Archaeology... in the war. Russian scholars in Trabzon

Dmitry N.STAROSTIN

In 1916, at the peak of the World War I, a group of Russian scholars found itself in Trabzon. Our researchers were traditionally interested in the history of Byzantium, particularly due to the fact that Russia always felt itself to be its heir on the historical scene. For the majority of the Russian historians the tastiest morsel for studying Byzantium was Constantinople, and the Constantinople of the time of its golden age (that is, before 1204, when the crusaders destroyed Byzantium). However, during the World War I our historians had to exercise their flexibility and to somewhat change their priorities. The reason for that was the intricate line of military operations, which resulted in Trabzon temporarily becoming a "Russian" city. Studying its memorials could provide unique material concerning the period of decline of Byzantium Empire.

(Pictures by G.K.Meyer are used in the publication)

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