Great Russian Encyclopedia

Great Russian Encyclopedia
Great Russian Encyclopedia in Vilnius University Library
EditorYury Osipov (editor-in-chief)
IllustratorSeveral
LanguageRussian
SubjectGeneral
GenreReference encyclopaedia
PublisherGreat Russian Encyclopedia
Publication date
2004—2017
Publication placeRussia
PagesVolume "Russia" – 1008, other volumes – on average 768
Websitebigenc.ru

The Great Russian Encyclopedia (GRE; Russian: Большая российская энциклопедия, БРЭ, transliterated as Bolshaya rossiyskaya entsiklopediya or academically as Bol'šaja rossijskaja ènciklopedija) is a universal Russian encyclopedia, completed in 36 volumes, published between 2004 and 2017 by Great Russian Encyclopedia, JSC (Russian: Большая российская энциклопедия ПАО, transliterated as Bolshaya rossiyskaya entsiklopediya PAO). A successor to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, it was released under the auspices of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) after President Vladimir Putin signed a presidential decree №1156 in 2002.[1] The complete edition was released by 2017.[2]

The chief editor of the encyclopedia was Yury Osipov, the president of the RAS. The editorial board had more than 80 RAS members.[1]

The first, introductory volume, released in 2004, was dedicated to Russia. Thirty-five volumes were released between 2005 and 2017, covering the range from "A" to "Яя" (Yaya).[3] The RAS plans to publish an updated version every five years, although it may not be issued in print after the first edition.

On 17 June 2024 the project was suspended due to discontinued funding from the Russian government and by October 2024, its materials are being transferred to Ruwiki.[4][5][6]

Personnel and management

Editorial board

Yury Osipov, a mathematician, President of RAS (1991-2013), is the GRE Editor in Chief and Chairman of the Scientific Editorial Board.[7][8][9][10][11]

Managing editor is Sergey Kravets [ru], journalist, editor and cultural figure.

Also in the scientific editorial board are or were:

Sergey S. Averintsev, Eugene N. Avrorin, Sergei I. Adian, Yuri P. Altukhov [ru], Zhores I. Alferov, Boris V. Anan'ich [ru], Alexander F. Andreev, Leo N. Andreev [ru], Dmitry V. Anosov, Vladimir I. Arnold, Sergey N. Bagaev [ru], Nikolai Bahvalov, Oleg A. Bogatikov [ru], Alexander A. Boyarchuk, Evgeny Velikhov, Vladimir A. Vinogradov [ru], Andrei I. Vorobyov [ru], Eric M. Galimov, Andrey V. Gaponov-Grekhov [ru], Mikhail L. Gasparov, Vitaly L. Ginzburg, Georgy S. Golitsyn, Andrei A. Gonchar [ru], Anatoly I. Grigoriev [ru], Abdusalam A. Guseinov [ru], Mikhail I. Davydov [ru], Anatoly P. Derevyanko [ru], Nikolai L. Dobretsov [ru], Yuri I. Zhuravlev, Nicholas S. Zefirov [ru], Yuri A. Zolotov [ru], Viktor P. Ivannikov, Vadim T. Ivanov [ru], Sergei G. Inge-Vechtomov [ru], Alexander S. Isaev [ru], Victor A. Kabanov [ru], Eugene N. Kablov [ru], Sergei P. Karpov, Lev L. Kiselev [ru], Alex E. Kontorovich [ru], Vladimir M. Kotlyakov [ru], Oleg N. Krokhin [ru], Edward P. Kruglyakov [ru], Alexander B. Kudelin [ru], Oleg Y. Kutafin [ru], Nikolai P. Laverov [ru], Viktor P. Legostaev [ru], Nikolai P. Liakishev [ru], Valery L. Makarov [ru], Alexander M. Matveenko [ru], Gennady A. Mesyats, Alexander D. Nekipelov [ru], Alexei V. Nikolaev [ru], Sergey P. Novikov, Yuri S. Osipov, Dmitry S. Pavlov [ru], Alexey N. Parshin [ru], Nikolai A. Plate [ru], Nikolai N. Ponomarev-Steppe [ru], Yuri V. Prokhorov, Alexei Y. Rozanov [ru], Valery A. Rubakov [ru], Alexander Y. Rumyantsev, Dmitry V. Rundkvist [ru], Gennady I. Savin [ru], Victor A. Sadovnichii, Alexander N. Skrinsky [ru], Alexander S. Spirin, Yuri S. Stepanov, Vyacheslav S. Stepin, Michael L. Titarenko, Valery A. Tishkov, Yuri D. Tretyakov, Kliment N. Trubetskoy, Oleg H. Favorsky, Ludvig D. Faddeev, Vladimir Ye. Fortov, Konstantin V. Frolov, Yuri I. Chernov, Gorimir G. Chernii, Alexander O. Chubarian, Vitaly D. Shafranov, Sergey V. Shestakov, Dmitry V. Shirkov.

