Russian history

USE: writing a historical essay

A good essay can bring 11 points out of the maximum 55 for the entire work to the exam in history. The teacher and author of textbooks Roman Pazin analyzed in detail the criteria for assessing this important task and gave advice on how to prepare for it.

Task number 25

The graduate must write an answer for one of the three epochs. First: IX - the end of the XVII centuries. Second: end of the 17th century. - 1914. Third: 20th century from World War I to December 1991. Dates in the second and third spaces are often given with months as a clue to the student. For example, if the period “March 1801 - December 1812” is chosen, it is necessary to tell not only about the Patriotic War of 1812, but also about the domestic and foreign policy of the first stage of the reign of Alexander I in general.

A historical essay is a creative work according to a certain algorithm. The wording of the task itself includes almost all the criteria by which the text will be evaluated by an expert. Let's consider these criteria in more detail.

Indication of events (phenomena, processes)

The essay must indicate two events (possibly without dates) from the selected time period. If everything is done correctly, 2 points are awarded. If only one event is correctly indicated - 1 point. The sequence of presentation and the connection of events with each other is not taken into account. According to statistics, more than 76% of essays correspond to the first criterion.

When more than two phenomena are indicated and two of them are correct, the rest does not matter precisely according to this criterion, but still, of course, affects the result. Example: “In the period 1825-1855. the III branch of S.E.I.V. was created. chancery, as well as the reform of the state village. In addition, during the same period, military settlements began to be created in Russia. The expert will rightly award 2 points for the first criterion, but then will penalize for the presence of an error, since the third event does not fit into the period.

Historical figures and their role

It is necessary not only to name names, but also to indicate the role of individuals in these events. If two historical figures are correctly revealed, the expert puts 2 points. If only one person is correctly represented, 1 point is awarded. This task causes difficulties for most graduates.

The difficulty is that the role in the event refers to specific actions. These actions should be of a single nature and expressed without fail in personal activity.

Wrong examples:

• "Ivan III played a decisive role in the unification of Russian lands around Moscow",
• "Rumyantsev participated in the Seven Years' War",
• "Lenin headed the Council of People's Commissars."

Correct examples:

• "Polzunov developed the first steam engine project in Russia",
• "Egorov and Kantaria hoisted the Banner of Victory over the Reichstag",
• “Khrushchev spoke at the XX Congress of the CPSU with a report on the personality cult of I.V. Stalin."

Actions like “ascend the throne” and “be commander in chief” are too abstract, they won’t take a point off for them, but they won’t charge them either. According to this criterion, it is easy to work with cultural figures and the results of creativity, for example: “A.I. Solzhenitsyn wrote the novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.

The workbook is part of the CMD on the history of Russia I.L. Andreeva, L.M. Lyashenko, O.V. Volobuev and others and corresponds to the Federal State Educational Standard of basic general education and the historical and cultural standard. The structure of the workbook corresponds to the structure of the textbook for grade 10 by O.V. Volobueva, S.P. Karpachev, P.N. Romanova. The notebook contains a variety of tasks: tests, writing an essay, working with a historical map, matching dates and events, etc. and adapted for training students for the OGE and the USE.

Causal relationships

If two causal relationships are correctly indicated, 2 points are awarded, if one relationship is 1 point. More than half of the graduates do not cope with this.

Under the causal relationship, one should understand the relationship between historical events (processes, phenomena), in which one event (cause), under certain conditions, gives rise to another event (consequence). The cause-and-effect relationships prescribed in the role of a person are no longer considered here. However, in addition to the reasons themselves, the prerequisites for events that go beyond the boundaries of the period, and reasons (if it is indicated that this is a reason) are taken into account.

Example:"One of the reasons for the beginning of the era of palace coups was the publication of the decree of Peter I on the succession to the throne."

Assessment of the impact of events on the further history of Russia

For a correct assessment of the impact of events (phenomena, processes) of one period on the subsequent history of Russia based on historical facts and (or) the opinions of historians, the expert awards 1 point. Here the student must go beyond the upper limit of the specified time interval. This is one of the most difficult criteria.

If the graduate does not mention a particular historian, but writes, for example, "in the opinion of a number of historians...", then the answer is also counted as correct (of course, when the point of view is really present in historiography). In any case, it is better to rely on historical facts, and give the opinion of historians additionally.

