Sergey Chernyshov, a Senior lecturer in Sociology and Mass Communications of Novosibirsk State Technical University NETI is one of the winners of the Russian Fund of Basic Research competition ("Perspektiva") for the best projects among fundamental research performed by young scientists. The theme of the supported research is "Construction of socio-political meanings in the communicative practices of the central government during the accession of Western Siberia to the Tsardom of Russia"
The research of the Tsardom of Russia government communication became the object of scientific interest for the first time, as well as the causality approach adopted for the study of this communication. In fact, the issue of state and corporate propaganda during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and the accession of Western Siberia to the Tsardom of Russia will be considered for the first time. The main problems addresses in the research are:
• how the state and church system of communication explained the colonization of Siberia for different audiences (internal, external);
• how and why the known canon of joining Siberia to the Russia was formed (including the image Yermak as the conqueror of Siberia);
• which elite groups of the Tsardom of Russia or who personally was interested in a particular point of view on the historical events;
• how the state and corporate system of the required information distribution worked;
• and, finally, did the kings believe in the official government position on certain issues?
This study will be the first to raise the question of why there was a particular version of events and whether those who broadcast it – diplomats, chroniclers, elites and the Royal court – believed in it. A good example is the image of Yermak, dashing Cossack, the conqueror of Siberia. Preliminary studies indicate that the known image was at first purposefully formed by the Stroganovs (who modified the Chronicle in accordance with their own needs); then by the first Siberian Archbiscop (who needed "local saints") and was finally established after the uprising of Stepan Razin, who actually became the prototype of Yermak. Another example is how Ivan the Terrible legitimized his right to the throne for different audiences. It turns out that for Western sovereigns, he broadcast a version about the continuity of the Moscow ruling dynasty from the descendants of Caesar (roughly speaking: "we are even more Europeans than you are"), to the Eastern rulers he hinted that he was the successor of Genghis Khan, and to the inner audience he presented himself as the representative of God on earth. And he seemed not to believe himself in any these versions; that is, all these were exclusively technological communication tricks, Sergey Chernyshov comments.
The work will be carried out for three years. The results of the project are planned to be published in at least five scientific articles in the Web of Science or Scopus indexed journals. The research will be presented in the monograph and an open access information system in the form of 'Maps Of Meaning' that contains basic ideas and communication practices between the central government and other subjects of communication in the period of Western Siberia accession to the Tsardom of Russia. The grant also aims at the doctoral dissertation completion. Grant funding is provided in annual tranches with the annual budget of about 3 million rubles. Academic mobility is a prerequisite: the work will be carried out on the basis of the Department of Russian History of National Research Tomsk State University, the partner of NSTU NETI.
Russian Foundation for Basic Research announced "Perspektiva" competition in 2019 for the first time. The objective of the competition is to create favorable conditions for young scientists for conducting fundamental research, to promote employment of promising young scientists in Russian scientific organizations that are best suited to conduct research in their chosen field of expertise, to provide young scientists with rewarding work in Russian scientific organizations. As the result of 2019 competition, 181 project received support, including 8 projects in the field of "National History" and 6 projects on the problems of Siberia exploration.