Local history aspect of pre-revolutionary journalism (on the example of B.P. Knyazhinskiy’s publications)

Over time, local history materials do not become obsolete, but, on the contrary, become even more relevant. In this regard, the study of local history topics of the pre-revolutionary press can eliminate white spots in the study of regions. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the contribution of the doctor and publicist B.P. Knyazhinskiy in the development of Tambov local history. We apply the principle of historicism, a systematic approach, the content analysis method of the content. We analyze the historical essay “Ancient Usmansky Assumption Maiden Monastery”. It is noted that the Diocesan Gazette, in which the essay was published, performed an enlightening and educational function in pre-revolutionary Russia within the framework of the mass media system, and the clergy played a progressive function in the regional community. We reveal the local history value of the essay and its research nature associated with the use of documentary and scientific sources of that time. B.P. Knyazhinsky’s publication about the history of the convent in the 17th–18th centuries, revealing aspects of the life of the population of Usman itself, expands the possibilities of using the essay in modern regional historiography. The study results can be used to further study the history of the Tambov region and neighboring territories, as well as to fully describe the media system in the region.