Features of the Study of Industrial and Construction Management Reform in the Latest Russian Historiography

Abstract

The article analyzed the peculiarities of studying various aspects of the reform of industry and construction management (1957–1965) in the works of modern Russian researchers, highlighted the main trends in the development of the domestic historiography of the issue. It was revealed that in the last two and a half decades the history of councils of the national economy (sovnarchoz) has been studied mainly at the regional level, with the wide use of specific historical materials identified in the funds of local archives. At the same time, quite a lot of theoretical works have been prepared, devoted directly to the reasons, progress of implementation and the results of the reform. The article draws attention to the variety of aspects of the topic studied by modern researchers. The issues on which the discussions between historian scholars are most active are highlighted: the ratio of economic, political and subjective factors that led to the transition to a new system of industrial and construction management; the problem of the essence of reform, the degree of its radicality; reasons for the winding down of reform. Based on a comparison of different points of view, the author describes the fundamental differences in approaches to the study of these issues. The article shows the commonality of the views of researchers in highlighting the shortcomings in the activities of the sovnarkhoz created on the ground, and assessing the reform as hasty and contradictory. It is concluded that with all the variety of published works, at present the topic of the history of the sovnarkhoz in the Soviet Union has the potential to expand both “wide” and “deep”, by studying new aspects of the topic, introducing previously unused historical sources into scientific circulation, systematizing, generalizing and rethinking existing views and assessments.