Mikhail Alpatov

Mikhail Alpatov

Soviet historian and writer, Doctor of Historical Sciences
Date of Birth: 20.11.1903

Content:
  1. Mikhail Alpatov: Soviet Historian and Writer
  2. Political Involvement and Teaching
  3. Moscow and Wartime Service
  4. Post-War Career
  5. Historical Research and Literary Works
  6. Legacy

Mikhail Alpatov: Soviet Historian and Writer

Early Life and Education

Mikhail Alpatov was born into a Cossack family in the village of Sibylev, Russia in 1909. Despite his father's initial plan to apprentice him to a cobbler, Alpatov entered the Kamennaya gymnasium at the urging of his grandfather. His education was interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, but he later resumed his studies and graduated from the Rostov-on-Don Pedagogical Institute in 1927.

Political Involvement and Teaching

In 1920, Alpatov joined the Komsomol and became involved in the fight against bandits and worked as a teacher. In 1930, he became a member of the Communist Party. After graduating from the Institute of Philosophy, Literature, and History in Moscow, Alpatov taught at the Stalingrad Pedagogical Institute.

Moscow and Wartime Service

In 1940, Alpatov returned to Moscow and resumed his postgraduate studies. However, he was drafted into the militia in 1941 and later sent to work in the Chkalovsk Regional Committee. During this time, he met his future wife, Zoya Udaltsova, and their son was born in 1945.

Post-War Career

After the war, Alpatov taught at the Higher Party School and defended his dissertation on the political ideas of French bourgeois historiography. He became head of the historical editorial department of the Foreign Literature Publishing House and later assistant editor-in-chief of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia. In 1954, he joined the Institute of History of the USSR Academy of Sciences, where he remained until his death.

Historical Research and Literary Works

At the Institute, Alpatov focused on Russian historical thought and Western Europe. He defended his doctoral dissertation on this topic in 1966 and published a three-volume study. He also researched the history of Don Cossacks.

In addition to his historical works, Alpatov wrote several novels and stories, including "Burning Bonfires" about Don Cossacks during the first Russian revolution, "Vadimka" about the civil war on the Don, and the autobiographical "Return to Youth" about Komsomol students in the 1920s.

Legacy

Mikhail Alpatov died in 1985 and was buried at the Vagankovo Cemetery in Moscow. His contributions to Russian historiography and literature left a lasting impact on both fields.

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