Yugoslav Friends of a Soviet Historian: The Case of Maren Mikhailovich Freidenberg

Gruzdinskaya, Victoria (2026) Yugoslav Friends of a Soviet Historian: The Case of Maren Mikhailovich Freidenberg. RUSSIANSTUDIES.HU, 8 (1). pp. 75-94. ISSN 2677-1640

Preview

Text RS_2026-1_Gruzdinskaya_PDFA.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (208kB) | Preview

Abstract

This article examines the international scholarly connections of the Soviet historian andBalkan specialist Maren Mikhailovich Freidenberg (1924–2007) through the prism of hislong-standing correspondence with Yugoslav scholars. The source base consists of theepistolary legacy preserved in the historian’s personal collection held at the State Archiveof Tver Oblast, which makes it possible to reconstruct the dynamics of these contacts,the thematic scope of communication, and the everyday practices of scholarly exchangeunder conditions of limited mobility characteristic of a “provincial” humanities scholar.The focus is placed on two sustained epistolary dialogues: with Ivan Božić, Professor atthe University of Belgrade (1962–1977), and with Dušan Sindik, a researcher at the Instituteof History of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (1976–1990). It is demonstratedthat these connections were initially established at a distance and only later reinforcedthrough personal meetings. Freidenberg regarded both Yugoslav historians as friends andrepeatedly expressed his feelings of personal affection towards them. Communication witheach of them had its own distinctive features, shaped by differences in age, professionalstatus, and the prevailing scholarly and everyday circumstances. The central axis of thisinteraction was the exchange of books and offprints, and later of microfilmed sources,alongside consultations on historiography and discussions of specific research problems,above all those concerning the history of the cities of medieval Dalmatia. An analysis ofthis correspondence reveals examples of relations based on trust, including requestsfor the purchase of medicines, consumer goods, and other forms of everyday assistance,which complemented the professional dimension of these contacts and underscored theirpersonal character. The article concludes that a clear divide existed between official,institutional channels of scholarly communication and personal networks. It was the latterthat proved more reliable and productive, securing Freidenberg recognition within theYugoslav scholarly community and contributing to the formation of his status as an experton Yugoslav historiography.

Actions (login required)

View Item