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Keywords: population studies; population structure; history; Balkan history; Medieval Balkans;
This study, based on the ground of unpublished Ottoman tax registers (tapu tahrir defterleri), analyses the "population-area" relationship in the Sakar Mountain and the adjacent area in the 15th-16th century. After detailed selection and translation of the Ottoman tax registers and analysis of the information in terms of settlements, as identified in the registers, the borders of the kaza of Edirne have been established as well as the changes which occurred in that territory; the extent and methods of occupying this administrative area and the ethno-religious structure of the population, within the studies region, have been specified. It has been found that the East, West and North borders of the region of Edirne did not undergo significant changes in time. Only the South border was changed over the years, including towns and villages, adjacent to the kaza of Dimetoka. A typical feature of the settlement network, withing that region, was its instability at the end of 15th and the first half of the 16th century. The small weak settlements prevailed in it - probably still newly populated areas, founded when liberated slaves or colonized population settled the area or they were just old settlements in decline. Int the second half of the 16th century the settlement network became stable and strong and increased its density. Within the period 1485-1570 most densely populated was the area with and altitude of up to 250 m. Together with the process of settling the lowlands another process was taking place - settling of the foothill and the mountain areas of the region. The towns and villages, located in the investigated region, were occupied by Muslims and non-Muslims, as the total number of the households of both religious communities gradually increased in the years.
More...Keywords: Sweden; Finland; military co-operation; United States
Russia’s increasingly aggressive policy and its enhanced military activity in the Nordic-Baltic region has led to revaluations in Sweden’s and Finland’s security and defence policies and a rethinking of the formats of their military co-operation. While remaining outside NATO, the two states have been developing closer bilateral defence co-operation and working more closely with the United States, while at the same time developing co-operation with NATO. Sweden and Finland perceive the United States as the guarantor of regional and European security. From their point of view, the United States is currently the country that has both the necessary military capabilities and the political will to react in the event of a conflict between Russia and NATO in the Nordic-Baltic region, in which both countries would inevitably become involved despite their non-aligned status. For Sweden and Finland, intensified co-operation with the United States offers an alternative to NATO membership, which is currently out of the question for domestic political reasons. Meanwhile, the US has also become increasingly aware of the strategic importance of the two states, which, for the purposes of contingency planning, are in fact an extension of NATO’s north-eastern flank.
More...Keywords: Middle Volga Region; Volga Bulgaria; Golden Horde period; historical geography; ethnic composition
The paper discusses peoples who lived on the territory of Bulgar Ulus of the Golden Horde in 13th—14th centuries, which can be proven by archaeological sources. Thus, these data suggest that along with the Bulgar this territory was populated by the Russians, Mordvins, Mari, Armenians, and part of this territory was occupied by the Kipchaks and, probably, by the Mongols, who settled there after their military raids. All these peoples closely interacted between themselves. At the same time, there were also some small local ethnic groups, such as the Permians and the Udmurts, who managed to preserve their identity. As a whole, Bulgar Ulus of the Golden Horde was multiethnic, which continued the tradition formed before the Mongol invasion.
More...Keywords: Golden Horde; Bilyar town; Golden Horde Bilyar; 1240s — middle of the 14th century; material culture; ceramics
The article presents the results of the first studies on one of the early Mongol towns in Eastern Europe — the Golden Horde Bilyar. Rescue excavations on the site were carried out by the expedition of Kazan State University in 1994—1998. The researchers established that the town originated from scratch, almost out of touch with the pre-Mongol cultural tradition. The rich material culture of the site illustrates the initial stage in cultural development of the Golden Horde in the Middle Volga region, and its main ethno-cultural components based on pottery and stucco ceramics. Highly artistic works illustrate the conquerors’ progress into the Middle Volga area. Products by masters from Central Asia and the Middle East, together with numismatics data, specify the period of existence of this town: 1240s — first half of the 14th century.
