrative topic of Soviet historiography in 1923–1939. It illustrates the development of humanitarian science in USSR at the time. Bulgarian monarch turned into a positive hero amid criticism of Tsar’s foreign policy in 1920s. The wide-spreading Marxist methodology contributed to the formation of the image of Ferdinand as a representative of the interests of the bourgeoisie. When Russia began to use the doctrine of pan-Slavism again, Ferdinand as a supporter of Germany and Austro-Hungary became a negative character for Russian scientists. Different factors influenced the interpretation of Ferdinand’s policies in the Soviet Union. They are legacy of Russian pre-revolutionary science, the spread of Marxist methodology, imposition of Pokrovsky’s concept and revitalization of imperial policy of the USSR under the influence of I. Stalin. All this predetermined the formation of the contradictory image of Ferdinand in Soviet historiography.

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