Russian Research Guide

The Amherst Center for Russian Culture is home to one of the largest collections of Russian books, rare books, periodicals, and archives outside of Russia. Founded in 1991 by a donation from Thomas P. Whitney, an Amherst alumnus and journalist, diplomat, translator, author, and collector, the collections highlight nearly every aspect of twentieth-century Russian culture, with a particular emphasis on emigre literary culture. The Center’s mission is to promote the study of Russian culture and history on the strength of its world-class book, archival and art collections. It sponsors activities that support advanced research by Amherst undergraduates, College faculty, and a broad community of scholars: local, regional, national, and international. The Center organizes symposia, lectures, student presentations, cultural events, and publications that seek to serve the scholarly community and the broader public interested in some of the most advanced research undertaken on Russian culture and history today.

A primary source is essentially any record or artifact from a given era that provides original documentary evidence of the time—like a snapshot of a given experience, taken by someone who was there. Secondary sources, such as books or articles, often draw heavily from primary sources, such as letters, diaries, or interviews, to make representations or interpretations of a period under study.

A few examples of primary sources include diaries, photographs, letters, government documents, and newspaper and magazine articles (from the period under study).

Want to learn more? Visit the Primary Sources Research Guide.