3-7 August 2015 Kyoto (Japan) hosted XVII World Congress in economic history, organized by International Association of researchers of economics and economic history. It the largest scientific forum dedicated to the subject mentioned. The Congress took place in Kyoto international conference centre where in December, 1997, the famous “Kyoto Protocol” on environmental protection was signed. About 1,000 scholars from the leading research centres and universities from all over the world took part in the work of 180 sessions of the Congress.

They discussed the most urgent problems of social and economic development of mankind, economic history of different countries and continents. The Congress was supported by the government of Japan and a number of the leading Japanese firms (Kintetsu corporation, Asahi, Suntory, etc.) that organized a huge and varied cultural programme for its participants (excursions to Kyoto, Nara, geisha performance (Maiko and Geiko san, etc.). Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, addressed the Congress participants with his welcoming speech.

Professor V.V. Kondrashin, a chief research worker of research institute for basic and applied research (PSU), Head of the Department “History of Russia, Regional History and Methods of Teaching History” of the Faculty of History, Languages and Literature (Pedagogical Institute), Doctor of Historical Sciences, took part in the work of the Congress. He headed the Congress session dedicated to the problem of famine in the USSR in 1932-1933. This session worked on 4 August, 2015, and lasted from 9 till 12.30.

The session consisted of three reports: V.Kondrashin: “Famine of 1932-1933 as a total tragedy of the USSR peoples: regional and national aspects”; Stephen Wittcroft, Professor of Melbourne University of Australia: “Demographic losses of 1928-1933 famine in the context of authenticity of the registered data and sources of information”; Professor G.Kornilov, an honoured worker of science of the Russian Federation, Head of Economic History Sector of the Institute of History and Archeology (Ural Department, Russian Academy of Sciences), Doctor of Historical Sciences: “Famine in the Urals in XX century”.

Scholars from the USA, Poland, China, Japan and other countries also took part in the discussion of the reports.

According to the information by V.Kondrashin