  • RAS Corresponding Members:

Boris A. Babayan, Vladimir I. Vasiliev, Piama P. Gaidenko, Rudolf V. Kamelin, Michael V. Kovalchuk, Nikolai I. Lapin, Sergey S. Lappo, Alexey V. Yablokov.

Vladimir I. Fisinin.

Dmitry O. Shvidkovskiy.

  • Russian Federation Statesmen:
Aleksandr A. Avdeyev (Culture Minister in 2008–2012),
Andrei A. Fursenko (Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation in 2004–2012),
Andrei A. Kokoshin (Secretary of the Russian Security Council in 1998),
Sergey E. Naryshkin (Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation in 2008–2011, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation since 2011),
Alexander S. Sokolov (musicologist, Culture Minister in 2004-2008),
Sergey K. Shoigu (Minister of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation in 1994–2012, Defense Minister from 2012),
Mikhail E. Shvydkoi (Culture Minister in 2000–2004),
Alexander D. Zhukov (Deputy Prime Minister in 2004–2011).
  • and also:

Alexei D. Bogaturov, Sergey V. Chemezov, Vladimir V. Grigoriev, Alexei I. Komech, Vladimir A. Mau, D. L. Orlov.

Edition summary

Publication schedule and contents of volumes:

Vol. Title (translit - translation) Publication year ISBN pages
- Россия (Rossija - Russia) 2004 ISBN 5-85270-326-5 1008
1 A (A)
Анкетирование (Anketirovanie - Questionnaires)		 2005 ISBN 5-85270-329-X 766
2 Анкилоз (Ankiloz - Ankylosis)
Банка (Banka – Ocean bank)		 2005 ISBN 5-85270-330-3 766
3 «Банкетная кампания» 1904 («Banketnaja kampanija» 1904 - Banquet Campaign of 1904)
Большой Иргиз (Bol'shoj Irgiz)		 2005 ISBN 5-85270-331-1 766
4 Большой Кавказ (Bol'shoj Kavkaz - Greater Caucasus)
Великий канал (Velikij kanal - Great Channel)		 2006 ISBN 5-85270-333-8 766
5 Великий князь (Velikij knjaz' – The Grand Duke)
Восходящий узел орбиты (Voshodjashchij uzel orbity - ascending node of the orbit)		 2006 ISBN 5-85270-334-6 786
6 Восьмеричный путь (Vos'merichnyj put' - Eightfold Path)
Германцы (Germancy - Germanic peoples)		 2006 ISBN 5-85270-335-4 768
7 Гермафродит (Germafrodit – Hermaphrodite)
Григорьев (Grigor'ev - Grigoriev)		 2007 ISBN 978-5-85270-337-8 767
8 Григорьев (Grigor'ev - Grigoriev)
Динамика (Dinamika - Dynamics)		 2007 ISBN 978-5-85270-338-5 767
9 Динамика атмосферы (Dinamika atmosfery - Dynamics of the atmosphere)
Железнодорожный узел (Zheleznodorozhnyj uzel - Railway junction)		 2007 ISBN 978-585270-339-2 767
10 Железное дерево (Zheleznoe derevo - Iron Tree)
Излучение (Izluchenie - Radiation)		 2008 ISBN 978-5-85270-341-5 767
11 Излучение плазмы (Izluchenie plazmy - Radiation plasma)
Исламский фронт спасения (Islamskij front spasenija - the Islamic Salvation Front)		 2008 ISBN 978-5-85270-342-2 767
12 Исландия (Islandija - Iceland)
Канцеляризмы (Kanceljarizmy - Officialese)		 2008 ISBN 978-5-85270-343-9 767
