My future profession is a historian. Standards of professional activity. Dominant activities of the profession "Historian"

Historians are scientists who study history historical process, literature and culture.

Professional historians work in universities, academic centers and museums, schools and other institutions of secondary general education.

The historian studies the past of mankind in all its diversity, using knowledge of all kinds of historical facts and processes, recreates a picture of the life of the state, peoples and individuals in different times. Establishes the patterns of development of society and reveals cause-and-effect relationships between the events that have occurred.

Depending on the area of ​​interest, history and specialists are divided into the following departments and disciplines:

General history- the study of the history of modern peoples, since the formation of writing

Ancient world - study of history Ancient Greece and Rome, the Hellenistic period, the history of Ancient Egypt (together with Orientalists)

History of the early and late Middle Ages

History of the New Age

Study of Recent History

Story Old Russian state And national history(before Peter the Great)

Domestic history from the reign of Peter I to the Great October Revolution

recent history Russia (from the end of the 19th century - to 2000)

Archeology

Ethnography

source study

Auxiliary historical disciplines

art history

History studies the life of mankind for several thousand years. We can single out the history of the ancient world, the Middle Ages, the history of modern times. The main work of the historian is to collect and interpret historical information through research work and research, work with archival materials and documents. He must read an ancient text. establish the author, addressee, date of writing, type of document, then synthesize source information and source information and interpret the data obtained. In this, he is helped by such special disciplines as numismatics, heraldry, sphragistics (the science of seals), paleography, etc. The level of communication in the work of a historian is minimal in research work and quite intense in research activities.

The specifics of the profession: interesting, but very painstaking work in libraries, archives and repositories, exhibition halls and storerooms of museums, communication with private collectors. Quite often, historians go on archaeological and ethnographic expeditions, participate in scientific conferences and symposia. History students foreign countries often go on business trips abroad. This profession attracts both men and women.

Applications: They work in educational institutions of various profiles, in archives, libraries, museums.

Dominant professional orientation: To work with sign systems (texts, numbers, formulas, etc.), as well as to work with people.

Personal qualities of a historian

aptitude for the humanities,

Analytic mind,

Good memory for dates, facts, names and events,

Perseverance, readiness for routine work.

Places of work - usually research institutes, museums, archives, large libraries and memorial complexes.

Among occupational diseases distinguish diseases of the eyes and spine.

Level wages usually not tall.

Sergey Viktorovich Alekseev, doctor historical sciences, Head of the Department of History at Moscow State University, Chairman of the Board of the Historical and Educational Society, full member of the International Academy of Sciences (IAS), Chief Editor annual almanac "Historical Review". Laureate of the "Best Young Scientist" award, awarded with a gold medal. N. N. Moiseeva "For merits in education and science."

In front of me stood a tall man, elegant, thin, with dark short hair. Upon learning that the Our Youth magazine asked him for an interview, Sergey Viktorovich exclaimed with surprise: “Well, how young am I? Tomorrow I will be 40 years old!”

Sergey Viktorovich, how and why did you decide to become a teacher?

It was not a conscious choice. I became a teacher due to lack of money. All my life, starting at the age of five, I wanted to become a historian. In 1993 he graduated from the university. The time was not easy, there was no work in the specialty. For a whole year he was interrupted by odd jobs - mainly in the book publishing business. Wrote a dissertation. There was, of course, the opportunity to give up on the profession and go somewhere "on the side", say, in business. But I immediately rejected this opportunity for myself, and began to teach. And I wasn't wrong. I like it…

Why did you want to become a historian?

The story has fascinated me since preschool age. I read my first history books - "Stories" for the 4th grade and "Living Voices of History" - even before I sat down at my desk. Fortunately, I learned to read very early. In the lower grades, he himself tried to write "scientific works". Read speckled with blots " world history» of his own composition now, of course, is very funny - but also touching.

