Sergey M. Ryazanov

PhD in History, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Chair of Humanities and Socio-Economic Disciplines

Perm Institute of the FPS of Russia

(Perm, Russia)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22405/2712-8407-2025-1-221-227

Abstract. The purpose of this paper is to consider the contribution of K. A. Sitnikov's monograph ‘Uezd Police Guards of the Russian Empire in 1903–1917 (on the example of Voronezh Governorate)' to historical science. The article discusses the historiography of the subject and the place of the new study in it. The author's contribution is highlighted: the construction of a consolidated portrait of a constable of the Voronezh Province in 1915–1916, and the compilation of a periodisation of the activity of the provincial police guards in 1903–1917. The author and other researchers from the Voronezh Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia are particularly noted for their work in studying the professional training of police guards and constables. However, it should be noted that the peerreviewed monograph does contain contentious and controversial points. The validity of extrapolating the conclusions drawn from the Voronezh province to other regions under the jurisdiction of the institution in question is highly questionable. The theses concerning the use of abroad experience in the creation of the police forces of the Russian Empire and the superiority of the Voronezh constables over the Perm ones do not seem to be sufficiently substantiated. Additionally, the monograph contains evident inaccuracies in figures and terminology, yet these do not detract from the study's merits. The work as a whole deserves high praise and provides a comprehensive picture of police guards in the early 20th century. It is important to acknowledge the significant contribution of K. A. Sitnikov to the archaeographic fund, owing to the substantial number of tables and charts from historical sources that have been published in the text. Furthermore, the original illustrative materials are noteworthy, as they play a crucial role in enhancing the comprehensibility of the monograph.
Keywords: European Russia, historiography, prosopography, police reform, law.

Full text of the article (PDF)

For citation: Ryazanov, SM 2025, ‘The Historian's View: a Review of the Monograph by K. A. Sitnikov ‘Uezd Police Guards of the Russian Empire in 1903–1917 (on the Example of Voronezh Governorate)’ (Moscow, Prospekt publ, 2024, 287 p.).’, Tula Scientific Bulletin. History. Linguistics, issue 1 (21), pp. 221–227, https://doi.org/10.22405/2712-8407-2025-1-221-227 (in Russ.)

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