Irina Sergeevna Chernova,
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Institute of History of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Participation of the Siberian Priest A.I. Argentov in Secular Periodicals of Siberia in the Second Half of the 19th Century
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2026-2-10
Periodical press in the second half of the nineteenth century became a significant phenomenon in Siberian public life. Gradually, a broad body of authors − contributors and correspondents − formed around periodicals. Some of them became part of the core professional community, acting as regular contributors, members of editorial boards, or editors, while others remained on the periphery. One of the influential groups actively involved in periodical publishing in the second half of the nineteenth century was the clergy. The aim of this article is to analyze the participation of the well-known priest, missionary, and researcher of Yakutia and Chukotka, A.I. Argentov, in secular Siberian periodicals of the second half of the nineteenth century. Argentov published accumulated materials and notes in various periodicals. Some of his texts appeared in such prominent Siberian socio-political newspapers as the Irkutsk Amur (1860−1861), the Tomsk Sibirskii Vestnik (1885−1905), and the newspaper collection “Sibir”. Most of his articles were submitted to specialized journals, namely the publications of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. Argentov regarded periodicals as communicative platforms for conveying his ideas to readers. Even occasional contributions to newspapers and journals made it possible, to some extent, to influence the intellectual development of readers, foster regional self-awareness, and integrate remote territories into a shared mental space of Siberia. For a priest and missionary such as Argentov, as well as for many others, it was important to communicate the Church’s position to readers and to shape their understanding of distant borderlands and their inhabitants in a way aligned with the views of the clergy.
Publishing: 28/04/2026
The article has been received by the editor on 09/02/2026
How to cite: Chernova I.S. Participation of the Siberian Priest A.I. Argentov in Secular Periodicals of Siberia in the Second Half of the 19th Century // Historical Courier, 2026, No. 2 (46), pp. 141−153. [Available online:http://istkurier.ru/data/2026/ISTKURIER-2026-2-10.pdf]
The article was made on the topic of the state assignment “The Past in the Manuscript Sources of the 16th−20th Centuries: Preservation and Development of Traditions” (FWZM-2024-0006).
Links: Issue 2 2026
Keywords: periodical press; clergy; professional community of Siberian journalists; missionary work; Siberia