Historical science of Karelia at the epoch's turning point: case study of Nikolai Alexandrovich Korablev

At end of the late 1980s the Soviet Union entered a period of general decline, which lead to the collapse of the USSR and total socio-political and socio-economical change of the system. In the changed conditions, only skilled and faithful to the profession historians could fully realize themselves and take historical science to the level of new requirements. An example of the research activity undertaken by N. Korablev (1947-2015) is a valid illustration of the changes occurring at that time in the historical science in Karelia. N. A. Korablev studied the history of Karelia in 1861-1917. He was also known as a famous specialist in the field of research and protection of historical and cultural monuments of Karelia. His works allowed us to reconstruct many important events of Karelian history from a contemporary point of view: such as the First Russian revolution of 1905-1907, the history of peasantry and business in 1861-1917, the impact of Stolypin's agrarian reforms and of the First World War on Karelia, the urban history of Karelia (Petrozavodsk, Olonets and Pudozh), the prosopography of Olonets Province (gubernija) governors, the current state of local monuments and memorial places commemorating events of the Great Patriotic War, and etc. We came to a conclusion that a high level of professionalism and commitment to science allowed N. A. Korablev to realize himself successfully both during the Soviet and the post-Soviet period in conditions of the post-Soviet realities. He greatly contributed to the research of the history of Karelia at the turning-point of the late 20th - early 21st centuries.