The Phenomenon of Russian Modernization: Research Approaches, Problems of Lawful Government, Administration, and Human Capital

This article is a response to a number of important issues of the political and socio-economic development of the Russian Empire in the 18–20th centuries, which have been addressed in the fundamental and comprehensive monograph by Boris Mironov, “The Russian Empire: From Tradition to Modernity.” Potkina considers such topics as the situation in contemporary national historiography; the theoretical and methodological basis of research; national policy; religious and class discrimination of the country’s population; and the characteristics of public administration and its effectiveness. She drew attention to the need to expand the concept of human capital through incorporating issues of the formation of secondary and higher vocational education, which played an important role in providing commercial and industrial firms with certified specialists at the turn of the 20th century. The contribution of Russian entrepreneurs and their hired managers in strengthening links between industry and science is particularly emphasized, and the role of representative organizations of the commercial and industrial class in the development of professional education is revealed. The author also shows the complex interaction between traditional and modern Western culture in Imperial Russia during the period of modernization, their mutual influence and finally, their natural convergence. These processes are demonstrated through examples of the business culture of the Morozov merchant dynasty, the art of lacquered miniatures by Mstiora, Palekh, Kholui, and Fedoskino as well as Russian spiritual and classical music in the 15th to 20th centuries