Alexander Yevgenyevich Presnyakov (Александр Евгеньевич Пресняков; 1870–1929) was a Russian historian who attempted to reform the

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

school of imperial

historiography Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians ha ...

after the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...

. He was elected into the

Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...

as a corresponding member in 1920. Presnyakov was born in

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

and spent his childhood in

Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...

. A brilliant disciple of

Sergey Platonov Sergey Fyodorovich Platonov (russian: Серге́й Фёдорович Плато́нов) (28 June O.S.">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="6 June Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 1860 – 10 January 1933) was a Russian histori ...

, he published several important studies of medieval Russia, including ''Princely Law in Old Rus'' (1909), ''The

Tsardom of Muscovy The Tsardom of Russia or Tsardom of Rus' also externally referenced as the Tsardom of Muscovy, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of Tsar by Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter I in ...

'' (1918), and ''The Development of the State of Great Russia'' (1918). He opposed Platonov in admitting the distinct nature of the medieval Lithuanian statehood. After the

Presnyakov authored the revisionist biographies of

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...

and Nicholas I. He helped establish and run the Institute of Historical Studies, a branch of the

Petrograd University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the G ...

, and managed the Leningrad branch of the RANION History Institute. It was shortly after Presnyakov's death that his mentor Platonov, as well as their disciples, faced persecution from the government. His library was acquired by the

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1931.

References

20th-century Russian historians Russian medievalists 1870 births 1929 deaths Writers from Tbilisi Saint Petersburg State University alumni Saint Petersburg State University faculty Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1917–1925) Corresponding Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences Burials at Nikolskoe Cemetery Herzen University faculty {{russia-historian-stub