“The History of My Contemporary” by V.G. Korolenko as a Historical Source for Socio-Political Research on Russia in the second half of the 19th century

The article analyzes "The History of My Contemporary" by V.G.Korolenko as a historical source.It is established that Korolenko's observations and conclusions on socio-political phenomena in Russia in the second half of the 19th century coincide with those of his contemporaries and professional historians.Verification of the facts from Korolenko's socio-political autobiography against documentary and analytical literature confirms the objective nature of his narrative and its value as a historical source.The writer's original approach consists in recreating the historical period through his own perception.The article analyzes the factors that shaped the writer's worldview and the origins of his oppositional stance.Korolenko's attitude towards events and phenomena significant for Russian history is considered.In "The History of My Contemporary", the author addresses such socio-political phenomena as the abolition of serfdom, the Polish Uprising, the education reform, the "Going to the People" movement and the assassination of Alexander II.An important part of the memoirs is the empirical material about Russian revolutionaries and trials against them, as well as the author's analytical conclusions that the state's disproportionate punitive policy was the reason for the terrorist shift in revolutionary activity.Of particular value to researchers is Korolenko's eyewitness account of political exile, its social composition, the daily life and lifestyle of the local population, and the nature of the relationship between the locals and political exiles.The prevailing mood among the Russian intelligentsia and its relationship with the common people are also reflected in Korolenko's memoirs.The range of issues covered, their breadth, and the objective nature of the narrative allow Korolenko's memoirs to be considered a valuable historical source.