Nikolai Karamzin short biography. Other biography options

(1766 - 1826)

He was born on December 1 (12 n.s.) in the village of Mikhailovka, Simbirsk province, in the family of a landowner. Got good home education.

At the age of 14, he began to study at the Moscow private boarding school of Professor Shaden. After graduating from it in 1783, he came to the Preobrazhensky Regiment in St. Petersburg, where he met the young poet and future employee of his "Moscow Journal" Dmitriev. Then he published his first translation of S. Gesner's idyll "Wooden Leg". Having retired with the rank of second lieutenant in 1784, he moved to Moscow, became one of the active participants in the journal " Children's reading for the Heart and Mind", published by N. Novikov, and became close to the Freemasons. He began translating religious and moral writings. Since 1787, he regularly published his translations of Thomson's "Seasons", "Village Evenings" by Janlis, W. Shakespeare's tragedy "Julius Caesar", Lessing's tragedy Emilia Galotti.

In 1789, Karamzin's first original story, Evgeny and Yulia, appeared in the magazine "Children's Reading ...". In the spring, he went on a trip to Europe: he visited Germany, Switzerland, France, where he observed the activities of the revolutionary government. In June 1790 he moved from France to England.

In the autumn he returned to Moscow and soon undertook the publication of the monthly Moscow Journal, in which most of"Letters from a Russian Traveler", the stories "Liodor", " Poor Lisa", "Natalia, boyar daughter", "Flor Silin", essays, stories, critical articles and poems. Karamzin attracted Dmitriev and Petrov, Kheraskov and Derzhavin, Lvov Neledinsky-Meletsky and others to cooperate in the journal. Karamzin's articles asserted a new literary direction- sentimentalism.

In the 1790s, Karamzin published the first Russian almanacs - "Aglaya" (parts 1 - 2, 1794 - 95) and "Aonides" (parts 1 - 3, 1796 - 99). 1793 came, when in the third stage French Revolution The Jacobin dictatorship was established, shocking Karamzin with its cruelty. The dictatorship aroused in him doubts about the possibility for mankind to achieve prosperity. He condemned the revolution. The philosophy of despair and fatalism permeates his new works: the stories "Bornholm Island" (1793); "Sierra Morena" (1795); poems "Melancholy", "Message to A. A. Pleshcheev", etc.

By the mid-1790s, Karamzin had become the recognized head of Russian sentimentalism, which opened new page in Russian literature. He was an indisputable authority for Zhukovsky, Batyushkov, the young Pushkin.

In 1802 - 1803 Karamzin published the journal Vestnik Evropy, which was dominated by literature and politics. AT critical articles Karamzin loomed a new aesthetic program, which contributed to the formation of Russian literature as a national identity. Karamzin saw the key to the identity of Russian culture in history. The most striking illustration of his views was the story "Marfa Posadnitsa". In his political articles, Karamzin made recommendations to the government, pointing out the role of education.

Trying to influence Tsar Alexander I, Karamzin gave him his "Note on the ancient and new Russia"(1811), causing him irritation. In 1819 he filed new note- "Opinion of a Russian citizen", which caused even greater displeasure of the tsar. However, Karamzin did not abandon his faith in the salvation of the enlightened autocracy and later condemned the Decembrist uprising. However, Karamzin the artist was still highly appreciated by young writers who did not even share his political convictions.

In 1803, through M. Muravyov, Karamzin received the official title of court historiographer.

In 1804, he began to create the "History of the Russian State", on which he worked until the end of his days, but did not complete it. In 1818 the first eight volumes of History, Karamzin's greatest scientific and cultural achievement, were published. In 1821, the 9th volume was published, dedicated to the reign of Ivan the Terrible, in 1824 - the 10th and 11th, about Fyodor Ioannovich and Boris Godunov. Death interrupted work on the 12th volume. It happened on May 22 (June 3, NS) 1826 in St. Petersburg.

