Ego-Document as Regional Archive Data Resource on the History of World War I (1914–1918)
| 29 February 2024
Posted in
Publication of archival documents
Petrova I.S., Volgograd, Russian Federation
Ego-Document as Regional Archive Data Resource on the History of World War I (1914–1918)
Annotation
The modern historical science, striving to understand the role of a man in various social processes, increasingly often resorts to ego-documents. A research not drawing upon these sources is scarcely imaginable. Documents of this type have specific features and properties, defined both by concept of identity and concept of the document. Autobiographies, journals, scribbling-diaries, letters provide data for more than writing memoirs. They contain a source of personal memory and a view of the events in which the author participated. In historical studies the personal provenance documents should be used with caution because of their subjectivity. However, the ego-documents contain some unique information many aspects of everyday life of a man from the country-side in the wartime. Personal attitudes exposed by the author clear up the relationships between called to arms, their relations with the superiors, the soldier’s inner world, their sentiments about events in the country. Sometimes, it’s the only source on some aspects of the research subject. According to the author, the significance of studying personal provenance documents concerning of World War I (1914-1918) in the regional archives is undeniable. Such historical data collection is underrepresented in the State Archive of Volgograd Region, yet captures different outlooks on some events of world history. The author has an increased focus on to the memories of little-known representatives of the region: A.C. Beshencev, L.Y. Mart''janov, N.V. Nedelin, F.P. Shilenko and other participants of World War I (1914-1918). The article investigates problems that concerned the public and of searching of historical sources and using of them in research, assesses their value as an information resource for studying military history. It should be noted that the ego-documents of the State Archive of Volgograd Region give mostly a true view of the events of the World War I (1914-1918). This information resource requires careful historiographic analysis, and yet is of considerable interest for culture-historical research.
Keywords
Ego-document, archival document, World War I, the State Archive of the Volgograd Region.
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About the authors
Petrova Irina Sergeevna, PhD in History, The State Archives of the Volgograd Region, chief specialist, Volgograd, Russian Federation, 8-442-30-99-10, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it