VIII International Peter the Great Congress

VIII International Peter the Great Congress

«PETRO primo CATHARINA secunda»:

Two Monarchs, Two Epochs – Continuity, Development, Reforms

St Petersburg, 10-11 June 2016

CALL FOR PAPERS

The International Peter the Great Congresses are held each year in St Petersburg at about the anniversary of Peter’s birth. Their aim is to foster comprehensive study of the Petrine epoch and its legacy, to focus attention on problems of the preservation of Petrine monuments, and to broaden cooperation between Russian and European cultural, scholarly and educational institutions.

The Congress is organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Committee of Culture of St Petersburg, the State Hermitage Museum, the Peterhof State National Park Museum, the St Petersburg History Museum, the St Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Cultural Programmes, the Peter the Great Institute, and the Dmitry Likhachev Foundation.

The Eighth Peter the Great Congress will take place in St Petersburg on 10-11 June 2016 and will focus on the epoch of Catherine II in Russia. The Congress takes as its theme this year the words that Catherine ordered to be incised on the pedestal of the Bronze Horseman, Petro primo Catharina secunda (Catherine the Second to Peter the First), highlighting the link between Peter’s activities and those of her own reign.

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Peter I and Catherine II are the two monarchs who occupy a very special place in the consciousness of the Russian people. This is not a matter of chance. There was hardly a ruler in Russia who did not claim to be Peter’s heir and successor, but only Catherine II was granted a place and a rank comparable to that of Peter in the historical memory of the people, only she was accorded the title the Great, analogous to that of Peter.

During the Eighth Congress we shall address this phenomenon, explore its origins, study how it is reflected in people’s memory and in literature, seek an answer to the question: what makes it possible to juxtapose the two rulers? Is it their reforms, their devotion to enlightenment, their choice of the European vector of Russia’s development? Their state-building, their seeking to expand Russian territory or their style of ruling? Or perhaps it is the achievements of Russian culture and the development of its industry and trade?

There are indeed many more connections between Peter and Catharine than there might at first seem, symbolic as well as real. Take for example the meeting of Peter with King Frederick William I of Prussia in the newly conquered city of Stettin in 1716. Peter the Great was obviously not to know that thirteen years later, in 1729, in this very city a girl would be born who would continue his reforms, add to the glory of his country, and be known as Catherine the Great? Or take the city of St. Petersburg. Founded by Peter the Great it acquired its classical “stern, harmonious look” during Catherine’s reign.

After the pressures of Peter’s reforms the country needed time to breathe and the state and its ruling elite to absorb the new Europeanization and make it part of their being. In fact, during the forty years after Peter’s death the country evolved along the lines of his reforms, completing what had been laid down by him, exploring its vast new territories, establishing a system of university education, boosting manufacture and developing science.

It fell to Catherine II to fulfill many of the objectives set by Peter the Great and to go beyond them: under her rule a system of general education was created, the Russian fleet rebuilt, the Empire expanded. She conducted effective foreign policy, reorganized the system of local administration, and supported the development of town planning, of industries, of trade, science and the arts.

Let us recall two literary images: “Peter’s fledglings” and “Catherine’s eagles”. They evoke something more than courtiers at an imperial court, they describe active supporters and like-minded associates. No other reign in Russian history boasts similar characteristics. The two monarchs were not afraid to surround themselves with brilliant and extraordinary individuals. Referring to Catherine’s entourage N. Eidelman said “Her eagles are forgiven all possible sins except a lack of talent”

Peter’s “Table of Ranks” gave priority to personal merit and devoted service over accident of birth, ideas that were further developed by Catherine in her Nakaz (or Instructions) and her Charter to the Gentry which abolished torture and upheld the presumption of innocence and personal inviolability. The first “un-whipped generation” was born.

The reign of Catherine the Great brings to a close a whole epoch in Russia’s history, while laying the foundations for a new one. All of which places her among the most respected monarchs in the history of this country.

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The following topics are proposed for discussion at the Congress:

1.  The Ideas of the Enlightenment in Political Practice and Social Thought

2.  The European Vector of Development

3.  Legislation

4.  Foreign Policy

5.  The Russian Orthodox Church and The Government

6.  Developments in Education, Art, Literature, and Charitable Activity

7.  Town Planning and Architecture

8.  The Development of Industry and Trade

9.  The Army and The Navy

The working languages of the Congress are Russian and English.

In order to take part in the Congress as a speaker, please, submit your application BEFORE 15 MARCH 2016. The application should provide the following details: full name, place of employment and position, contact details (e-mail; home and mobile telephone numbers), the title and short synopsis of the proposed paper (1000-1800 characters).

The Organizing Committee reserves the right to select the papers to be delivered at the Congress. Preference will be given to papers of a more general analytical nature that contain comparative analysis of the two epochs over papers with a narrower focus on specific facts.

The organizers of the Congress will provide accommodation and subsistence in St Petersburg from 9 to 12 June 2016 for the out-of-town and foreign participants.

The Organizing Committee:

Tele +7 812 272 91 43; tele/fax +7 812 272 29 12