Events and processes of past years are forgotten over time. Gennady Sobolev, a Soviet and Russian historian, investigated the situation that developed during the war years on the territory of the city of Leningrad.
Childhood and youth
A well-known Soviet poet once remarked that "times are not chosen, they live and die." People born in the first third of the 20th century faced the most severe trials. Gennady Leontyevich Sobolev created a scientific school of historians who study the Russian revolutions, the Civil and Patriotic Wars. To a large extent, he himself is a witness and participant in those events about which there are heated debates. Examining archival documents, the scientist was able to verify the information received with his own knowledge and feelings.
The future doctor of historical sciences was born on July 6, 1935 in an intelligent family. Parents at that time lived in the famous city of Leningrad. When the war broke out, some of the neighbors went to evacuate. The father, who worked at a defense plant, believed that the enemy would soon be defeated. However, events developed according to a different scenario, and the city was in the blockade. Gennady and his younger brother managed to survive in the terrible years when hunger mowed down people of all ages and professions indiscriminately.
Scientific activity
Sobolev went to school with a slight delay. He was awarded a certificate of maturity and a gold medal in 1954. Gennady decided to get specialized education at the history faculty of the Leningrad State University. The student studied excellently - he received a Lenin scholarship. During the summer holidays, as part of the university team, he went to harvest crops in Kazakhstan. After graduating from the university, Sobolev was assigned to the position of a junior researcher at the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences. Within the walls of this institute, he worked for 25 years.
In his scientific research, Gennady Leontyevich studied the history of Soviet society. More specifically, he studied the history of his hometown during the Great Patriotic War and the events of 1917. He formalized the results of his works not only in a monograph while preparing a dissertation, but published in journals and collective collections for a wide range of readers. His book "The Revolutionary Consciousness of the Workers and Soldiers of Petrograd in 1917" aroused the sincere interest of the reading audience. In 1986, Professor Sobolev headed the Department of Contemporary History of Russia at his native university.
Recognition and privacy
The scientific work of Gennady Sobolev received a worthy assessment. For his great contribution to the development of the humanities, he was awarded the honorary title "Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation".
The personal life of the scientist developed without shocks and scandals. In his first marriage, he lived with Elena Vladimirovna for more than forty years. The husband and wife raised their son, who became a candidate of historical sciences. Unfortunately, in 2006, the wife passed away. Sobolev spends the rest of his days under the same roof with his colleague, Smirnova Alla Aleksandrovna.