Fact-based example:"1565-1572: A blow to the boyar aristocracy contributed to the strengthening of tsarist power, but at the same time, the oprichnina became one of the factors that caused a structural crisis in the Russian state, which, in turn, led the country to the Time of Troubles."

An example based on the opinion of historians:"1237-1242: As a result of the Mongol invasion, the Russian lands fell into political and economic dependence on the Golden Horde, which lasted more than two hundred years and, according to the historian Karamzin, had a decisive influence on the nature of power in the Russian state."

The workshop is designed to organize independent educational and cognitive activities of high school students in the course of studying the history of Russia (Grade 10). It can also be used to organize educational activities in the lesson within the framework of the basic history course, as an elective course, a system of lessons at the profile level of studying the subject, additional classes in preparation for passing the exam.

Use of historical terminology

To get 1 more point, it is enough for a graduate to correctly use at least one historical term. This, according to statistics, succeeds in the vast majority.

A historical term is a word or phrase denoting a historical concept associated with a certain event, characteristic of a certain period (epoch), or the historical process as a whole. Words such as polyudye, veche, tithe, Troubles, localism, manufactory, parsuna, guard, surplus appropriation, industrialization, collectivization, rehabilitation, privatization and others can be used. Opening the meaning of the term in brackets is optional, but desirable.

Example:"Princess Olga carried out a tax reform, established lessons and churchyards."

Presence of factual errors

If there are no factual errors in the essay, 2 points are added, if there is one error - 1 point. It is important to note that the expert considers this criterion when the graduate scored at least 4 points in the first four. Unfortunately, errors occur even in very "strong" compositions.

It is better for the guys to act according to the principle: "I'm not sure - I don't write." Stylistic, grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors are not taken into account if they do not lead to meaningful errors (metropolis - metropolis).

Typical Factual Mistakes

• Unnecessary generalizations (“The Battle of the Kalka must be perceived as the defeat of all Russian principalities”).
• Controversial judgments ("The decree on the succession of Paul I did not allow women to take the throne").
• The use of terms and concepts in an inadequate historical context ("Horde occupation").
• Content errors. Associated with the relationship of personality and event (“Peter I waged the Seven Years’ War”), dating (“Paul I issued a decree on succession to the throne in 1799”), titles of positions (“N.S. Khrushchev was General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU”), initials (V. I. Stalin, S. S. Karamzin) and others.

The reader is an integral part of the teaching materials "History of Russia. The beginning of the XX - the beginning of the XXI century. Grade 10" (authors O.V. Volobuev, S.P. Karpachev, P.N. Romanov), corresponds to the historical and cultural standard and can be used with any textbook on Russian history for grade 10 included in the Federal List.

Form of presentation

If the answer is presented correctly, in the form of a historical essay with a consistent presentation of the material, 1 more point is added. But also only on condition that at least 4 points are awarded for the first four criteria. A little more than half of the graduates lose their uniform.

Tips for students:

• Do not confuse a historical essay with an essay (there are no problems in it, but there are facts that must be indicated).
• Do not forget about logical links and paragraph division of the text.
• Do not neglect the rules of the Russian language.

Algorithm for working on an essay

1. We choose a period. It makes sense not to take a difficult period with a confusing course of events.
2. Working with draft. It can be compiled in the form of a table with 4 columns: "Event", "Cause", "The role and actions of the individual", "Consequences". We also prescribe the terms and conclusion.
3. We write an introduction (general description).
4. We write the main part indicating events, personalities, causal relationships, not forgetting the terms.
5. We write a conclusion.

How to prepare students for writing in grades 10-11

• Explain the structure of the historical essay (what should be written, what should be discarded).
• Explain the evaluation criteria.
• Train students to work with drafts.
• Write essays in class together as you progress through the material.
• Assign essays at home.

When writing any written assignment for the exam, you must thoroughly know the criteria for its verification. What is the first thing the expert pays attention to? Let us draw your attention to this on the example of an essay on the period of the 19th century 1825-1855.

Expert recommendations when writing an essay (task 25) for the exam

So, what, first of all, does an expert pay attention to when checking how to write your essay as efficiently as possible,

1. You should not try to describe the entire (!!!) period that you got. It can be very intense, for example, if we take the time of the transformations of Peter I and at the same time the Northern War (1689-1725).

