Orenburg state university

100 Years of Revolution: a Reason for Thinking and Reconciliation

On the 11^th and 12^th of May the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Revolution 1917 and the Civil War as key factors of the Russian history in the 20^th century” was held in Orenburg. Opening ceremony was conducted in Orenburg Drama Theatre, breakout sessions — at OSU.

The conference was organized by Ministry for Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Orenburg region’s Government, Orenburg region’s Education Ministry, Orenburg Metropolitanate, Institute for the Russian History (Russian Academy of Sciences), Institute for History and Archeology of Ural Subdivision (Russian Academy of Sciences) and Orenburg State University.

Among the conference participants were scientists in the field of historical, law, pedagogical, philosophical sciences of research institutes and higher educational institutions of Russia and also of Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine, teachers of history and social studies from Orenburg educational institutions, students.

Education Minister of Orenburg region Vyacheslav Labuzov, Vice-Governor — Deputy Prime-Minister of Orenburg region in the field of Internal Policy Vera Bashirova, Rector of Orenburg State University Zhanna Ermakova addressed to the audience with welcome speech.

Doctor of Historical Sciences Yuriy Petrov (Institute for the Russian History of Russian Academy for Sciences) made a report “Russia on the eve of the Great Revolution 1917: modern historiographic trends”. He presented his own position (different from the existing position in Soviet times) in relation to object and subject conditions of the Revolution 1917. He also offered to consider February and October Revolution and the Civil War as one epoch-making event.

Report of Orenburg and Saraktash Metropolitan Veniamin “Century of the revolution and fate of the Russian Orthodox Church” was very emotional, with a lot of historical evidence. He told about going after the Russian Orthodox Church including execution of Orenburg clergy — metropolitan and monks — during the holy days.

Report of Center’s Head for Economic History by the Institute of the Russian History (Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow), Member of the Federation Council by the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Viktor Kondrashin was titled as “Revolution as the moment of truth”. In his opinion revolution crisis in our country was connected with the personality of tsar that had not any personal qualities for the state government in difficult times.

Speech of Professor of Orenburg State University Dmitriy Safonov was devoted to the modern understanding of the Civil War in the Southern Urals.

The conference work was continued in 5 sections in Orenburg State University. Above 350 people took part in this conference.