Collection &quot;Book. Research and Materials&quot; and the Study of the Reading History in 1959–1991 in Russia. Part 2

О. В. Морева

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The second part of the article concludes the analysis of the publications from “Book. Research and Materials” (published in 1959–1991, collections 1–63), devoted to both an “external” and “internal” history of reading. It examines the publications that reveal the history of individual reader biographies and reading practices of prominent figures, as well as materials related to the history of publishing houses, periodicals and individual works with references to information and facts about readership, circulation and cost. Attention to the scholarly legacy of Soviet book study researchers has heuristic value. Their research has brought unique sources related to the activities of Russian Imperial publishing houses – both progressive and ideological (to a greater extent) and commercial (to a lesser one) – into scholarly circulation. Methods for working with documentary heritage have been developed, facilitating the reconstruction of individual readers’ biographies. Studies of the reading practices of prominent political figures have expanded the range of individuals to include those who were tacitly banned in the 1960s and 1970s. We use the unconventional term “practices of reading (readers’ practices) in book studies to characterize the methods and quality of reading, techniques for working with books, and to describe the development of personal libraries, the organization of collections, and the design of printed materials. The results of the research can be used in the future, as the history of reading is a promising direction that allows a comprehensive study of the communicative essence of the book and its role in the history of culture.

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