The article is devoted to the representation of letters of well-known Kyiv historians I. O. Gurzhii and I. D. Boyko to the Odessa colleague S. I.-Ya. Borovоy. These letters for the period of the first half of the 1960’s are stored in the State Archives of Odessa region, in the fund of personal origin of Professor S. I.-Ya. Borovоy. The letters are a valuable source for studying the scientific biography and communication network of historians of the 1960s. Little-known archival documents were first published – correspondence with the Odessa historian of Kyiv colleagues who worked in various structures of the USSR Academy of Sciences in the 1940s and 1960s. These sources reflect their activities and connections with a colleague from Odesa. The purpose of this archeographic exploration is to update little-known archival sources, which significantly supplement the information about cooperation and personal contacts between Odessa and Kyiv historians, whose biographies and certain aspects of their scientific activity are revealed in the comments. The letters shed light on their scientific plans and creative laboratory of correspondents, views on social and cultural issues. The article examines the informative possibilities of letters from leading Kyiv historians of this period on the situation in historical science and the socio-cultural situation in the country as a whole. The epistles of these historians are of undeniable interest in the history of Soviet historiography, in particular, and the history of historical science. The provided materials reflect separate fragments of professional activity of two scientists and their personal and scientific communicative communications with some representatives of the Soviet scientific community. Epistles allow to reproduce some details of the history of Soviet historical science, certain episodes of the biography of a number of Soviet scientists of those years against the background of the events of the socio-cultural environment. The letters of scientists, despite the presence of powerful personal qualities, are characterized by high organization of the text, the ability to see the main things in events, extreme clarity in assessing the situation and expressing their opinions. The publication of the letters is accompanied by fairly complete comments on their content and introduces into scientific circulation a valuable historical source.

The article attempts to consider the nature of the formation of priority areas of scientific activity and spiritual formation in the «Odesa» period of the life of the religious thinker, theologian, philosopher, historian, Orthodox priest, activist of the ecumenical movement and one of the founders of the World Council of Churches. His name is H. V. Florovsky. On the basis of previously not introduced into scientific circulation historical sources located in the State Archive of the Odesa Region, Princeton University Library and a layer of published sources and scientific literature, many new facts of the biography were discovered and inaccuracies and incorrect data regarding the main events of the scientist’s life were eliminated. Both general scientific (analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction) and special historical methods became the main methods of researching the life and intellectual work of H. V. Florovsky. The historical-genetic method made it possible to recreate the creative portrait of the scientist within the chronological framework of the period under study. The historical-comparative method was used to highlight what was new, which the scientist brought to the study of humanitarian fields of knowledge. Chronological, historical-biographical methods, techniques of historiographical and source analysis were also used. The essence and role of the main components of the scientist’s personality, which later determined the success of his professional activity, were revealed. It has been proven that the family played a significant role in the formation of H. V. Florovsky’s personality. The main milestones of life and spiritual formation are presented through the prism of his studies, work and scientific activity at the Imperial Novorossiysk University. The importance of the obtained results lies in the fact that, on the basis of archival material and scientific literature, the formation of scientific priorities and scientific and pedagogical experience of a scientist, a component of ensuring the relationship of traditions and innovations in the development of humanitarian knowledge, are analyzed. It has been established that the defining topic in the comprehensive study of the «Odesa» period of H. V. Florovsky should be the further research of the scientist’s creativity against the background of the specific circumstances of his biography.

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The article examines the biographies and fates of the heads of the Scientific Library of Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University at the turn of the century in the period 1917–1922, when, against the background of socio-political and socio-economic transformations, the reorganization of its subordination, structure, staff and other components of activities. The funds of the State Archive of Odesa region contain historical primary sources that allow us to reconstruct individual fragments of their biographies. Based on the analysis of a wide range of historical sources and scientific literature, the biographies of three librarians who represented new generation of representatives of Odesa scientific corporation were studied. The factors that influenced the appointment of representatives of the new generation to the position of library manager and their activities were determined. The activities they carried out while holding the position of head of the library, as well as the results achieved by the library during a separate period of their leadership, were mentioned. The results of the prosopographic analysis of the figures of the library managers are given. An attempt was made to determine the social composition of the leaders as representatives of the library business and to trace their fate in the context of the vicissitudes of the specified period. The working conditions, material and household level and social status of the leaders are characterized. The general organizational principles, content and directions of activity of the Soviet government in the matter of reforming the library network of the higher school of Odesa are analyzed. Changes in the composition and position of library employees are summarized. The study is devoted to the study of little-known facts of the biographies of the forgotten figures of the heads of the library, who played an important role in the development of the library business during the era of radical changes in the state system and society. Contradictory tendencies of the policy of the Soviet government, which accompanied the development of the library business in Odesa and influenced the position of the heads of the libraries, were traced.

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