PROJECTS Formation of Human and Social Sciences in Russia: scientific models circulation and Russian-European relations (XIX - early XX century.) (CERCEC - EHESS, 2010-2013) Head of the project: prof. Vladimir Berelovich (EHESS)Coordinator: Dr. A.N. Dmitriev (IGITI).

Since the end of XVII century Russia becomes a platform for cross and numerous Western influences - a variety of impulses, adoptions, transfers, and reinterpretations. These processes touching almost all spheres were particularly impressive in the human and social sciences (philology, history, governmental, or "office" sciences, statistics, political economy, philosophy, art history, ethnography, linguistics, literary studies, psychology, sociology). These branches of knowledge were unevenly developing in Russia since the mid XVIII century, depending on period, geographical factor and specialty - until the turning point in the early XX century, when these exchanges have reached its peak and started to work in both directions.

The project has three objectives:

1) To create a database of scientists, their correspondence and publications, which will serve as a documentary basis for further research;

2) To reconstruct the networks of Russian-European academic relations and to evaluate their role in Russian and European scientific life;

3) To analyze the ways and models in which human and social sciences emerged in the Russian space and won their way on the European scale.

            This four-year project was developed under the auspices of the Paris Research Center for Russia, Caucasus and Central Europe (CERCEC) - Higher School of Social Sciences (EHESS). Research efforts of 13 French scientists working in different areas and associated with other partners are combined within the framework of the project (Head - Professor Vladimir Berelovich).

            The project involves not only the systematic study of published sources, but also the work in archives of the Russian Academy of Sciences, universities, foundations of the Ministry of National Education and several academic societies. The authors of the project will equally refer the "Western" material and historical data concerning circulation of knowledge on the level of both, personal meetings and contacts (academic trips, congresses), and in terms of correspondence and publications (translations, reviews, and articles in the European journals, etc.).

            This project is also methodologically important - due to the combined approach which assembles sociological analysis of the history of knowledge with more traditional ways of describing the evolution of scientific models and systems.

The project is funded by the French State Agency for Research Activities.