Abstract
In the Soviet period medieval studies enjoyed sufficient prestige both at home and abroad. To what extent did Russian historians manage to keep this position today? On the face of it the success is obvious. Publications and dissertations on medieval history have become more numerous, new research centres, journals and seminars appeared. The range of research interests has been vastly extended. However, a number of symptoms indicate that in Russia the professional community of medieval historians ceases to exist as a certain whole. The scholarly level of submitted dissertations is falling. Medievalists are no longer willing to write reviews on their colleagues’ works . The pluralism of methods and research subjects results in pluralism of requirements. Fragmentation in the sphere of historical research and a penchant for narrow themes lead to neglect in seeking answers to crucial questions, which our society puts to historians of the Middle Ages. Further impact of these trends could cause utter disintegration of our professional community and even the disappearance of medieval studies as a discipline in our country.
Keywords
Russian medievalist community, medieval studies in the Soviet Union, Middle Ages, feudalism, the periodization of the Middle Ages, WAC, historiography, fragmentation of the medievalists research field, social functions of historians community
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