Russian literature began far from - although he certainly did huge contribution in its development. However, poetry and prose were written long before him - in particular, Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin was very famous in the eighteenth century, his works are still respected by readers.

The initial acquaintance with the writer most often begins at school with the story "Poor Liza." And what else is Nikolai Mikhailovich known for, and what works belong to his pen?

Early life and works of art

Karamzin was born in 1766 in a military family in Orenburg region, in his youth also gave a few years military service but later retired. Having moved from the provinces to Moscow, he met prominent writers of that time, took part in the publication children's magazine. In 1790 he went to big Adventure Europe, and upon his return published his travel notes - and overnight became a famous writer.

It was with Karamzin that the publication of literary magazines in Russia began - the first such publication, Moscow Journal, was his brainchild. He published own compositions and helped young authors to break into print, at the same time he published his own collections of stories and poems. Nikolai Mikhailovich was the most prominent representative sentimentalism in Russia in the eighteenth century - thanks to him, this literary movement gained great strength.

Historical writings

However, despite a number lyrical works, Karamzin the historian is known much more than Karamzin the writer. In the early 1800s, Nikolai Mikhailovich gradually moved away from literary activity, fully concentrating on new job- study and popularization of the history of Russia. In fifteen years he manages to write eight volumes of the famous History of the Russian State.

The titanic work of the writer still causes a lot of controversy. Some critics believe that "History" gravitates too much towards artistry, and it lacks analytics. But one thing remains indisputable - the talented writer managed to describe the events of centuries ago so fascinatingly that for the first time National history aroused a truly massive interest among all segments of the population.

Until the end of his life, he was respected by the imperial family and the scientific community. He also bore the completely unique title of a Russian historiographer - the title was introduced specifically for Nikolai Mikhailovich and was not bestowed on anyone after him. The historian and writer died in 1826 in St. Petersburg.

Nikolai Karamzin is a historian and writer of the 18th and 19th centuries. Born December 12, 1866 in the Kazan province of the family estate Znamenskoye.

His family comes from the Crimean Tatars, his father, a retired officer, was an average landowner, his mother died when Kolya Karamzin was still a child. His upbringing was done by his father, tutors and nannies. Nikolai spent all his childhood on the estate, was educated at home, re-read all the books in his mother's large library.

His work was greatly influenced by his love for progressive foreign literature. It was the future publicist, writer, honorary member of the Academy of Sciences, famous critic, a reformer of Russian literature and a historiographer, loved to read Rollin, Emin and other masters of the word of Europe.

In 1778 he entered a noble boarding school in Simbirsk, his father attached him to an army regiment, which made it possible for Nikolai Karamzin to study at the prestigious Moscow boarding school at Moscow University. Karamzin studied humanitarian sciences and attended lectures.

The future writer ended up in active service in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. His military career did not attract and he took a vacation for a year, and in 1784 he received a decree on his resignation with the rank of lieutenant.

In 1789 he makes a long journey through Europe. During it, he met with Kant, visited Paris during the revolution, and witnessed the fall of the Bastille. Collected a large number of material about European events that served to create the Letters of a Russian Traveler, gained great popularity in society and are accepted with a bang by critics.

At the end of the journey, he took up literature. Established his own Moscow journal, in which his bright Star sentimental creativity - Poor Lisa.

In 1803 he became a historiographer. At this time, he began to work on the great work of his life - the History of the Russian State.

In 1810 he received the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class. In 1816 he received the high rank of state councilor and became a holder of the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree.

In 1818, 8 volumes of the History of the Russian State were published for the first time. He did not finish his enormous work, volume 12 was published after his death.

Karamzin's first wife is Elizaveta Protasova, married since 1801, his wife died after giving birth to her daughter Sophia. The second wife is Ekaterina Kolyvanova.

