Emilia Ayubovna Sheudzhen (1937-2021) - the founder of the historical school in the Republic of Adygea

The essay is dedicated to the memory of Emilia Ayubovna Shuedzhen, a famous scholar, Doctor of Historical Sciences. Her influence on the formation of the historical scientific school and historical education in the Republic of Adygea is reflected. Sheudzhen’s merits in organizational, pedagogical and teaching activities are noted. The independence and objectivity of the historian, her strict adherence to research ethics are emphasized. The professional biography of the scholar is covered in detail; her work aimed at creating special teaching aids on historiography, source study and methodology of historical science is shown. Much attention is paid to Sheudzhen’s studies on the historical memory of the Adyghes. Her works became the first experience of applying the developments of the French Annales school to the history of the peoples of the North-Western Caucasus and made an intellectual breakthrough in the Adyghe historiography. The authors come to the conclusion that the novelty of works by Sheudzhen lies primarily in the development of a new approach to the study of the history of the Adyghes, in which the consideration of the importance of the environmental factor in ethnogenesis and the use of the frontier methodology were supported by scrupulous work with sources. Sheudzhen’s works made it possible to give local history a broader research dimension.