Chteniia v Obshchestve Istorii i Drevnostei Rossiiskikh

(Readings in the Society for History and Russian Antiquities), a periodical publication of the Moscow Society of History and Russian Antiquities, which was associated with Moscow University. Chteniia contained important studies on the history of the peoples of Russia and the Slavs (some volumes were as large as 60 printer’s sheets), extremely rich historical and ethnographic documentary materials, and translations of foreign works about Russia. It was issued as separate books for 72 years, with a ten-year interruption.

The first book came out in January 1846. For the first three years publication was irregular, with books appearing as sufficient material accumulated. Each book consisted of four sections: historical studies, domestic historical documents, foreign materials, and miscellaneous materials. The historical studies and materials were concerned with the history of the peoples of Russia from the eighth to the 19th centuries. The remaining studies and materials dealt with archaeology, ethnography, numismatics, paleography, and other subsidiary historical disciplines.

By June 1848, 23 books had been published. O. M. Bodian-skii’s inclusion of J. Fletcher’s work on the Muscovite state in the book for June 1848 incurred the displeasure of Nicholas I. Chteniia was forced to suspend publication, and Bodianskii was dismissed from Moscow University.

Publication did not resume until 1858, when Bodianskii again became secretary of the society. Chteniia adopted a Slavophile orientation, and a section of Slavic materials was added to the former four sections. Beginning in 1858, Chteniia was published four times a year. From 1858 to 1877, Numbers 24 to 101 appeared, edited by Bodianskii; from 1877 to 1881, Numbers 102 to 117, edited by A. N. Popov; from 1881 to 1907, Numbers 118 to 222, edited by E. V. Barsov; from 1907 to 1916, Numbers 223 to 258, edited by M. K. Liubavskii; and from 1916 to 1918, Numbers 259 to 264, edited by S. A. Belokurov.

The most prominent Russian historians contributed to Chteniia, including D. I. Bagalei, D. N. Bantysh-Kamenskii, S. A. Belokurov, I. D. Beliaev, M. M. Bogoslovskii, S. K. Bogoiavlenskii, A. F. Bychkov, S. B. Veselovskii, Iu. V. Got’e, I. E. Zabelin, V. O. Kliuchevskii, and D. F. Maslovskii. Translations of Šafařík and other writers were printed in Chtenüa.