After the Decembrist uprising Senate Square, Karamzin died after an aggravated cold. He rests at the Tikhvin cemetery. Karamzin was a fundamentalist of Russian sentimentalism, a reformer of the Russian language. He added many new words to the vocabulary. He was one of the first creators of a comprehensive generalizing work on the history of Russia.

Pushkin was frequent guest at the Karamzins.

Karamzin owns the expression that he said about Russian reality, to the question - what is happening in Russia, the answer was as follows - steal.

Historians believe that Poor Liza is named after Protasova.

Sophia, daughter of Karamzin, was adopted secular society, at the imperial court she became a maid of honor, was friends with Pushkin and Lermontov.

Karamzin had 5 sons and 4 daughters from his second marriage.

Wow! .. Here, yes! .. Be healthy! ..

Minakov A. Yu.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, writer, poet, journalist, historian, one of the founders of Russian conservatism

N.M. Karamzin came from the Crimean Tatar family of Kara-Murza (known since the 16th century). He spent his childhood on the estate of his father - Mikhail Yegorovich, a landowner middle class- the village of Znamenskoye, then was brought up in the private boarding school Fauvel in Simbirsk, where they taught in French, then in the Moscow boarding school prof. THEM. Shaden. Shaden was an apologist for the family, he saw in her the guardian of morality and the source of education, in which religion, the beginning of wisdom, was to occupy a leading place. best shape state structure Schadin considered the monarchy, with a strong nobility, virtuous, sacrificial, educated, putting the public good at the forefront. The influence of such views on K. is undeniable. In the boarding house K. learned French and German languages, taught English, Latin and Greek. In addition, K. attended lectures at Moscow University. Since 1782, Mr.. K. served in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. At the same time it starts literary activity. The first printed work of K. - translation from the German S. Gessner "Wooden Leg". On the death of his father, K. retired in 1784 and left for Simbirsk, where he joined the Golden Crown Masonic Lodge. A year later, K. moved to Moscow, where he became close to the Moscow Freemasons from the environment of N.I. Novikov, under the influence of which his views and literary tastes are formed, in particular, interest in the literature of the French Enlightenment, “encyclopedists”, Montesquieu, Voltaire and etc. Freemasonry attracted K. with its educational and charitable activities, but repelled with its mystical side and rituals. At the end of the 1780s. K. participates in various periodicals: "Reflections on the Affairs of God ...", "Children's Reading for the Heart and Mind", in which he publishes his own writings and translations. By 1788, K. cools towards Freemasonry. In 1789-1790, he made an 18-month trip abroad, one of the motives of which was K.'s break with the Masons. K. visited Germany, Switzerland, engulfed by the revolution of France and England. As a witness to the events in France, he repeatedly visited the National Assembly, listened to Robespierre's speeches, made acquaintances with many political celebrities. This experience had a huge impact on the further evolution of K., marking the beginning of a critical attitude towards "advanced" ideas. So, in “Melodor and Philalethe” (1795), K. clearly expressed the rejection and shock caused by the implementation of the ideas of the “Enlightenment” in practice, during the so-called “Great French Revolution”: “The Age of Enlightenment! I don’t recognize you - I don’t recognize you in blood and flames - I don’t recognize you among murders and destruction!

