Russkaia Starina

(Russian Antiquity), a monthly historical journal published in St. Petersburg from 1870 to 1918. It was founded, published, and edited (1870–92) by M. I. Semevskii, with the assistance of V. I. Semevskii. Succeeding editors were N. K. Shil’der (1892–96), N. F. Dubrovin (1896–1904), and the military historians S. P. Zykov and P. N. Voronov.

Under M. I. Semevskii, Russkaia starina published many interesting historical materials, including official documents, autobiographies, memoirs, and letters of cultural, political, and public figures. Many works of Russian authors were published for the first time in the journal. Russkaia starina was the first Russian historical journal regularly to publish—as early as the 1870’s—documents on the history of the revolutionary movement in Russia and on the history of mass soldiers’ and peasants’ disturbances; it published especially extensive material on the Decembrist movement. It also contained prints and drawings, primarily portraits and facsimiles. Lists of the contents of Russkaia starina over the period 1870–1902 have been published.