The Local: Region and Province in the Historiography of Russian History

The article explores the concept of “region” in contemporary historiography of Russian history, analyzing how this category is conceptualized in research practice. The author identifies two main approaches: understanding re-gions as “national borderlands” and as “provinces”. The first approach examines regions in close connection with concepts of “nation”, “ethnicity”, and “national periphery”, emphasizing center-periphery relations within the context of national and administrative policies. The second approach defines regions through their opposition to capitals, with everything beyond capital cities being understood as “province”. The article thoroughly examines the research programs and methodological principles of each approach, drawing on the works both by Russian and international historians. It describes how understandings of “region” have evolved depending on the historical period being studied – Imperial or Soviet. The author demonstrates how a regional perspective not only supplements the traditional “capi-tal-centered” view of Russian history, but also critically revises established historiographical concepts. The paper traces the development of regional approaches from the late 18th century to the present, revealing changes in the in-terpretation of “the local” across different research traditions. The conclusion suggests that, despite lengthy discus-sions around the concept of “region”, this category is often used without proper reflection, and its meaning varies significantly depending on specific research tasks, historical context, and the methodological preferences of scholars. The analysis provides insights into how conceptualizations of space have influenced historical understandings of the Russian state development.