2. Choose a few events that you can describe well and accurately, and determine which of the historical figures played a major role in them?

3. To get points for Criterion 2 (concrete actions of a person that influenced the course of history), you will need their concrete actions, not abstract ones! It can also be "episodic", it would seem, a hero, not necessarily an emperor or commander. For example, it is easier to show the role of Aristotle Fioravanti than Ivan III the Great; Meliton Kantaria than Marshal of Victory Zhukov.

4. Leave the other few events after that to fulfill Criterion 3 by causality. Separate them explicitly from fulfilling the role of personality! And a paragraph, also in an essay, this is important!

5. PSS can be issued in any way convenient for you in order to be credited:

- cause > event

- cause > event > effect

- event > consequence

6. Each of the key criteria (K2, K3, K4) when filling out the answer form, highlight in a separate paragraph, a semantic fragment. Events for K1 will be counted when they are described according to the rest of the criteria "by default". In total, you can get 6 short paragraphs, 1-3 sentences each:

1. Briefly characterize the period

2. Event 1 - actions on K2

4. Event 2 - K2 actions

2-4 - the order is arbitrary, of course

6. Fulfillment of Criterion 4 (Assessment of the impact of events (phenomena, processes) of this period on the further history of Russia - the final essay.

7. We perform K4 without summing up the period, but throwing the “historical bridge” into the next period, going beyond the upper limits of the period in the essay (!!!). It is clear that when characterizing the influence of the period of the reign of Nicholas I, it is logical to transfer the “bridge” to the tasks and facts of the reign of his heir Alexander II.

Essay on a block of topics 2 (Russia of the new time)

So, we decided to write an essay on the period 1825-1855. More precisely, this is December 1825 - February 1855.

This is the second block of essay topics for the USE in task 25. Here are all its periods (preliminarily), up to 20 topics in total:

1613-1645

1645-1676

1682-1689

1689-1725

1700-1725

1725-1762

1741-1761

1762-1775

1775-1796

1796-1801

1801-1812

1812-1825

1825-1855

1855-1881

1881-1894

1894-1904

1905-1907

1907-1914

Let me remind you that in order to prepare a historical essay (tasks 25) at the exam the most effective way is to learn ONLY 12 PERIODS OF THE THIRD BLOCK (XX CENTURY), which begin in 1914 (World War I) and end in 1991 (the collapse of the USSR). We have for you essays for EACH of these periods from the USE expert with a complete analysis of each of the criteria FOR THE MAXIMUM! And this is your true 11 primary points on the exam!

Now, for an example of an ideal essay on the exam, we have chosen the period of the reign of Nikolai the First Pavlovich (Palkin).

IN. Klyuchevsky, historian, professor at Moscow State University
(1841-1911)

I propose to rely in the assessments of his reign, for starters, on the classic of the Russian public school, professor of Moscow State University V.O. Klyuchevsky:

“Nicholas set himself the task of not changing anything, not introducing anything new in the foundations, but only maintaining the existing order, filling in the gaps, repairing the dilapidations that were discovered with the help of practical legislation, and doing all this without any participation of society, even with the suppression of social independence, by government means alone; but he did not remove from the queue those burning questions that were raised in the previous reign, and, it seems, understood their burning even more than his predecessor.

And now let's compare with our estimates!

Composition of the reign of Nicholas I (1825-1855)

As agreed, in the first paragraph - a brief description of the period:

The second paragraph - we choose a person and characterize her actions. It is logical to start directly with the emperor.

The third paragraph - we write out the first PSS:

Next, the fourth paragraph, again the actions of individuals. Yes, you can write out two events around one event, for safety net, so to speak. And yet, the classic move is to pay attention to both domestic and foreign policy when characterizing a long reign.

⚔️

And again PSS:

‍

And we summarize the period, based on the facts of subsequent history (criterion 4 allows this, it is not necessary to quote Klyuchevsky). It is logical that the Crimean War should be completed ...

COMPLETE ESSAY

This period is characterized by the strengthening of conservative tendencies in government and the strengthening of the autocracy by Nicholas I Palkin.

