The All-Russian Scientific Forum "Frontiers of Historical Memory" at PetrSU

This large-scale event brought together scholars, local historians, teachers, students, and schoolchildren from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Tver, Petrozavodsk, Kondopoga, Kostomuksha, Martsialnye Vody, and Pudozh to discuss key issues in the region's history, cultural heritage preservation, and educational development.

PetrSU organized the forum with the support of the Government of the Republic of Karelia, the Russian Historical Society, and the Russian Society "Knowledge." Nine university institutes participated in the forum's events, along with social partners: the Karelian Institute for Education Development, the National Museum of the Republic of Karelia, the amateur folk art group, the "Pitaritsy" Russian Song Choir, and P. O. Korgan Gymnasium No. 17.

The opening ceremony and plenary session took place on February 12th in the main building of PetrSU. Welcoming addresses were addressed to the participants by Valentina Nikolaevna Pivnenko, State Duma Deputy of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; Olga Nikolaevna Shmaenik, Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia; and Andrei Vladimirovich Shibanov, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Karelia.

The plenary session began with the presentation of the textbook "History of Our Region. The Republic of Karelia," developed by leading scholars and practicing history teachers. The key topics of the plenary discussion were the historical aspects of Karelia's development, the challenges of preserving the memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War, and the role of education and science in the region. The session included presentations by Varvara Gelievna Vovina, Dr. Sci. (Hist.), Deputy Director for Scientific Cooperation at the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Yulia Vladimirovna Stepanova, Ph.D. in History, Senior Researcher at the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Dmitry Nikolaevich Kharchenkov, Prosecutor of the Republic of Karelia; Yulia Aleksandrovna Petrovskaya, Cand. Sc. (Sociology), Head of the Department of Political and Social Sciences at PetrSU; Sofya Sergeevna Nikitina, Researcher of the National Museum of Karelia; Alexander Timofeevich Balashov, DMSc, Director of the Zilber Medical Institute; Galina Stanislavovna Antipina, D.Sc. in Biology, Professor at the Institute of Biology, Ecology and Agricultural Technologies; Zinaida Ivanovna Strogalshchikova, Ph.D. in History, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Language, Literature, and History of the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences; and Natalya Leonidovna Shilova, Cand. Sc. (Philology), Associate Professor at the Institute of Philology.

Exhibitions from the National Museum of Karelia, the Pharmacy Museum of PetrSU, and the Pomor Culture Center were on display in the halls. The highlight of the meeting was a performance by the Russian Song Choir "Pitaritsy" performing an excerpt from the play "Nikolskaya Winter Fair."

The main scientific program took place from February 11–13 at various venues of the university and the Karelian Institute for Education Development. More than a dozen thematic sections were held, covering a wide range of periods and aspects of the region's history.

A highlight was the presentation of the second volume of Denis Popov's monograph "The Finnish Break," dedicated to the events of 1920-1922.

The forum concluded on February 14 with the 10th Republican Scientific and Practical Conference for Schoolchildren "Echo of War," where young researchers presented their work on military history. The organizers noted the high level of preparation of the participants and the importance of continuity in the study of the past.

The forum attracted 1,146 participants. The organizing committee thanks the section chairs, participants, partners, guests, and audience for their interest, productive collaboration, and active involvement in the study of the history and culture of Karelia.