More...Keywords: Moscow Kremlin; Middle Ages; imported glazed pottery; classification; origin
The archaeological excavations in the Moscow Kremlin carried out in 2007 uncovered a collection of imported glazed ceramics (146 samples). This is the most numerous collection of all previous finds of such ceramics in the Kremlin over more than 100 years.Sherds of vessels produced in the middle — second half of the 14th century in the Golden Horde towns in the Lower Volga region make almost half of this collection. Most of them are made of soft white Qashan (quartz-frits) decorated with polychrome (black-and-blue, black/green-and-blue-and-turquoise) painting, often with addition of white engobe. A very small group (about 5%) are sherds of red-clay ceramics with green transparent lead glaze without any decoration; these were manufactured in towns of the South-Eastern Crimea. Chinese celadons and blue-and-white faience make an unusually big group (1/5 of all finds), yet these vessels were represented only by small fragments found in 16th — 17th centuries layers. The Turkish faience (from Iznik) of the first half of the 16th century, which is a very rare find in Russia, make 13% of all finds. Including, sherds of vessels with red background, which are the first finds of this kind in Moscow and in Russia as a whole. The most enigmatic groups include sherds of imported plates without any decoration and bowls with brown decoration. These were likely produced in Asia Minor or in the Caucasus. Another type of vessels decorated by white engobe were probably imported from North-Western Europe — Holland or Germany (a tripod vessel).
More...Keywords: N. E. Makarenko; A. M. Tallgren; history of archaeology; correspondence; international scientific relations
This paper is devoted to the publication and analysis of the letters written by N. E. Makarenko to A. M. Talgren in the period from March 1917 till September 1935. The letters are kept in the Manuscript Department of the Finland National Library. The correspondence is divided in three periods: Petrograd period (March—April 1917), Kiev period (October 1925 — March 1934) and Kazan period (September 1935). The subject of the correspondence were publications in the journal “Eurasia Septentrionalis Antiqua”, excavations of the Mariupol burial mound, Makarenko’s efforts to organize the archeological research in Kiev etc. The dramatic events in Makarenko’s private life, such as exile, detention and execution on 4 January 1938 were also reflected in this correspondence. The letters are supplied with comments and notes.
More...Keywords: Stefan Krukowski; Georgia; Gvardjilas Klde Cave; archaeology; Paleolithic
Critical edition of the unpublished text of Stefan Krukowski, one of the fathers of Polish archaeology, regarding his research on the cave site in Georgia in 1916. The book, edited in Russian, Polish, Georgian and English, consists of the introductory part (consisting Krukowski’s biography, history of research in the site under discussion and of the research on the Paleolithic in Georgia in general), of the text of Krukowski and accompanying illustrations, as well as of the separate modern tables with drawings and photos of the artifacts. Stefan Krukowski, born in 1890, a loner who never completed secondary school or went to university, a Polish rescarcher of the Palaeolithic, founder of a research school, an inspiring teacher of many Polish prehistorians, arrived in Georgia in May of 1916. He explored caves and rock shelters for two years in the foothills. The monograph on the Gvardjilas Klde Cave was written over 1000 years ago, yet the analyses it contains might just as well have been written by a contemporary archaeologist. The history of European archaeology might have taken a completely different path in this publication had been published in 1918, as Stefan Krukowski had planned.