Having ascended the throne in the situation of an uprising on Senate Square, Nicholas did everything not only to prevent this from happening in the future, but also to erase all memory of the event. He personally interrogated the Decembrists, demanded confessions, approved, despite all requests, the death sentence by hanging to five instigators. He personally persuaded the wives sent to hard labor not to follow them.

To strengthen the shattered autocracy, during the reign of Nicholas, the III department of the office of E.I.V., the Separate corps of gendarmes, were created, new censorship and university charters were introduced. As a result, supervision was established over the students, the intelligentsia, universities lost their autonomy, and the conservative ideologeme "Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality" began to be introduced in schools.

In foreign policy, Russia in this period sought to strengthen its position in the Caucasus, in the Balkans, to take control of the Black Sea straits. As a result of the Adrianople Agreement, Turkey lost the Black Sea coast from Anapa to Poti. Russia continued its advance into the highlands of Chechnya and Dagestan, where it encountered the resistance of Imam Shamil.

The war with Iran, which ended with the Turkmanchay peace treaty, played an important role in securing Russia in the Transcaucasus. On behalf of Russia, it was signed by the commander Paskevich, who later led the corps that suppressed the Hungarian revolution. An outstanding poet and diplomat A.S. Griboyedov, the Russian ambassador to Iran, who delivered his text to St. Petersburg. According to the articles of the treaty, Russia received the Erivan and Nakhichevan khanates.

The constant desire of Russia to profitably resolve the Eastern Question led to a new war in the reign of Nicholas I - the Crimean (Eastern). However, the country, which found itself in complete isolation, with backward weapons, a wooden sailing fleet, eventually suffered a complete defeat from the Anglo-French-Turkish bloc. As a result of the unfavorable conditions of the Peace of Paris in 1856, Chancellor Gorchakov will have to solve the problem of neutralizing the Black Sea. And the government of the new Tsar Alexander II was to abolish serfdom, without which it was impossible to complete the industrial revolution and modernize the army and navy.

CRITERIAL ANALYSIS OF THE ESSAY

Now we will indicate why this essay should be considered an example written Let's analyze it according to the criteria for verification:

CRITERION 1 (Indication of events (phenomena, processes).

Two events (phenomena, processes) are correctly indicated - 2 points!

1) the period is characterized by the strengthening of conservative tendencies in government and the strengthening of autocracy (PROCESS)

2) A major role in securing Russia in the Transcaucasus was played by the war with Iran, which ended with the Turkmanchay peace treaty (EVENT)

CRITERION 2 (Historical figures and their role in the indicated events (phenomena, processes) of a given period of history)

Two historical personalities are correctly named, the role of each of these personalities is correctly characterized with an indication of their specific actions that largely influenced the course and (or) result of the named events (phenomena, processes) of the period under consideration in the history of Russia - 2 points!

1) Having ascended the throne in the situation of an uprising on Senate Square, Nicholas did everything not only to prevent this from happening in the future, but also to erase all memory of the event. He personally interrogated the Decembrists, demanded confessions, approved, despite all requests, the death sentence by hanging to five instigators. He personally persuaded the wives sent to hard labor not to follow them.

2) ... ended with the Turkmanchay peace treaty. On behalf of Russia, it was signed by the commander Paskevich, who later led the corps that suppressed the Hungarian revolution.

3) The outstanding poet and diplomat A.S. Griboyedov, the Russian ambassador to Iran, who delivered his text to St. Petersburg. According to the articles of the treaty, Russia received the Erivan and Nakhichevan khanates.

CRITERION 3 (Cause and effect relationships)

Two causal relationships are correctly indicated, characterizing the causes of the occurrence of events (phenomena, processes) that occurred in the given period - 2 points!

1) To strengthen the shattered autocracy, during the reign of Nicholas, the III department of the office of E.I.V., the Separate corps of gendarmes, were created, new censorship and university charters were introduced. As a result, supervision was established over the students, the intelligentsia, universities lost their autonomy, and the conservative ideologeme "Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality" began to be introduced in schools.

2) In foreign policy, Russia in this period sought to strengthen its position in the Caucasus, in the Balkans, to take control of the Black Sea straits. As a result of the Adrianople Agreement, Turkey lost the Black Sea coast from Anapa to Poti. Russia continued its advance into the highlands of Chechnya and Dagestan, where it encountered the resistance of Imam Shamil.

