Memorial Plaques in the Russian Empire, the USSR, and the Russian Federation: Cataloguing and Studies

Memorial plaques are a widespread form of perpetuating history. The earliest memorial plaques appeared in Russia in the XIX century. Their popularity peaked in the second half of the XX century, and they retain their relevance to this day. The article describes the general trends and approaches to the installation and study of memorial plaques in the Russian Empire, the USSR, and the Russian Federation. The first national legislation and cataloguing of memorial plaques started in the Soviet period. Nowadays, memorial plaques are a subject of interdisciplinary research. The comparative analysis relied on the following criteria: installation details, functional characteristics, protection, social attitude, academic interest, etc. The analysis revealed general and special characteristics of memorial plaques throughout Russian history. The author focused on the memorial plaques installed in the Kemerovo Region by the regional All-Russian Voluntary Society for the Protection of Cultural and Historical Monuments.