The publication in "Library. Golden Shelf" consists of three parts: the article by Alexander Elert, Doctor of Science in History, an expert in decoding, translation and research of manuscripts of the 17-18th centuries; a fragment of "The Knights of the Taiga" (G. F. Мueller) published in Russian for the first time, and the article by Alexander Panfilov, Cand. Sc., "My Longing to Serve Society...".

"A Description of Siberian Peoples by Gerhard Friedrich Mueller"

Alexander Elert

Russian history-lovers are practically unfamiliar with the name of Gerhard Friedrich Mueller or Gerard Friedrich Miller, as he called himself in Russia. Even if they heard of the name, it was more likely in connection with M. V. Lomonosov’s struggle against the so-called “Norse” theory of origin of the state in Ancient Russia, one of whose founders was Mueller. In 2005, the international scientific community is going to celebrate the third centennial of the birth of the German scientist on a large scale. Does it mean that his accomplishments are worthy of this? The question is more than appropriate. It is high time that we got rid of historical cliches that have proved unable to stand the test of time and started revising the views on the great German who did so much for the formation and development of Russian science.

More information on these and other subjects you can find in the printed version of our journal.