Učënye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta: Seriâ Gumanitarnye Nauki (Jun 2018)
Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin and Yakov Mikhailovich Zakher: University years of life
Abstract
The paper, based on a wide range of historical and literature sources, covers the problem of the relationship between two outstanding researchers of the 20th century – the sociologist Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin (1889–1968) and the historian Yakov Mikhailovich Zakher (1893–1963) at the Faculty of Law of the Imperial St. Petersburg (and later Petrograd) University during their studies in 1911–1914. The study of the documents dating back to the time of their formation, the reports on the state and activities of the Imperial St. Petersburg University have allowed to reveal the previously unexplored facts of their biographies, as well as to identify areas of their common scientific interests. The conclusion has been made that P.A. Sorokin and Ya.M. Zakher combined both active work in a number of areas of the Faculty of Law and specialization with Professor N.N. Rozin, a symbolic figure in the field of criminology and theory of punishment. The study of the problem has demonstrated that the scientists had similar scientific and research interests. Despite the fact that after graduation from the university their paths diverged, the influence of student years can be traced in their subsequent life and work.