CRITERION 4 (Assessment of events (phenomena, processes) of a given period for the further history of Russia)

An assessment is made of the influence of events (phenomena, processes) of this period on the further history of Russia based on historical facts and (or) the opinions of historians - 1 point!

The constant desire of Russia to profitably resolve the Eastern Question led to a new war in the reign of Nicholas I - the Crimean (Eastern). However, the country, which found itself in complete isolation, with backward weapons, a wooden sailing fleet, eventually suffered a complete defeat from the Anglo-French-Turkish bloc. As a result of the unfavorable conditions of the Peace of Paris in 1856, Chancellor Gorchakov will have to solve the problem of neutralizing the Black Sea. And the government of the new Tsar Alexander II was to abolish serfdom, without which it was impossible to complete the industrial revolution and modernize the army and navy.

An example of how not to fulfill Criterion 4 in a historical essay is written in the early exam 2018.

It is not very neatly written out (Nikolai did not have time to complete the Crimean War - well, yes, death prevented) ...
It is not enough just to fix the results of the Crimean War, you need to show its further influence on the events of the reign of Alexander II (yes, that’s right, not Alexander 2)

CRITERION 5 (Use of historical terminology)

Historical terminology is correctly used in the presentation - 1 point!

Autocracy, university charter, censorship charter, Own E.I.V. office, ideologeme "Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality", Eastern question, neutralization of the Black Sea, industrial revolution...

CRITERION 6 (Presence of factual errors)

There are no factual errors in the historical essay - 2 points!

CRITERION 7 (Form of presentation)

The answer is presented in the form of a historical essay (consistent, coherent presentation of the material) - 1 point!

We hope that now it has become clearer to you how exactly to write out each criterion and the entire essay as a whole on the exam in history, good luck to you!

Historical essay is one of the most difficult tasks, especially in the exam. For such a task, it is possible to get a fairly high score, which will have a positive effect on admission, so those who will take the unified state exam in history need to learn how to do it correctly.

First of all, requirements and criteria must be taken into account, which are given in the exam.

1. Indicate at least 2 important events, processes or phenomena related to a certain period (this can be: war, revolution, battle, political actions, the adoption of a law, the collapse or formation of a state, etc.).
2. Name and characterize the activities of at least two historical personalities in the indicated phenomena, events or processes, based on historical facts (in this case, it is required to specify the actions of these personalities that significantly influenced the course of events in the history of the specified period: adoption of a law, annexation of territory, etc.).
3. Indicate two or more cause-and-effect relationships that characterize the causes due to which events, processes or phenomena that occurred in a certain period arose (for example, a revolution began due to unresolved national conflicts, etc.). In this case, it is proposed to use the following or similar constructions in the text:
   • The situation was due to a number of reasons ...
   • led to this...
   • This event was greatly influenced by…
   • The reasons for this are as follows...
   • As a result of this process, there have been changes in ...
   • This event was the start...
4. Evaluate the impact of phenomena, events or processes using historical facts, the opinions of historians and the historical context (for example: " as a result of the Mongol invasion of Russian lands, part of the territory of Russia fell into economic and political dependence on the Golden Horde, which lasted more than two hundred years and had, according to the historian Karamzin, a significant influence on the Russian government.).

Another important criterion when writing a historical essay is the text itself. It should contain a coherent and consistent presentation and be a complete work.

An example of a historical essay

Consider an example of a historical essay on all the requirements and criteria given in the Unified State Examination in an essay on history during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, based on historical facts collected from various verified sources.

Essay on history 1019-1054

1019-1054 called the period of the Old Russian state. The main processes of this time should be noted:

• 1) the policy of further education and Christianization, which was started by Father Yaroslav;
• 2) the beginning of the creation on the Russian territory of "Russian Truth" - the very first written code of laws of Ancient Russia.

These processes are closely connected with the activities of the great Kiev prince Yaroslav the Wise and Metropolitan Hilarion.

Yaroslav the Wise made a great contribution to the development of Kievan Rus. In 1036, he defeated the Pechenegs, as a result of which peace in the state and the tranquility of the people were ensured, the church was formed according to all state laws and a tax was established in its favor - tithe; in Chernigov, Novgorod, Polotsk and Pereyaslavl, episcopal departments are being created.

