Laboratory on the problems of the Scandinavian countries and Finland

Head 
     Ph.D. in History, Associate Professor 
     Solomesch Ilya Motelevich 

Tel.: ( +7) 814-2 77-17-48
Fax: ( +7) 814-2 77-10-21
E-mail: isol@psu.karelia.ru

• Personnel of the Laboratory
• Specialization in history of countries of Northern Europe in PetrSU
• Scientific activity
  • International scientific projects
  • Scientific seminars and conferences
  • Publications
• Current activity and near-term outlook
  • On-going projects
  • Current work

At the faculty of history a group of scholars has been organized to specialize in the history of Finland, Russian-Finnish relations and Karelian history in the context of relations between Russia and Finland.

The scientific potential of the scholars enabled to establish a unique for Russian universities specialization in the history of Scandinavian countries and Finland, which admits 12 students a year. The curriculum is focused on a close study of the historical past of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland and of Finnish and Swedish languages.

For scientific and methodical maintenance of the specialization and for coordination of research works on the history of Finland and the Russian-Finnish relations the Laboratory on the problems of the Scandinavian countries and Finland had been founded in 1992 at the Chair of world history of Petrozavodsk university.

In 1992-1998 Professor L.Suni was the head of the Laboratory, since 1999 it is headed by Associate Professor I.Solomeshch. Employees of the Laboratory at present are teachers of the Chair of world history Professor L.Suni, Associate Professor I.Takala, and also G.Kolybina (methodologist), S.Yalovitsyna (methodologist), I.Lesnikova (senior laboratorian).

In 1993 the laboratory became the base for teaching The Baltic Peoples interdisciplinary course in PetrSU within the program of the International Baltic University (coordinated by the University of Uppsala, Sweden).

The Laboratory has its own library on history of the countries of Northern Europe (about 2 thousand volumes), and is subscribed to a number of Finnish historical magazines. Due to efforts of the universities of Finland and Finnish historical society the library regularly replenishes its fund with the latest pieces of monographic historical literature.

The personnel of the Laboratory includes six members of staff of the learned institution and the technical secretary:

• I.M.Solomesch, Ph.D. in History, Associate Professor, head of the Laboratory
  Area of scientific interests - the Finnish politics of czarism within the first world war; Karelia in the system of the Russian-Finnish relations in the XXth century.
• L.V.Suni, Doctor of History, Full Professor.
  Area of scientific researches - the Finnish politics of czarism in the XIXth century; the History of the Finnish population of Russia (Finns of Ingermalandia).
• I.R.Takala, Ph.D. in History, Associate Professor.
  Specializes in the field of political idea of Finland of the end XVIIIth - first half the XIXth century and history of the Finnish population of Russia (the Finnish immigrants).
• Yu.M.Kilin, Ph.D. in History, Associate Professor.
  Specializes in the field of the newest history of Finland, investigates influence of events of Winter war on Karelia.
• I.A.Cherniakova, Ph.D. in History, Associate Professor.
  Area of scientific interests - Karelia and Karelians in early Modern time (a demography, country family, destinies of Karelians in a context of the big politics).
• S.E.Yalovitsyna, researcher.
  Is engaged in studying history and modern condition of lutheranism in Karelia in the post-war period of the modern. The experience of work in the institute is 4 years.

Scientific activity

Employees of the Laboratory accomplish significant scientific work, they constantly act as organizers and participants of various international research projects, conferences and seminars with participation of colleagues from leading domestic and foreign centers of science. Feature of organization of scientific work of the Laboratory is opportunity of creation of temporary creative collectives with attraction of experts from other divisions of PetrSU, scientific institutes of Russia and foreign countries. Now the Laboratory carries out a number of such research projects which results are used also in educational process.

Students of specialization take active part in scientific work: only for the past 3 years over 20 students performed with reports on northern subjects at various student's conferences. Since the first year of training students write and defend course works, and the graduate sudents defend degree compositions on disciplines of specialization. The high level of degree works of some graduates allows to make their results as scientific publications.
Preparation of post-graduate students on history of Finland and Russian-Finnish relations is conducted, and as scientific advisers outstanding Finnish scientists are invited.

Employees and post-graduate students of Laboratory annually perform lectures at the Finnish universities and accomplish scientific work in archives of Finland. The laboratory, in turn, accepts the Finnish historians coming for lecturing to students, specializing in the field of a history of Northern countries of Europe.