More...Keywords: Sarmatian piety; counter-reformation in Poland; post-Tridentine religiosity
Volume VI of the series shows not only the peculiarity of the religious culture of the First Polish Republic, the character and specificity of the "Sarmatian" piety, but also reveals the basic paths of development of this culture in connection with the thought developed in parallel by Catholic thinkers and writers in Western Europe. The research focused on the issues of opening up Polish post-Tridentine culture to the dynamics of the development of religious thought in other European countries, the ability to conduct dialogue with a foreign culture, and the possibility of adaptation, assimilation and transformation of foreign theories or ideas for the needs of indigenously Polish culture. The authors of individual dissertations try to answer the questions, on the one hand, about the scope and degree of involvement of Poles in the process of the renewal of Catholicism in Europe, about their participation in European discussion forums, about the knowledge of the Sarmatians' writings and the impact of these writings in the model of the post-Tridentine renewal of the Church and Catholic religious culture, on the other hand - about the ways of fresh counter-reformation ideas entering the Republic of Poland, the absorption, demand and methods of introducing conciliar decisions into the practice of religious life and the literature of the post-Tridentine times. The 12-volume series of the monograph "Kultura Pierwszej Rzeczypospolitej w dialogu z Europą. Hermeneutyka wartości" presents the cultural heritage of the 15th and 18th centuries as an integral but original part of European culture. The research goal is to identify the ways and forms of the mutual transmission of aesthetic, political and religious values and to present in a broad, multilateral comparative context the axiological structure of the Polish culture of old times. Cultural texts are examined from an internal perspective as records of acts aimed at understanding values, and from an external perspective as statements that join European literary-aesthetic, political and religious discussions. In an intense dialogue, the culture of the Republic of Poland shows not only a receptivity to new ideas, but also creativity and dynamics of action in Europe.
More...Keywords: Sarmatian piety; counter-reformation in Poland; post-Tridentine religiosity
Volume VI of the series shows not only the peculiarity of the religious culture of the First Republic, the character and specificity of the "Sarmatian" piety, but also reveals the main paths of development of this culture in connection with the thought developed in parallel by Catholic thinkers and writers in Western Europe. The research focused on the issues of opening up Polish post-Tridentine culture to the dynamics of the development of religious thought in other European countries, the ability to conduct dialogue with a foreign culture, and the possibility of adaptation, assimilation and transformation of foreign theories or ideas for the needs of indigenously Polish culture. The authors of individual dissertations try to answer the questions, on the one hand, about the scope and degree of involvement of Poles in the process of renewal of Catholicism in Europe, about their participation in European discussion forums, about the knowledge of Sarmatian writings and the impact of these writings in countries where it was particularly clearly shaped the model of the post-Tridentine renewal of the Church and Catholic religious culture, on the other hand - about the ways of fresh counter-reformation ideas entering the Republic of Poland, the absorption, demand and methods of introducing conciliar decisions into the practice of religious life and the writings of the post-Tridentine times. The 12-volume series of the monograph "Kultura Pierwszej Rzeczypospolitej w dialogu z Europą. Hermeneutyka wartości" presents the cultural heritage of the 15th and 18th centuries as an integral but original part of European culture. The research goal is to identify the ways and forms of the mutual transmission of aesthetic, political and religious values and to present in a broad, multilateral comparative context the axiological structure of the Polish culture of old times. Cultural texts are examined from an internal perspective as records of acts aimed at understanding values, and from an external perspective as statements that join European literary-aesthetic, political and religious discussions. In an intense dialogue, the culture of the Republic of Poland shows not only a receptivity to new ideas, but also creativity and dynamics of action in Europe.
More...Keywords: Balkans; Slavia; journey; literature of the second half of the 19th century; intimist writing; journalism
The study looks at the specific nature of reading the Balkans in the second half of the 19th century and harmonizes with the author’s text Towards Croatia, which was published in The Problems of Literature and Culture of Modernism in Central Europe (1867–1918), in Volume I, edited by E. Paczoska, I. Poniatowska, M. Chmurski, Warsaw 2017. In the article, the author shows why the understanding of Balkan issues in the second half of the 19th century, identified accurately by Krzysztof Stępnik and Monika Gabryś-Sławińska, as well as the Serbo-Croat questions and the interest in this geopolitical region are of such importance to Polish identity at the time. The author analyses: a memoir Three Months in Croatia. Reminiscences of A Journey in Austria and Hungary (as well as other examples of travel discourse showing Western interest in the Balkans); a several-episode critical review by Alexander Świętochowski, concerning two books on Serbia (here the author of the article also refers to other texts referring to Balkan issues); six letters from Bronisław Grabowski to Eliza Orzeszkowa: excerpts from Eliza Orzeszkowa’s letters to Teodor Tomasz Jeż; the correspondence between Wincenty Pol and Józef Ignacy Kraszewski; historical novels on Southern Slavia by Teodor Tomasz Jeż; The Doll by Bolesław Prus and his chronicles devoted to Balkan issues.