During the reign of Tsar Yaroslav, Kyiv was the largest center of the Christian world, there were four hundred churches in the city, and the beginning of the construction of the Hagia Sophia, which was later called the temple in Constantinople, reflected its state equality with Byzantium.

The Church was assigned an educational role, various monasteries and temples were centers for the establishment and development of writing; The first library in Russia was founded. Yaroslav insisted that the metropolitan be a Slav, and in 1051 Hilarion became one.

During the reign of Yaroslav the Wise a code of laws of Ancient Russia begins to take shape - "Russian Truth", state affairs were regulated according to it: property rights appeared, fines were introduced, etc. Yaroslav himself wrote 17 articles of this code.

Also, a large role of this period in history is given to the priest from the village of Berestov near Kiev, St. Hilarion. He was also the spiritual mentor of the prince, and defended the independence of the church, in particular, from Constantinople, was a strong church leader and writer. His works "The Word of Law and Grace" and the church "Charter" were the ideological concept of Russia and influenced the development of the system of church jurisdiction. According to historians, the decision to build the Kiev Sophia Cathedral was taken by Hilarion and Prince Yaroslav jointly.

Consider the causal relationship between the two processes. The process of enlightenment and Christianization, the adoption of the "Russian Truth" and the "Charter" had common causes. These include: the need to organize both the ecclesiastical and legal life of the society of the Old Russian state, the creation of a coherent system and the strengthening of the power of Prince Yaroslav, as well as the subsequent cultural and economic development and the strengthening of international relations, requiring further development of literacy and writing.

The consequence of the first process is strengthening the power of Yaroslav the Wise and the international position of the Old Russian state (which is evidenced by the words of St. Hilarion: that the Russian land is heard and known in the four corners of the earth). The consequence of the second process is the legal foundations that were laid under Tsar Yaroslav and that existed until 1497 - the judicial officer of Ivan the Third.

During the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, the flowering of ancient Russia is observed. For example, since the 11th century, wealthy families began to teach writing and literacy to their children, including girls; during this period, the chronicle appears and schools are opened.

The assessment of the activities of the historical period of the Old Russian state is ambiguous. Many historians believe that Yaroslav the Wise contributed to the strengthening of the state and call his time "golden age" of Kievan Rus. And the historian Karamzin believed that he wanted to make a “new Constantinople” out of Kyiv.

What is an essay?

Essay - this is a prose work of small volume and free composition, expressing individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue and obviously does not claim to be a defining or exhaustive interpretation of the subject. It involves the expression by the author of his point of view, a subjective personal assessment of the subject of discussion, provides an opportunity for non-standard (creative), original coverage of the material.

Purpose of the essay consists in developing skills such as independent creative thinking and writing one's own thoughts.

Writing an essay allows the author to learn how to clearly and competently formulate thoughts, structure information, use basic concepts, highlight cause-and-effect relationships, illustrate experience with relevant examples, and argue their conclusions.

How to write an essay on history?

1. Decide on essay topic: it should be, first of all, interesting to you. Also, when choosing a topic, make sure that you can pick up historical facts and arguments for your position. Compose essay plan according to cause-and-effect relationships and the logic of the story.
2. Consider arguments for and against. Logically correct conclusions, historical facts are used as arguments. As a rule, 2-3 arguments are given in an essay.
3. Select essay style: most often it is recommended to write in a journalistic or scientific style.

Essay structure

Title page(see Appendix No. 1).
Introduction. Start your essay with an introduction explaining why you chose this topic. Then reveal the relevance of the topic and determine the positions of different authors on the proposed problem .
Main part. This part involves argumentation and analysis, as well as substantiation of the theses, based on the available data and positions on this issue. Give your point of view and its confirmation by the selected arguments, based on historical facts, journalistic and literary sources or social experience. In the process of constructing an essay, it must be remembered that one paragraph should contain only one statement and the corresponding evidence.
Conclusion sums up the essay or once again makes an explanation, set out in the main part. You can end the essay with a rhetorical question or an appeal to the reader. However, it is best to write a clear conclusion from the above arguments, confirming your attitude to the problem.