In 1993 the laboratory became the base for realization of the interdisciplinary course "Baltic Peoples" in PetrSU under the program of the International Baltic University (coordinated by the University of Uppsala, Sweden).

International scientific projects

For last 7 years scientists of the Laboratory took part in 6 international research projects:

• "FINNS IN KARELIA: MODERN ETHNOCULTURAL STATE". 
  Scientific coordinator: Full Professor Leo Suni (PetrSU) 
  Foreign partners: University of Joensuu
  Terms: 1994-1999 
  Results: Finns in Russia: history, culture, destinies. The collective monography. Petrozavodsk, 1998. 175pp.
  
  

• National politics of bolsheviks and its realization in northwest of the USSR in 1920-50. 
  Scientific coordinators: Doctor Timo Vihavajnen (Renvall-institute, University of Helsinki, Finland); Irina Takala (Associate Professor, PetrSU) 
  Foreign partners: universities and scientific centres of Helsinki, Joensuu, and Paris
  Terms: 1995-1997
  Results: 
  - In common family: National politics of bolsheviks and its realization in northwest of the USSR in 1920-50 / Under the editorship of T.Vihavajnen and I.Takala. Petrozavodsk, 1998. 290.
  - Timo Vihavainen & Irina Takala (toim.). Yhta suurta perhetta. Bolshevikkien kansallisuuspolitiikka Luoteis-Venajalla 1920 -1950 -luvuilla. Helsinki, 2000. 326 s.
  
  

• National statehood in northwest of Russia (Karelia and Komi) in 1917-1940.
  Scientific coordinators: Doctor Antti Laine, Karelian research institute, University of Joensuu (Finland); Associate Professor I.Solomesch, PetrSU 
  Foreign partners: universities of Helsinki and Joensuu
  Terms: 1995-1997
  Results: 
  - Kansallisuus ja valtio. Karjala ja Komi nuoren Neuvostoliiton tasavaltoina 1920-30-luvulta. Joensuu, 1995. 197 s.
  - National statehood in northwest of Russia (Karelia and Komi) in 1917-1940. Syktyvkar, 1996. 135pp.
  
  

• NORMS, VALUES AND DEVIATION IN SOVIET SOCIETY AND CULTURE IN THE 1920's - 1950's 
  Scientific coordinator: Doctor Timo Vihavajnen (Renvall-institute, University of Helsinki, Finland)
  Coordinator from Russian part: Irina Takala (Associate Professor, PetrSU)
  Project participants: universities and scientific centres of St.Petersburg, Moscow, Helsinki and Turku (Finland), Paris (France), Berlin (Germany).
  Terms: 1997-2000
  Results: NORMS, VALUES AND DEVIATION IN SOVIET SOCIETY AND CULTURE IN THE 1920's - 1930's. SPb., 2000. 480pp.
  
  

• THE DOUBLE HEADED EAGLE AND THE RED STAR: CONTINUITY AND BREAK IN SOVIET STATE BUILDING, 1918-1953. 
  Scientific coordinator: Doctor Antti Laine (Karelian research institute, University of Joensuu). 
  Coordinator from Russian part: Ilya Solomesch (Associate Professor, PetrSU).
  Project participants: Institute of Language, literature and history of Karelian Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of Science, Universities of Joensuu and Tampere (Finland)
  Terms: 1997-2000
  Results: Rise and Fall of Soviet Karelia. Helsinki, 2002. 285pp.
  
  

• History of the village of Reboly. 
  Scientific coordinator: Full Professor Antero Heikkinen (University of Joensuu, Finland).
  Project participants: PetrSU (Yu.M.Kilin, I.R.Takala, I.A.Cherniakova), University of Joensuu (Finland), Repola-seura (Lappeenranta, Finland)
  Terms: 1998-2000
  Results: Aunuksen Repola. Jyvaskyla, 2001. 334 s.

Scientific seminars and conferences. 

Results of researches are regularly reported on different conferences, symposiums, seminars. Only within the past three years employees of the Laboratory have performed on 40 representative forums, mainly the international and All-Russian among which it is possible to note 17th Russian-Finnish symposium of historians, St.Petersburg. 1999 (I.Takala), VI World congress on history of the countries of East Europe and Russia, Tampere 2000 (L.Suni, I.Takala, I.Solomesch), 19-th World congress of historians, Oslo 2000 (I.Solomesch), XIV Conference on studying Scandinavian countries and Finland, Arkhangelsk 2001 (I.Takala, I.Solomesch).

