Anatoly Remnev

In her contribution in memory of Anatoly Remnev, Jane Burbank recalls meeting Remnev for the first time in 1996 during a summer school for social scientists near Vladimir in Russia. At the time, Remnev, with Petr Savel'ev, produced a draft of the research project on region and empire that has shaped much of Burbank's own research. Remnev then suggested using the region rather than the nationality or confession for framing analyses of imperial history. Although now a highly discussed theoretical problem, the regional approach for Remnev was grounded in the understanding that it would allow historians to avoid privileging a specific form of groupness (ethnic, confessional, linguistic, etc.). Burbank notes that Remnev's many works became standard references for historians of the Russian empire all over the world. For Burbank, Anatoly Remnev was utterly reliable, upright, fair, and understanding in every part of his life - a true comrade and a responsible leader.