Criteria for evaluation

1. Knowledge and understanding of theoretical material.
2. Analysis and evaluation of information. The historical sources on which the competition work is based can be very different. It is essential that all documents are carefully commented and subjected to critical analysis. This, in fact, is the main criterion for evaluating the work, although the jury, no doubt, will note the new valuable historical material found and the ability of the contestant to express his thoughts.
3. Erudition: knowledge and logical presentation of factual material, familiarity with the names of famous historians
4. Building judgments:

• clarity and clarity of presentation,
• proof logic,
• the theses put forward are accompanied by competent argumentation

Work form.

The work must have a title page. The volume of work is from 3 to 5 sheets of printed text in Times New Roman 14 font, interval - 1.5. The bibliography is obligatory: all the sources that you used and refer to (see Appendix No. 2).

Essay Topics

1. "... Where did the Russian Land come from ..."(Nestor).
2. Mongolian trace in history.
3. Ivan the Terrible: Reformer or Tyrant, Evil or Good for Russia?
4. Time of Troubles: Origins and Causes.
5. Did Peter I open a window to Europe or did he drive Russia into a European corner?
6. “Catherine II did not give the people freedom and enlightenment. But she let the minds feel the price of these benefits ”(V. Klyuchevsky).
7. Patriotic war of 1812 in the fate of Russia.
8. Decembrists: heroes or rebels?
9. October 17th year - coup or revolution?
10. The price of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.
11. Autocratic monarchy: its features in the XXI century.
12. "I am convinced - far from accidental - that it is Russia that has become famous for its outstanding benefactors, wonderful examples of voluntary, disinterested service to society, the people" (Vladimir Putin)

1. Bushuev S.V., Mironov G.E. History of the Russian State: Historical and Biographical Essays, Book. 1, M., 1991.
2. Vilkov V., Stepanov Yu. Great rulers of Russia: a modern version. - Rostov-on-Don, 2012.
3. Geller M.Ya. History of the Russian Empire. T. 1. - M .. 2001.
4. Gumilyov L.N. From Russia to Russia. - M., 1997.
5. Decembrists: Selected Works. - M., 2010
6. History of Russia from ancient times to the end of the 19th century - M., 1996.
7. Karamzin N.M. History of the Russian state: in 3 books. - M., 1988.
8. Klyuchevsky V.O. Works: in 9 volumes - M., 1987.
9. Platonov S.F. Collected works on Russian history in 2 volumes - St. Petersburg, 1993.
10. Russia: autobiography / Comp. M.A. Fedotova, K.M. Queen. - St. Petersburg, 2009.
11. Sakharov A.N., Nazarov B.D., Bokhanov A.N. Devotees of Russia: historical essays. - M., 2002.
12. Soloviev S.M. Works in 18 volumes - M., 1988-1994.
13. Shefov N.A. Millennium of Russian history. Chronicle of Russian history with a brief description of significant events. - M., 2001.

You may refer to other sources at your discretion. Good luck!

Application No. 1

Essay on history on the topic:

“Peter I opened a window to Europe or drove Russia into a European corner?”

2nd year student of the history department of the Leningrad State Pedagogical University.

Home address :

Lipetsk, st. Gagarin, 10-10

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Application No. 2

List of used literature:

1. Anisimov E.V. History of Russia from Rurik to Putin. People. Developments. Dates. - St. Petersburg, 2006.
2. Buganov V.I. Peter the Great and his time / V.I. Buganov. - M., 1989.
3. Molchanov N.N. Diplomacy of Peter the Great. - M., 1984.
4. Peter the Great. Favorites. - M., 2010.
5. Peter the Great: pro et contra. - St. Petersburg, 2011.

This genre is now experiencing an obvious increase in its popularity. Now it is in demand not only by writers, but also by the high school graduation program. The French word "essay" in our language means "experience, attempt, essay." Indeed, this genre presupposes an unconditionally deep knowledge of the subject of his research by the author of such a work. But, besides knowledge, an original thought, an attractive style of presentation are important.

Essay genre features

As should be understood from the above, the retelling of history by this genre differs from what we can see in textbooks. There is no desire to present the subject of the presentation in a volume and systematic way. An essay on history has a clearly defined focus on revealing a certain plot, an episode of history. The author must present his original view, style of thinking, present weighty arguments.

How long should an essay be?