13 Канцелярия конфискации (Kanceljarija konfiskacii - Chancery of Confiscation)
Киргизы (Kirgizy - Kirghiz)		 2009 ISBN 978-5-85270-344-6 783
14 Киреев (Kireev - Kireyev)
Конго (Kongo - Congo)		 2009 ISBN 978-5-85270-345-3 751
15 Конго (Kongo - Congo)
Крещение (Kreshchenie - Baptism)		 2010 ISBN 978-5-85270-346-0 767
16 Крещение Господне (Kreshchenie Gospodne - Epiphany)
Ласточковые (Lastochkovye - Hirundinidae)		 2010 ISBN 978-5-85270-347-7 751
17 Лас-Тунас (Las-Tunas - Las Tunas)
Ломонос (Lomonos - Clematis)		 2011 ISBN 978-5-85270-350-7 751
18 Ломоносов (Lomonosov - Lomonosov)
Манизер (Manizer - Manizer)		 2011 ISBN 978-5-85270-351-4 768
19 Маниковский (Manikovskij - Iznikovsky)
Меотида (Meotida - Maeotias)		 2012 ISBN 978-5-85270-353-8 768
20 Меотская археологическая культура (Meotskaja arheologicheskaja kul'tura - Meotian archaeological culture)
Монголо-татарское нашествие (Mongolo-tatarskoe nashestvie - Mongol-Tatar invasion)		 2012 ISBN 978-5-85270-354-5 768
21 Монголы (Mongoly - Mongols)
Наноматериалы (Nanomaterialy - Nanomaterials)		 2013 ISBN 978-5-85270-355-2 768
22 Нанонаука (Nanonauka - Nanoscience)
Николай Кавасила (Nikolaj Kavasila - Nicholas Kabasilas)		 2013 ISBN 978-5-85270-358-3 767
23 Николай Кузанский (Nikolaj Kuzanskij - Nicholas of Cusa)
Океан (Okean - Ocean)		 2013 ISBN 978-5-85270-360-6 767
24 Океанариум (Okeanarium - Oceanarium)
Оясио (Ojasio - Oyashio)		 2014 ISBN 978-5-85270-361-3 767[12]
25 П (P - П)
Пертур (Pertur - Perturbation)		 2014 ISBN 978-5-85270-362-0 765[13]
26 Перу (Peru - Peru)
Полуприцеп (Polupritsep - Semitrailer)		 2014 ISBN 978-5-85270-363-7 767[14]
27 Полупроводники (Poluprovodniki - Semiconductors)
Пустыня (Pustynya - Desert)		 2014 ISBN 978-5-85270-364-4 767[15]
28 Пустырник (Pustyrnik - Motherwort)
Румчерод (Rumcherod - Rumcherod)		 2015 ISBN 978-5-85270-365-1 767[16]
29 Румыния (Rumyniya - Romania)
Сен-Жан-де-Люз (Sen-Zhan-de-Lyuz - Saint-Jean-de-Luz)		 2015 ISBN 978-5-85270-366-8 767[17]
30 Сен-Жерменский мир 1679 (Sen-Zhermenskiy mir 1679 - Saint-Germain Treaty 1679)
Социальное обеспечение (Sotsial'noye obespecheniye - Social security)		 2016 ISBN 978-5-85270-367-5 767[18]
31 Социальное партнёрство (Sotsial'noye partnyorstvo - Social partnership)
Телевидение (Televideniye - Television)		 2016 ISBN 978-5-85270-368-2 768[19]
32 Телевизионная башня (Televizionnaya bashnya - Television tower)
Улан-Батор (Ulan-Bator - Ulaanbaatar)		 2016 ISBN 978-5-85270-369-9 768[20]
33 Уланд (Uland - Uhland)
Хватцев (Khvatsev - Khvatsev)		 2017 ISBN 978-5-85270-370-5 799[21]
34 Хвойка (Khvoyka - Khvoyka)
Шервинский (Shervinsky - Shervinsky)		 2017 ISBN 978-5-85270-372-9 799[22]
35 Шервуд (Shervud - Sherwood)
Яя (Yaya - Yaya)		 2017 ISBN 978-5-85270-373-6 799[23]