Upon his return from abroad, he publishes the Moscow Journal (1791-1792), the album Aglaya (1794-95), the almanac Aonides (1796-99), the Pantheon of Foreign Literature (1798), the magazine Children's Reading for the Heart and Mind” (1799), publishes “Letters of a Russian Traveler” (1791-1792), which brought him all-Russian fame, approaches the conservatively minded G.R. Derzhavin and finally breaks with Freemasonry. During this period, K. is experiencing growing skepticism in relation to the ideals of the “Enlightenment”, however, on the whole, remains in Western, cosmopolitan positions, being confident that the path of civilization is the same for all mankind and that Russia should follow this path: “everything the people's nothing compared to the human. The main thing is to be people, not Slavs” (Letters from a Russian Traveler. L., 1987. P. 254). As a writer, he creates a new direction, the so-called sentimentalism, carries out a large-scale reform of the Russian language, on the one hand, orienting it to French literary models, on the other hand, bringing it closer to colloquial, believing that the Russian everyday language has yet to be created. AT most sentimentalism was reflected in such a work as "Poor Lisa" (1792). K.'s desire to "frenchize" the Russian language should not be exaggerated. Back in 1791, he stated: “in our so-called good society, without French you will be deaf and dumb. Aren't you ashamed? How not to have national pride? Why be parrots and monkeys together?” (Ibid., p.338.). In addition, the then cosmopolitanism of K. was combined with a kind of literary struggle for a return to Russian origins. For example, his story “Natalya, the Boyar’s Daughter” (1792) began with the words: “Which of us does not love those times when Russians were Russians, when they dressed up in their own clothes, walked with their own gait, lived according to their custom, spoke their own language and according to your heart..? (Notes of an old Moscow resident. M., 1988. P.55).

In April 1801, K. married Elizaveta Ivanovna Protasova, who died a year later, leaving her daughter Sophia.

The accession to the throne of Alexander I marked the beginning of a new period in ideological evolution K. In 1802, he published the “Historical word of praise Catherine the Second”, which was a mandate to the new tsar, where he formulates a monarchist program and clearly speaks out in favor of autocracy. K. deployed active publishing: republished the Moscow Journal, undertook the publication of the Pantheon Russian authors, or a collection of their portraits with remarks”, published his first collected works in 8 vols. The main event of the first years XIX century was the publication of the "thick" magazine "Bulletin of Europe" (1802-1803), published twice a month, where K. acted as a political writer, essayist, commentator and international observer. In it, he clearly formulates his statist position (earlier, for him, the state was a “monster”). It is also noteworthy that in his articles K. quite sharply opposed the imitation of everything foreign, against the education of Russian children abroad, and so on. K. unequivocally expresses his position with the formula: “The people are humiliated when they need someone else’s mind for education” (Bulletin of Europe. 1802. No. 8. P. 364). Moreover, K. calls to stop the reckless borrowing of the experience of the West:<...>to the people who will be an eternal student” (Coll.: In 2 vols. L., 1984. Vol. 2. P. 230.) K. is critical of the liberal undertakings of Alexander I, forming a position that can be described as proto-conservative, since K. himself still remains a "republican at heart." K. does not leave literature either - in 1803 he publishes “Marfa Posadnitsa” and a number of other works. It is especially worth highlighting “My Confession” (1802), where he sharply argues with the entire educational tradition - from “encyclopedists” to J.J. Rousseau. His conservative-monarchist views are becoming more and more clear.

Back in the late 90s. 18th century K.'s interest in Russian history was indicated. He creates several small historical works. On September 28, 1803, K. addressed the Ministry of Public Education to the trustee of the Moscow educational district M.N. Muravyov with a request for his official appointment as a historiographer, which was soon granted by a special decree of November 31. In the same year, A.S. Shishkov’s book “Discourse on the Old and New Style of the Russian Language” was published, in which a prominent Russian conservative accused Karamzin and his followers of spreading gallomania (See Shishkov). However, K. himself did not participate in literary controversy did not accept. This can be explained by the fact that K. was not only busy with historiographical developments, “he took the veil of historians” (P.A. Vyazemsky), his position, including linguistic, under the influence of studies in Russian history, began to converge with the position of Shishkov.

In 1804, K. married a second time - to Ekaterina Andreevna Kolyvanova. His life was filled with hard work, in winter he lived in Moscow, in summer - in Ostafyevo.

From 1803 to 1811, K. created five volumes of the History of the Russian State, simultaneously discovering and using for the first time the most valuable historical sources.

