An environmental history of Russia: in search of its own way

Abstract

This article analyzes the ecological history of Russia as an independent direction of national historical science at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. The close relationship between the de velopment of domestic and foreign environmental history is noted. Recent foreign research devoted to the environmental history of Russia identifies several important features which had a significant impact on Russian environmental history. The main methodological, source-based, and historio graphical issues faced by researchers are identified; one of the most important is the localization of scientific schools researching the ecological history of Russia. The most promising areas for fur ther research are identified, taking into account the achievements of Russian historical science and international experience. Among them are the ecology of industrial and post-industrial societies and the consequences of intensive development of natural resources. The need for a more cautious approach to interdisciplinary research, such as “environmental humanitie” and the importance of con tinuing to search for the most effective tools for studying environmental history are emphasized.