Electronic version

In 2022, an electronic version, Great Russian Encyclopedia (portal) [ru] was launched at bigenc.ru, described as a Russian government alternative to Wikipedia.[24] Some assumed that this will be associated with blocking Wikipedia or competing with it, however Russian officials disavowed this claim.[25][26]

Criticism

While it was widely recognized that the Great Soviet Encyclopedia needed a replacement, the need for a print encyclopedia has been questioned, since many other analogues have now moved online, such as the Encyclopædia Britannica and the Brockhaus Enzyklopädie.[27]

Critics complain that many of the biographies, historical entries, and cultural articles are narrow and biased: according to writer and literary critic Nikolai Podosokorsky [ru], several of the articles are "quite superficial" and "the lists of references at the end were often extremely biased". While admitting that some of the articles in the encyclopedia were "excellent", Podosokorsky still stated that he maintained a generally negative view of the project.[27]

References

  1. ^ a b "GRE in 30 volumes" (in Russian). GRE official website. 2006. Archived from the original on 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2014-10-31.
  2. ^ Сергей Кравец: Российская энциклопедия — это и есть мы (in Russian). Evening Moscow. 2012-06-12. Archived from the original on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  3. ^ "row 42 of price list" (in Russian). GRE official website. 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  4. ^ "Большая российская энциклопедия приостановила работу на неопределенный срок". www.mk.ru (in Russian). 2024-06-14. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  5. ^ "The death of the 'Wikipedia killer'". Meduza. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  6. ^ "В Большую энциклопедию перестают вписывать деньги". Коммерсантъ (in Russian). 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  7. ^ "Title page of BDT Volume 1". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  8. ^ "Title page of BDT volume 21". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  9. ^ "Title page of BDT volume 23". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  10. ^ "Title page of BDT Volume 27". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  11. ^ Title page of BDT Volume 30
  12. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 24. Oceanarium - Oyashio Archived 2017-01-13 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  13. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 25. P - Perturbation Archived 2016-12-02 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  14. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 26. Peru - Semitrailer Archived 2016-12-02 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  15. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 27. Semiconductors - Desert Archived 2016-12-02 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  16. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 28. Motherwort - Rumcherod Archived 2016-12-02 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  17. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 29. Romania - Saint-Jean-de-Luz Archived 2016-12-02 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  18. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 30. Saint-Germain World 1679 - Social Security Archived 2016-12-02 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  19. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 31. Social partnership - Television Archived 2016-12-02 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  20. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 32. TV Tower - Ulaanbaatar Archived 2017-01-13 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  21. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 33. Uhland-Khvatsev Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  22. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 34. Khvoyka-Shervinsky Archived 2018-01-17 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  23. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia. Volume 35. Uhland-Khvatsev Archived 2018-01-16 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian).
  24. ^ "Russian alternative to Wikipedia to be fully launched by summer of 2022, says publisher". tass.com. 2019-11-21. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  25. ^ "Песков заявил, что о запрете доступа к "Википедии" речь не идет". 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  26. ^ "Кравец: Большая Российская энциклопедия не соревнуется с "Википедией"". 26 September 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-05-17. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  27. ^ a b Weir, Fred (23 March 2017). "Russia set to unveil the world's newest print encyclopedia – and its last?". The Christian Science Monitor.