Professional training of historians in Odesa (1917-1941): institutions, methods, features

The purpose of the article is to investigate, based on archival sources, scientific works, and periodical materials, the main aspects of the professional training of historians in Odesa during 1917–1941. The research methodology relies on the principles of the concrete-historical approach, or historicism, as well as objectivity, comprehensiveness, integrity, and systematization. It also incorporates methods such as analysis and synthesis, historical-genetic, historical-comparative, historical-typological, and problem-chronological approaches. The scientific novelty lies in focusing attention on the professional training of historians in Odesa from 1917 to 1941 as a key aspect of the activity of newly established higher education institutions, whose functioning has not yet been thoroughly studied. It also involves introducing a significant amount of little-known archival materials, processed by the author, into scholarly circulation. The study draws on archival materials from the Central State Archive of Supreme Bodies of Power and Government of Ukraine and the State Archive of the Odesa Region. Conclusions. The article examines the state of higher historical education in Odesa during 1917–1941, a period characterized by extensive ideological control over culture under various political regimes. It identifies the reorganization of the content of professional training for historians against the backdrop of socio-political and cultural transformations. The study reveals the logic behind the development of historical science in the Ukrainian SSR during the 1920s–1930s, transitioning from its virtual displacement by social sciences to a growing interest in historical topics. Curricula and programs are analyzed, and the rotation of teaching staff in Odesa's higher educational institutions is traced. The study highlights challenges and shortcomings in the formation of the Soviet system for training historians, emphasizing the prolonged absence of a well-structured approach. Examining this period allows for identifying certain patterns, as well as the negative and positive experiences in the training of historians.