THE SPACE OF RUMORS IN THE PSKOV PROVINCE IN THE FIRST THIRD OF THE XIX CENTURY

The article presents the history, geography and content of the rumors circulating among the inhabitants of the Pskov province in the first third of the XIX century. The historiography and source base on this problem are studied. The documents revealing the content of the rumors are concentrated in the files of the 20 Fund of the State Archive of the Pskov Region. Based on the analysis of these sources, a periodization of the rumor circulation was made. The main periods of spreading rumors in the Pskov province include July – August 1812, 1822–1826, 1826–1830, and the beginning of the 1830s. The author identifies the reasons that prompted the emergence of rumors among the residents of the Pskov Region. The reaction of the ordinary population of the province to the war rumors of 1812 is revealed on separate examples. Special attention is also paid to the reaction of the provincial authorities to the spread of false rumors in all periods of their circulation. The author draws conclusions about the high importance of rumors in the study of the history of the social space of the Pskov province in the first third of the XIX century. The work is relevant due to the fact that it is in recent decades that the attention of the historical community to the issues of social history has significantly increased. The uniqueness of this study lies in the fact that a number of historical sources are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time