More...Keywords: Yugoslavia; religious conversion of Serbs; Independent State of Croatia; Ustasha regime;1940s; Roman Church; politics and religion; Ante Pavelić;
Jugoslovenska država je 1918. stvorena na liberalnim načelima, među njima i na načelu slobode veroispovesti i verske ravnopravnosti, baštineći tradiciju Kraljevine Srbije. To načelo je prihvaćeno tokom pregovora o uređenju buduće države sredinom 1917. i uneseno u Ustav nove države. Uvođenje liberalnog građanskog uređenja u jugoslovenskoj državi je omogućilo polet hrvatskog nacionalističkog pokreta oličenog u Hrvatskoj seljačkoj stranci. Rimokatolička crkva (RKC) nije bila zadovoljna svojim položajem u jugoslovenskoj državi. Umesto privilegovanog položaja u dvojnoj monarhiji, ona je posle 1918. bila jedna od priznatih veroispovesti u državi u kojoj je vladar bio pravoslavne vere. Izvestan broj rimokatolika je iz raznih razloga (iz ubeđenja, zbog braka, iz karijerističkih pobuda) prihvatio pravoslavnu veru. Velikodostojnici RKC su izuzetno preuveličavali te brojeve nastojeći i time da dokažu da je ona u neravnopravnom položaju u odnosu na Srpsku pravoslavnu crkvu (SPC). Gašenje političke aktivnosti posle proglašenja diktature kralja Aleksandra januara 1929. otvorilo je prostor RKC da preko masovnih organizacija Katoličke akcije i Križara organizuje jednu od najsnažnijih opozicija režimu. [...]
More...Keywords: Franc Žužek; Glina; Croats; Serbs; 1927-1955; Istria; Italian occupation; Independent State of Croatia;
Franc Žužek rodio se 21. studenog 1886. u selu Marolče kod Ljubljane, od oca Antona i majke Marijane, rođene Virant. Poslije završenog školovanja zaređen je za svećenika i već 26. srpnja 1912. služi svoju mladu misu u Kočevju. Nedugo zatim, počinje vršiti svećeničku službu u četiri katoličke župe u Istri. Međutim, nakon raspada Austro-Ugarske 1918. godine, a naročito nakon 1920. kada je Istra pripojena Kraljevini Italiji, Žužek se suočio s talijanskom politikom odnarođivanja slovenskog i hrvatskog stanovništva. Ona se dodatno pogoršala 1922. godine, nakon preuzimanja vlasti od strane talijanskih fašista, koji su Žužeka, kao i mnoge druge svećenike, protjerali iz Istre 1923. godine. Žužek tako dolazi u Zagreb, tj. Kraljevinu Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca kao izbjegli svećenik, gdje mu je u siječnju 1924. ponuđeno upražnjeno mjesto upravitelja župe Maja u glinskom dekanatu, na samoj periferiji Zagrebačke nadbiskupije. O svojim prvim dojmovima u novoj sredini, Žužek je zapisao: ”Težak će biti moj život u Maji – jer sam odgojen u dalekim krajevima: u Gorici i u Trstu; tamo sam svršio nauke – i službovao sretno među dobrim istarskim narodom. [...]