At the end of 1809, K. was first introduced to Alexander I. By 1810, K., under the influence of studies in Russian history, became a consistent conservative patriot. At the beginning of this year, through his relative F.V. Rostopchin, he met in Moscow with the leader of the then “conservative party” at court, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna, and began to constantly visit her residence in Tver, where her husband, Prince of Oldenburg, was a general -governor. Salon Grand Duchess then represented the center of conservative opposition to the liberal-Western course, personified by the figure of M.M. Speransky. In this salon, K. read excerpts from the "History ..." in the presence of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, at the same time he met the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, who has since become one of his patronesses. In 1810, Alexander I granted K. the Order of St. Vladimir 3rd degree. On the initiative of Ekaterina Pavlovna, K. wrote and submitted in March 1811 to Alexander I, during the readings in Tver of another fragment from his “History ...”, a treatise “On ancient and new Russia in its political and civil relations”- the most profound and meaningful document of the emerging Russian conservative thought. Along with an overview of Russian history and criticism of the state policy of Alexander I, the “Note” contained an integral, original and very complex in its theoretical content, the concept of Autocracy as a special, original Russian type of power, closely connected with Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Church.

From the point of view of K., autocracy is a “smart political system”(Note on Ancient and New Russia. M., 1991. P. 22), which has undergone a long evolution and played a unique role in the history of Russia. This system was “the great creation of the princes of Moscow” (Ibid., p.22), starting with Ivan Kalita, and, in its main elements, it had the quality of objectivity, that is, it weakly depended on the personal qualities, mind and will of individual rulers, since was not a product of personal power, but a rather complex structure based on certain traditions and state and public institutions. This system arose as a result of the synthesis of the autochthonous political tradition of “autocracy”, which goes back to Kievan Rus and some traditions of the Tatar-Mongolian khanate power. The conscious imitation of political ideals also played a large role. Byzantine Empire(Ibid., p.23).

Arose in the conditions of the most difficult struggle with Tatar-Mongol yoke autocracy was unconditionally accepted by the Russian people, since it not only eliminated foreign power, but also internal civil strife. “Political slavery” (p.22.) did not seem in these conditions to be an excessive price to pay for national security and unity.

The entire system of state and public institutions was, according to K., “an outpouring of royal power” (Ibid., p. 24), the monarchist core permeated the entire political system from top to bottom. At the same time, autocratic power was preferable to the power of the aristocracy. The aristocracy, acquiring self-sufficient importance, could become dangerous for statehood, for example, in specific period or during the period Troubles XVII century (Ibid., p.28). The autocracy “embedded” the aristocracy into the system of the state hierarchy, rigidly subordinated it to the interests of the monarchical statehood.

An exceptional role in this system, according to Karamzin, was played by Orthodox Church. It was the “conscience” (Ibid., p.36.) of the autocratic system that set the moral coordinates for the monarch and the people in stable times, and especially when their “accidental deviations from virtue” occurred (Ibid.). K. emphasized that spiritual authority acted in close alliance with civil authority and gave it a religious justification. In his “History ...” K. emphasized: “history confirms the truth<...>that faith is a special power of the state ”(History of the Russian State: In 4 books. M., 1989. Vol. 6. P. 224).

Autocratic system political power, according to K., was also based on the traditions, customs and habits generally recognized by the people, what he referred to as “ancient skills” and, more broadly, “the spirit of the people”, “attachment to our special” (Note on ancient and new Russia. M ., 1991, p.32).

Karamzin categorically refused to identify "true autocracy" with despotism, tyranny and arbitrariness. He believed that such deviations from the norms of autocracy were due to a matter of chance (Ivan the Terrible, Paul I) and were quickly eliminated by the inertia of the tradition of the “wise” and “virtuous” monarchical government. This tradition was so powerful and effective that even in cases of a sharp weakening or even complete absence of the supreme state and church authorities (for example, during the Time of Troubles), it led to the restoration of autocracy within a short historical period (Ibid. p. 49).

