Personality in the Science: Professor Paul Dukes

Abstract

This article describes the life path and scientific activity of the famous British historian professor Paul Dukes (1934–2021). He received his higher education in England and the USA and initially studied and taught American history. However, later on Dukes defended his PhD thesis on Russian history. Receiving recognition as a specialist in the history of 17th and 18th century Russia, Dukes fruitfully studied other epochs of the Russian past. He was the author of several editions of History of Russia. Medieval, Modern, Contemporary. The history of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and its influence on the world occupied an important place in his studies. Dukes worked fruitfully in the International Commission for the study of the Russian revolutions of the International Congress of Historical Sciences. He successfully combined the study of the all-Russian history with the history of the regions of Russia: the Urals, Russian North, and Far East. Professor Dukes facilitated collaboration of Russian and British historians. He made a great contribution to the study of European history. Studying Russia and Europe Dukes considered Russia an integral and organic part of Europe. The American history also occupied an important place in his studies including the relations between USA and Russia. During the 2010s, Professor Dukes referred to the topic of Antropocene Era. He studied from the point of view of historical science the impact of human activity on the natural environment and climate and called for the interdisciplinary approach in the understanding the climate agenda as a global problem of nowadays.