More...Keywords: modernity; Cartesianism; Socinianism; rationalism; Prometheism; subject; res cogitans; system of thought; superstition; miracle; natura naturans; rational grammar; Bacon; Descartes; Spinoza; Arnauld
The text discusses fundamental and profoundly distinctive changes which occurredin understanding the nature in Polish and European 17th century philosophy. Due tothe specifi c nature of these transformations and intellectual, separatist and culturalintentions of philosophers of that time, the main issue of this work is not nature itself,but the answer to the question how the epochal identity, signifi cance and distinctivenessof modern age can be justifi ed in exploring nature as the object of reasoning. The aimofthe text is to reconstruct the main metaphysical stance of modern age and its modernsystem of thought. The text consists of four parts. The fi rst part discusses twohistoriosophical ideas of the modern era: discontinuity of Mediterranean culture andmodernity as a radically new beginning. The key problem here is the philosophicalcognition and rejecting superstition as a form of thought based on someone else’s authority. The second part discusses several issues: the reconstruction of a modernsystem of thought based on the 17th century idea of subjectivity; the methods employedin rejecting sermocinal thinking and applying the realistic one; a new concept of knowledgeand truth; a new idea of nature – signifi cantly broaden – as the subject of thought.The attempts to justify a miracle as a natural phenomenon are particular cases discussedin the text. The third part explores the modern concept of natural language formulatedwithin rational grammar, which provides grounds for the epochal distinctiveness ofmodernity. The last part presents the modern breakthrough as a source of its owncrisis. Consequently, two basic, albeit concealed, Promethean implications and consequencesof modernity are identifi ed: undeifi cation of rationalised God and alienationof man in his own subjectivity.
More...Keywords: Transylvanian Hungarians; political behaviour; Ethnic parties; National minorities; Hungary and Romania; voting behaviour;
Between 18 May and 8 June, 2013 the authors have collected data from a representative sample of 1,232 Hungarians from Transylvania with the purpose to examine the political behaviour of the aforementioned community within the political spaces of both Hungary and Romania. While closely related to a research project (entitled 'Ethnic parties, voting behaviour') carried out within the Romanian Institute for Research on National Minorities, the present research has extended its focus to Transylvanian Hungarians' voting behaviour outside Romania. This change of perspective has been necessary because on 26 May 2010 the Hungarian Parliament adopted the amendment to the 1993 Law on Hungarian citizenship by introducing the simplified naturalization procedure, thus enabling Hungarians from the neighbouring countries of Hungary to obtain Hungarian citizenship without residency. Moreover, the new Hungarian election law adopted in November 2011 allows Hungarian citizens without residency in Hungary to vote in the Hungarian Parliamentary elections (on candidates from national party lists). As a consequence, the political, or voting behaviour of Hungarians from Transylvania needs to be analyzed by taking into account this perspective as well.
More...Keywords: US-Iran relations; Russian-Iranian relations; The role of Israel;
The Iran Nuclear Deal: implications for Ukraine
More...Keywords: Russian historiography; Bosnia and Herzegovina; interpretation; politics; Balkans;
The periods of deep political and social quakes always bring reconsideration and rearrangement of the events that happened in the past. Disappearance of ideological paradigm, changes in global politics and epochal consciousness affected the return of the pre-socialist past, its romantization and idealization, as well as revisionist change of social determinants that were used for historical interpretations in post-socialist countries with the intense action of politics, nationalism and history in their historiographies. Even the bigger historiographies like Russian, are not immune from political pressure in relation to its own history, and histories of other countries and nations. There are many differences between the Soviet and the modern Russian historiography, as well as their forms. Due to the wish to control history, the international and class principle gave its place to the more active, national one, with the renewal of its identity that is clean from communist influence. Interests and politics of superpowers leave a huge mark in the history of the Balkan nations. Political disputes and positioning affect the historiographies and they play a big role in determining the topics that need to be researched. Dissolution of Yugoslavia and the emergence of new post-Yugoslav states on the European political map worsened the efforts of Russian historians in analyzing and researching their past and modernity. The increase of Russian interest in researching the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina is related to the political crises and conflicts in that area and wider Balkan context. Their attention is mostly focused on the Eastern Crisis (1875–1878.) and the Bosnian / Annexation crisis (1908–1909), dissolution of the SFRY and the “post-Yugoslav” wars. They also do research about the events that occured in this area in the last decade of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century.
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