The historiography of Russian history is a multifaceted and ambiguous concept. This is not only a descriptive part of the historical process, but also a science that studies the formation of historical knowledge over the years. This science has its own subject, tasks, sources, principles and methods. Domestic historiography has its own rich schools and traditions, trends and trends, which, of course, enriched world historiography and have made fundamental changes in the history of science as a whole.
Historiography is divided into several periods. The first of them is pre-scientific. In this period, it is worth studying medieval philosophy, a person’s perception of time, traditions, and the functions of history. It should be noted that during this period, which lasted until the beginning of the 18th century, the main forms of historical narrative were formed, such as annals - keeping records by year. It was this source that became the main one, it was he who studied the historiography of Russian history. When studying chronicles, it is necessary to pay attention to the principles by which they were written, the forms and style in which the works were kept. The principle of chronography is especially important, which allows you to compare events, relate them to specific dates, and relate them in the concept of “earlier” - “later”. The second source in this period, which historiographers were engaged in, was the lives of the saints. It is important to note here that the lives of the saints have stronger subjective connotations than the annals - they turn into a kind of tales and tales. Another form of expression of historical consciousness that scientists are interested in is folklore. It is from him that one can learn about the ideas of the people about their heroes and enemies. Due to the fact that in the pre-scientific period there are few reliable documents, the issue of the origin of the Slavs, the emergence of statehood, and the struggle against the invaders of the Russian land has remained debatable.
The second period, the historiography of Russian history begins in the eighteenth century and lasts until the beginning of the twentieth century. This time had a qualitative impact on the formation of history as a science and the study of the source base. This should include such changes as the secularization of science and the development of secular education, not church. For the first time, translated sources imported from Europe begin to be processed, historical research as such is allocated independently, and at the same time, auxiliary disciplines are formed that help to study history. A qualitatively new stage in this period was the beginning of the publication of primary sources, which in many ways turned the attitude towards the history of his country, and first of all for the Russian intelligentsia.
It is she, the intelligentsia, who initiates historical expeditions, research. Under the influence of Western trends and philosophical foundations, history turns into a full-fledged science. Among the works it is worth noting the works of F. Prokopovich, A. Mankiev, P. Shafirov, B. Kurakin, V. Tatishchev, G. Bayer, G. Miller, A. Schletser, M. Shcherbatov, I. Boltin, M. Lomonosov. These scientists study the problems of political genesis, the participation of the Varangians in the formation of the Old Russian state , etc.
Another stage is the development of historiography in the second third of the nineteenth century. Here, problems such as relations between the Russian state and Western countries are studied, the first concepts of the development of domestic history arise.
The fourth stage - the second half of the nineteenth - the beginning of the twentieth century. At this time, the methodological foundations of historiography are being formed. The historiography of Russian history feels positivism, materialism, and neo-Kantianism. The range of studies is expanding, especially attention is paid to socio-economic problems in history. At the fourth stage, the question arises of the professional training of historical personnel.
The last fifth stage is the Soviet historiography of Russian history, which is based on the class approach to the development of society, which, in turn, was reflected in the scientific approach. To overcome the Soviet legacy is the main goal of the modern historical school.