How St. Petersburg Learned to Study Itself

How St. Petersburg Learned to Study Itself examines the enduring popularity of local guidebooks in Russia's former imperial capital. Author Emily Johnson explores the tradition of kraevedenie, a disciplinary approach to local studies that emerged in the early twentieth century. This social science study analyzes how practitioners investigate the relationship between human society and the environment to decipher the semiotics of urban space.

As volume 1 of its series, this history and anthropology text details how St. Petersburg scholars shaped the Russian guidebook as a literary form. The book situates kraevedenie within the broader context of historiography, sociology, and cultural studies. By analyzing regional and national identity, How St. Petersburg Learned to Study Itself illustrates the unique social significance of this academic tradition in modern Russia.