At the end of school, the question is “where to go to study?” - was no longer in front of me. I knew that I would enter the history department, and my parents unconditionally supported me in this intention. In this sense, I was lucky - the path of a historian was not considered too “prestigious” in the late 80s.

I have been attending the “School young historian» at Moscow State University. For me, it really was a school, perhaps more important than secondary general education. I think the most important thing that I learned from there is the realization that there is history, what it is based on, how it differs from free fiction. There I tried to write really scientific work, and the skills developed were further developed thanks to training at the Historical and Archival Institute - the legitimate center of domestic source studies.

I don't know if I would have felt as deeply in any other place the essence of history? Would the necessary “tediousness” of a source specialist have been developed, which alone allows the creation of a truly reliable historical work? Another thing is that I have always perceived, and now I perceive, the study of sources precisely as a step, albeit unique and necessary, to writing History, and certainly a “great history”.

Who do you consider your mentor in the study of history?

For me, in the first place among mentors in science is Academician Sigurd Ottovich Schmidt. Since school years, thanks to television programs for schoolchildren, he became for me a model history teacher, a guide to the world of her "live", source voices. Naturally, while studying at the Historical and Archival Institute, I could not pass by either his special courses or the famous circle of source studies that he had been heading for decades. The circle has become a school for me - perhaps the most useful in all the years, a school not only of source study, but also of scientific discussion, exacting and, moreover, comradely discussion of each other's works. For several years I was the head of the circle. I defended my diploma and Ph.D. thesis under the scientific supervision of Sigurd Ottovich.

What is the job of a teacher for you? What is your goal?

My goal is to transfer knowledge young generation; preservation and reproduction of the intellectual class, to which I consider myself, as well as in the preservation of some educational traditions. The best reward is when you achieve this goal with at least one person.

What do you consider the most important in your profession?

The most important thing is creativity as the creation of something new: methods, training programs, scientific discipline; learning new things to correct and enrich their knowledge, respect for colleagues, cooperation with them.

What annoys you the most about your job?

(After this question, Sergei Viktorovich laughed and thought for a minute)

Elementary lack of response. You try to explain simple things to a student: definitions, facts, terms, and you see that the student either does not understand your explanation or simply does not want to understand. It's moments like these that really suck. True, now it has become easier than it was in the 90s, now such students are much less common.

Many graduates of domestic universities, having received a diploma, leave to work abroad. What do you think of it?

I think it's wrong. The country gave these people an education, some for free. They are obliged to work for the good of their country, it is their duty. I find it difficult to go abroad for permanent residence also because there you pay taxes and give your work to a foreign country.

What can you say about the new system: magistracy and bachelor's degree?

I don't know how necessary it is for our graduates to leave to work in Europe. If we wanted to go to new system education, why not create your own? But we are already living in this European system so comments are superfluous.

Are you a member of friendly relations with students?

It seems to me that when communicating with students, you should not reduce the distance. Students are students. Teachers are teachers. Informal relationships only hinder the educational process.

How do students feel about you and why?

Each student treats in his own way: someone respects, someone is afraid, someone admires, someone dislikes. I don't know the reasons. Simply, the teacher should always be himself, and not suck up to the student. Believe me, falsehood is always felt.

How would you characterize the employment prospects for young professionals?

It is difficult to answer this question. The socio-economic situation in the world in general and in Russia in particular is constantly changing, so no one can say what profession will be in demand tomorrow. Now, when a person chooses a specialty and a future profession, he takes a very big risk. Although, I believe that if a person has a calling, if he does his favorite job and does it not for the sake of money, anyone will succeed. True, there are very few such people.

You said that you became a teacher due to lack of money. Are you satisfied with your salary now?

Yes, the salary is good enough. It corresponds to the average level of salary of a humanitarian in our state. The question is: why is the work of the humanities so low in Russia?

I remember that during the crisis years in the early 90s, when I was studying at the institute, my scholarship turned into a penny. Oh, it was hard then. Lack of money continued until I started working at Moscow State University. After that, my business took off. Now I am quite satisfied with life.