It should not be large, proportionate, for example, with a novel. Rather, it has a compact, limited character, if only because of the coverage of a rather limited topic. After all, this genre is faced with the task of highlighting a specific historical plot, showing a certain vision of the role of an individual. Usually, depending on the author's intention, it is commensurate with a story or a short story. Volume - from several to 20-30 pages. There are no uniform recommendations on how to write an essay on history. There is, as we have already mentioned, only a recommendation to adhere not to the colloquial, but to the academic style. The presentation of the plot can be the most diverse and even paradoxical. The main thing is different: to make the story "speak", to make it "alive", to awaken the reader's emotional attention to the events of "long gone days". It should be emphasized that in this case the subjectivity of the author is within certain limits: it cannot contradict real facts and events.

Essay on history: how to write?

Many of us like certain plots from history. They evoke associations and emotions, allow you to be proud of your country. How to write an essay on history?

Having received a topic, make a selection of material for it. Make sure you can express it vividly and out of the box. If the collected material does not allow this, it is better to change the topic. Based on your sample, make up your plan of reasoning. This is - very important - strict adherence to the chosen logic.

Structurally, essays on history begin with an introduction, where the main question is formulated that determines the direction of the presentation. Then - the main part, which is a detailed author's answer, reflecting his personal point of view on the proposed topic. The author should foresee the argumentation, all possible pros and cons. They must appear in the work. In the main part, at its intermediate stage, a brief concentrated answer to the question presented in the introduction is additionally positioned, as well as several hypothetical sub-conclusions. This is one of the genre features. The conclusion is the final decoding of the sub-conclusions.

History Essay Argumentation

The answer to the question, how to write an essay on history, will, of course, be incomplete without specifying how to use the argument in it. The essence of this genre is the proof of the truth of the views of the author. It uses more than just logical reasoning. It also includes associations associated with the moral norms existing in society and the feelings and emotions of people generated by them. Well-known logical terms are used: induction (a method of proof that involves logic: from the particular to the general conclusion); deduction (a private conclusion is formulated from a general conclusion); analogy (comparison of the logic of the passage of two historical events: the reference and the one being studied, followed by the formulation of conclusions). These are just some of the logical tricks used in history essays. "How to write a proof of his main thesis?" - this question implies multivariance, including evidence by contradiction, logical refutation, indirect evidence.

Planning an Essay on History

First, you should thoroughly study the material about the historical situation in which the formation of historical figures involved, the details, circumstances and chronology of the main events of your essay on history. “How to write about the course of historical events?” - you ask. The most common presentation is in chronological order. It is generally recommended for beginner writers. Speaking about historical characters, one should present their personal characteristics: whose interests they stand guard over, what views on society they have, whether they personally contributed to progress or vice versa. The very topics of essays on history often contain a brief allusion to the thesis substantiated by the author.

The personality of the protagonist is an important element of the essay

What else about a historical hero can sound in such an essay? His preferences, intellectual level, organizational skills. Is his personality inconsistent? What is its significance: for improving the quality of life of the people, for the further development of the country. Particularly valuable in the essay is the author's emotional moral characterization of its main characters. It should logically proceed from the general thread of the narrative and be its most advantageous element in terms of influencing the reader. Essays on the history of Russia, therefore, are very often devoted to charismatic historical figures, real heroes and prominent statesmen - Alexander Nevsky, Peter I, Alexander Suvorov.

The brilliant battles of the twenty-twenty-two-year-old Prince Alexander served the great and holy cause - the preservation of Russian statehood, no less than his diplomatic successes in relations with the Golden Horde. Great reformism, a deep heightened understanding of the importance of progress, the ability to organize and inspire people distinguished Peter the Great. The brilliant and heroic Alpine campaign, the amazing and simply fantastic capture of the Izmail fortress glorified Russia and the great commander Alexander Suvorov. Our history contains many stories worthy of an essay.

Output

The essay considered in the article is currently experiencing a renaissance. By cultivating patriotism, he helps to take a fresh look at the bright pages of history, to interest a wide range of people, and especially young people, in the history of their country. And as you know, without the past there is no future. It is important to remember: who we are and where we are from, to honor and remember our great countrymen. This is a guarantee of continuity and that the big and important things started by our predecessors will be continued.

As we can see, the outline of an essay on history is, of course, a necessary element for writing it, but far from sufficient. In addition to it, for writing such a work, a coherent logic of presentation, powerful undeniable documents in proof, and fundamental civil moral principles subtly conveyed to the reader are important.