Employees of the Laboratory were organizers or participated in preparation and realization of many international symposiums and the conferences which took place in Petrozavodsk:

• January, 1993 International seminar "Emigration: Finns in Russia, Russians in Finland".

• April, 1993 International scientific symposium "Three ways of development of Northern republics. Finland, Karelia and Komi territory in 1917-1940."

• June, 1994 International seminar "Historical relations of Byelomorsk Karelia and Northern Finland."

• June, 1995 International seminar "National minorities and national C.P.S.U.(B.) (Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks)) politics in Northwest of Russia (1920-40s)."

• May, 1997 Scientific seminar under the international research projects " Values, norms and changes in the Soviet society of 1920-1950s" and "The double headed eagle and the red star: continuity and break in state building of the USSR (1918-1953)."

• September, 1997 XIII international conference on studying history, economy, literature and language of Scandinavian countries and Finland. 

• May, 1999 International symposium "Karelia and Finland on the threshold of new millenium." 

Publications

Materials of the International symposium "Karelia and Finland on the threshold of new millenium." Thesises of reports. Petrozavodsk, 1999. (Editor in chief I.Takala). 

• October 1999. International seminar of historians "East Finland and Olonets Karelia". 

• September 2000. International scientific and practical conference "International relations in the north of Europe: traditions and the modernity" devoted to 60-th anniversary of PetrSU. Thesises of reports. Petrozavodsk, 2000. (Editor in chief I.Solomesch).

• November-December 2001. Exhibition of documentary photographs and books "Mannerheim and his time". Partners - Institute of Finland in St.Petersburg, Scientific library of PetrSU.

• December 2001 Scientific seminar under the international research project "Image of Finland in Russia, image of Russia in Finland".

• April 2002 Exhibition of documentary photographs and books "Finns in Saint Petersburg". Partners - Institute of Finland in St.Petersburg, Scientific library of PetrSU.

Within the past five years (1997-2001) employees of the Laboratory have published about 60 scientific works in total volume of over 100 sheets, one third from them were published abroad (in Finland, Sweden, Poland, and Australia). 
Scientific activity is carried out mainly due to participation in international research projects and reception of different grants. 

Current activity and near-term outlook 

On-going projects:

• State Budget Theme 103-01.2 "Research of ethnic and historical processes on the joint of civilizations: Karelians and Karelia in historical retrospective show" (together with Faculty of Baltic and Finnish Philology and Culture, performed by I.Takala, I.Solomesch, E.V.Usacheva (National archive of the RK), S.Yalovitsyna, G.Kolybina).

• International project "The Image of Finland and Finns in Russia" (I.Takala, I.Solomesch). Terms - 2001-2003. Partners are Institute of Language and Literature of Karelian research Center of the Russian Academy of Science, St.Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Science, University of Helsinki. Financing - partly at the expense of the Finnish party. Working seminar - fall of 2002.

• Preparation of the book "History of countries of Northern Europe (from the epoch of vikings up to II World War): the course of lectures. The book in 2 volumes" (I.Takala, I.Solomesch). Terms - 2001-2003. The volume of 22 printer's sheets 

• Preparation of the manual "Finland in Russian empire" (I.Solomesch, I.Takala, L.Suni). Terms - 2002-2003. Financing within the framework of the project "History of empires" Open Society Institution / Soros Foundation.

• Preparation and realization of a series of seminars , devoted to social and economic, demographic and cultural relations of Olonets Karelia, Ladoga lakeside and East Finland. The next seminar will be held in September, 2003, in Joensuu. Partners: Karelian Research Institute of the University of Joensuu, Lennrot Institute (Kajani). Financing at the expemse of the Finnish party.

• Participation in organization of exhibitions.

• Participation in work of the international education program "Baltic Peoples" (coordinated by the University of Uppsala, Sweden).

• Participation in coordination council of the Center on history and culture of European North of NEOU. 

• Individual research projects.

Current work:

• Consultation on problems of history of the region and international cooperation in the North of Europe.

• Lecturing on regional problematics in the Russian and foreign universities and other educational institutions.

• Preparation of offers for inclusion of courses of lectures performed by PetrSU in education programs of foreign universities.

• Translation into Russian and scientific editing of monographies on history of Finland. 

• Updating of the fund of scientific literature.