Describe your life outside the university. Your hobbies, hobbies.

I love art, literature, I am engaged in criticism of fantastic works, I write. I have never contrasted "serious science", as I call history, with literature - from my point of view, a good historian is always a little and a writer. Serious scientific work should also be readable. Another thing is that you need to be aware of the boundaries ... Stylized as a Slavic epic "tales" I began to write in high school. It is not surprising that I was fascinated by other experiments "of this kind", first translated, and then domestic. Hence my work on fantasy literature and, ultimately, literary criticism and translation.

Questions were asked by Nikita Guskov

The editors of the magazine congratulate Sergey Viktorovich Alekseev on his jubilee!

New books to you, Sergey Viktorovich! New scientific papers, new discoveries and devotees native history students!

I would watch a TV show like this
in which teenagers describe
your favorite instagrams
veterans of World War II.

The profession of a historian is a service to our country and the protection of our history. And also - the ability to beat the enemy insolent from permissiveness in the face. This is the opinion of bastard patriots.

And here is what other thinkers offer us:

The historian who deliberately keeps silent about events commits no less deceit than the one who composes what never happened. Ammianus Marcellinus

History is the witness of times, the light of truth, the life of memory, the messenger of antiquity. Cicero

The historian who studies the past can only approach objectivity if he approaches an understanding of the past. Edward Carr

IN modern Russia Unfortunately, the first point of view prevails. We are offered to talk about the past of our country as if it were dead: either talk well or not talk at all. And passions flare up. accepted wild laws about “falsification of national history”, about preventing revisions of the results of the Second World War, and so on.

The 20th century worries too many. Completely opposite points of view on the events of this turbulent century are being issued. But only a few years have passed, and most of us lived in the twentieth century.

It is difficult to imagine the reaction of "patriots" if professional, and most importantly, honest historians appear in our country who will present and substantiate the history of our country in the 13th or 16th century. What secrets unsolved await us?

It is thought that half school textbooks according to national history, it will be possible to safely throw it in the trash, where, by the way, they belong.

But such historians are now few. And, alas, their voices are drowned in the hysteria and salivation of powerful statesmen, who for some reason think that we should only be proud of our history and not stir up the past.

The history of Russia is an unknown land. It has a lot of white spots. And someday we'll know real story our country. Let's get to know her for who she really was.

Although hardly...

History studies the life of mankind for several thousand years. We can single out the history of the ancient world, the Middle Ages, the history of modern times.

The main work of a historian is the collection and interpretation of historical information through research and research, work with archival materials and documents. He must read the ancient text, establish the author, addressee, date of writing, type of document, then synthesize source information and source information and interpret the data received.

In this, he is helped by such special disciplines as numismatics, heraldry, sphragistics (the science of seals), paleography, etc. Each expert in his field specializes in a particular direction: the history of primitive society, the ancient world, the Middle Ages, modern times, the history of individual countries and peoples.

Some specialists are engaged in the study and understanding of sectoral history (economy, military affairs, politics, geography, etc.).

Many are attracted by the history of culture (music, theater, visual arts etc.) or science (physics, mathematics, biology, etc.).

It is believed that the main activities of historians are as follows:

– study of events in the life of mankind, as a historical aspect;

- a detailed study of the factors that influence the course of historical events in the field of politics, economics and culture;

- predicting events that may take place in history, based on studies of cause-and-effect relationships between known historical events;

- the study and possible interpretation of the primary sources of a historical nature, according to a particular era. This applies to biographies, letters, manuscripts, annals, etc.

– coverage of research results in both scientific, journalistic and artistic form;

– the possibility of conducting scientific experiments, using methods and achievements in other scientific directions;

– improvement of already known research methods and development of new ones;

- direct presence during archaeological work.

