About the book by A.N. Minkh “Robbery and treasures of the Lower Volga region”

The article is a review of a book about robberies and treasures of the Lower Volga region written by a prominent pre-revolutionary researcher, a member of the Saratov Scientific Archival Commission Alexander Nikolaevich Minkh and published by Saratov historians-archivists. Two copies of the manuscript of this book are stored in the funds of the archival repositories of Saratov and St. Petersburg. It is noted that the publication is a landmark event for Russian historiography, special historical disciplines, ethnography and national local history. The materials of the reviewed book, rich in factual information and author's reasoning, allow us to take a fresh look at the cultural world of the Lower Volga region, which has long been an important region of our country. Its centuries-old military-administrative and economic colonization, viewed through the prism of numerous folk legends and robbery epic, makes it possible to see the history and culture of the Volga region in the context of common ways of historical, cultural and political development of Russia. The review corrects the few factual errors made by the author of the book, misspelling of the names of various historical characters and some other inaccuracies. In addition, there is a scientific debate on controversial issues of historical science. Among the topics discussed are the role of the Old Believers in the emergence of the Pugachev rebellion; the authorship of one of the most famous foreign sources on the history of the Moscow riots of the early XVII century; the role of the Don Cossacks in unleashing and spreading imposture, and many others. The opinion is expressed that a number of author's misconceptions are explained by the level of development of historical science in the second half of the XIX - early XX centuries. It is noted that the book by A.N. Minkh is a genuine encyclopedia of folk legends about robbers, their hidden treasures and their search, as well as a monument to the historical thought of his time. The archeographic work of Saratov archivists in cooperation with historians of Saratov State University on preparation and publishing of a fundamental scientific work of famous pre-revolutionary scientist and public figure is positively evaluated. The article concludes about the relevance of the peer-reviewed scientific work and its undoubtedful value for modern Russian scientists.

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