O. I. Makstenek — The First Representative of RSFSR People’s Foreign Affairs Commissariat to Mongolia: A Historiography of the Question

Introduction. The paper provides a first analysis — in Mongolian and Russian historiography — of all scientific journal publications, monographs and proceedings of academic conferences dealing with the Soviet diplomat Otto Ivanovich Makstenek, the first Authorized Representative of RSFSR People’s Foreign Affairs Commissariat to Mongolia who made a huge contribution to the success of the Mongolian Revolution of 1921 only to remain unheralded in history. Goals. The study aims at identifying and analyzing (in a historiographic perspective) all scientific works covering revolutionary and diplomatic activities of O. I. Makstenek and authored by Russian and Mongolian scientists. The objectives to be tackled thereto include as follows: 1) analysis of bibliographic publications for further identification of scientific works dedicated to the Soviet diplomat, 2) genre determination of such works (monographs, articles, proceedings of research conferences), historiographic analysis of publications by Russian and Mongolian scholars. Conclusions. The historiographic analysis show O. I. Makstenek as a historical figure whose life and deeds — though preserved in fragments only — illustrate revolutionary events in Livonia, Irkutsk Governorate, Transbaikalia, and Mongolia in the 1900s to 1920s. Makstenek’s activity as Authorized Representative of RSFSR People’s Foreign Affairs Commissariat to Mongolia was the pinnacle of his revolutionary work. And the research materials attest to that he made a most valuable contribution to the victory of the Mongolian Revolution of 1921.