Personal qualities

A penchant for the humanities, an analytical mindset, a good memory for dates, facts, names and events, perseverance, readiness for routine work.

Education (What do you need to know?)

Special historical disciplines, historical geography, foreign languages, literature.

University specialties

Place of work and career

Historians, as a rule, work in universities at the departments, in museums, launch their own projects of lectures and seminars, with which they travel around the world.

Depending on the field, history and historians form the following departments: General History, History ancient world, including history ancient rome and Greece, Medieval history, Modern history, Recent history, Ethnography, Archeology, Culturology and many others, which have their own specific features and characteristics.

Related professions:

Where to study?

A historian is a specialist who studies the events of the past and present, researching archival materials, where information is stored about actions throughout the history of mankind and before it. Historians recreate a picture of the life of individual states, peoples and personalities of different periods, as well as analyze the patterns of development of society and establish causes and consequences between different events.

History is divided into different categories:

• general history (the study of history from the time of the appearance of writing to the present);
• the history of the Ancient World (the study of the history of Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, Mesopotamia, etc.);
• history of the early and late Middle Ages;
• the history of modern times (the end of the 15th to the 17th centuries);
• recent world history;
• National history;
• recent history of Russia late XIX V. to the 2000s);
• archeology (the study of history with the help of material sources - tools, dishes, jewelry, buildings, works of art, etc.);
• ethnography (the study of the origin of peoples and other ethnic formations);
• source study (study historical sources and historical and cultural phenomena);
• art history (the process of development of art from ancient times to the present).

Main responsibilities of historians:

• study of the events of human life;
• studying historical facts and their further influence on the course of events;
• forecasting future events based on the experience of past years;
• presentation of research results in scientific, journalistic literature and in the press;
• participation in archaeological excavations.

Personal qualities

A historian must have an analytical mindset, an excellent memory, and a predisposition to the humanities. In addition, a scientist should be prepared for monotonous, routine work.

How to become a historian

To become a historian, you need to get a higher specialized education. In addition, in addition to history, a good specialist knows geography, economics, foreign languages, philosophy, cultural studies and the basics of art history, as well as religious studies.

You can get a profession at any humanitarian university, but leading educational institutions in this area are considered:

• Moscow State University them. M.V. Lomonosov (Moscow State University);
• Russian State University for the Humanities (RGGU);
• Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPGU);
• National research university « graduate School Economics” (NRU HSE);
• Russian Academy National economy And public service under the President of the Russian Federation (RANEPA);
• St. Petersburg State University (SPbGU).

Where to work

Historians work in schools, universities, museums and memorial complexes. In addition, specialists are engaged in personal research, write scientific papers, and also create their own historical and near-historical projects. Historians are found even in the mass media - for example, in the popular science magazine "Istorik", the publishing house "Kommersant", etc.

Beginning: 15000 ⃏ per month

Experienced: 17000 ⃏ per month

Professional: 25000 ⃏ per month

* - information on salaries is given approximately based on vacancies on profiling sites. Salary in a particular region or company may differ from those given. Your income is greatly influenced by how you can apply yourself in the chosen field of activity. Income is not always limited only by the fact that you are offered vacancies in the labor market.

Demand for the profession

The profession of a historian is not particularly in demand, it is more satisfying personal needs for knowledge of quality

Who is the profession for?

The profession of a historian is suitable for people who are truly interested in learning about the past.

Responsibilities

The main task of the historian is the study of the past. In this regard, he is a frequent visitor to libraries, archives, museums, places archaeological sites. Specialists involved in the history of specific peoples go on ethnographic expeditions. Those who have devoted themselves to studying the history of other countries go on special business trips. However most of The work of a historian is not so dynamic: he must spend a lot of time studying various historical sources. The result of his work is the articles or books he wrote. Some experts not only focus on the experience of their predecessors, but also offer new ways of research. Teachers and teachers among historians, in addition to engaging in scientific activities, conduct training sessions, respectively, in schools, colleges and universities.