By virtue of all of the above, the autocracy was the “palladium of Russia” (Ibid., p. 105), main reason her power and prosperity. From the point of view of K., the basic principles of monarchical rule should have been preserved in the future, only supplemented by a proper policy in the field of education and legislation, which would lead not to undermine the autocracy, but to its maximum strengthening. With such an understanding of autocracy, any attempt to limit it would be a crime against Russian history and the Russian people.

K. was one of the first in Russian thought to raise the question of the negative consequences of the reign of Peter I, since the desire of this emperor to transform Russia into the likeness of Europe undermined the “spirit of the people,” that is, the very foundations of autocracy, “the moral power of the state.” The aspiration of Peter I “to new customs for us crossed the boundaries of prudence in him” (Ibid., p.32). K. actually accused Peter of forcibly eradicating ancient customs, a fatal sociocultural split of the people into a higher, “Germanized” layer and a lower, “common people”, the destruction of the Patriarchate, which led to a weakening of faith, the transfer of the capital to the outskirts of the state, at the cost of enormous efforts and sacrifices ( Ibid., pp. 32-37). As a result, K. argued, the Russians “became citizens of the world, but ceased to be, in some cases, citizens of Russia” (Ibid., p.35).

The main elements of the concept of the autocracy of K. in one form or another were developed by subsequent generations of Russian conservatives: S. S. Uvarov, L. A. Tikhomirov, I. A. Ilyin, I. A. Solonevich and others

In the Note, K. formulated the idea of ​​“Russian law”, which has not yet been implemented in practice: “the laws of the people must be derived from their own concepts, customs, habits, local circumstances” (Ibid., p. 91). ” Russian law also has its beginnings, like the Roman; define them and you will give us a system of laws” (p. 94). Paradoxically, to some extent (but far from complete) K.'s recommendations were used already in the reign of Nicholas I by his ideological opponent M. M. Speransky in the process of codifying Russian legislation.

Among other things, the “Note” contained the classical principles of Russian conservatism: “we demand more preserving wisdom than creative wisdom” (Ibid., p. 63), “any news in the state order is an evil that should be resorted to only when necessary” ( Ibid. P.56), “for the firmness of being a state, it is safer to enslave people than to give them freedom at the wrong time” (Ibid. P.74).

The "note" was coldly received by the emperor, but later, he clearly took into account its main provisions. After the fall of Speransky, K.'s candidacy for the post of Secretary of State State Council was considered along with A.S. Shishkov. Preference was given to the latter, as a military man, which was important in the context of the impending war with Napoleon.

K.'s work on the "History of the Russian State" was temporarily interrupted Patriotic War 1812 K. himself was ready to fight in the Moscow militia and left the city in the last moments before Napoleon entered the capital. 1813 K. spent in evacuation, first in Yaroslavl, and then in Nizhny Novgorod. K. returned to Moscow in June 1813 and continued to work on the “History ...”, despite the fact that his library burned down in the Moscow fire of 1812. In early 1816, Mr.. K. came to St. Petersburg to ask for funds for the publication of the first eight volumes. With the support of Empresses Elizaveta Alekseevna and Maria Fedorovna, after a reception at A.A. Arakcheev, Alexander I awarded K. the highest audience, as a result of which the necessary funds were allocated and the written volumes of “History ...”, uncensored, were published in 1818 . (The 9th volume was published in 1821, in 1824 - the 10th and 11th, the last, 12th volume was published posthumously). "History of the Russian State" was a huge success. From 1816 until his death, K. lived in St. Petersburg, communicating with V.A. Zhukovsky, S.S. Uvarov, A.S. Pushkin, D.N. Bludov, P.A. Vyazemsky and others. At the suggestion of Alexander I, K. began to spend every summer in Tsarskoye Selo, which more and more strengthened his closeness to the royal family. The sovereign repeatedly talked with K. during walks in the Tsarskoye Selo park, constantly read the “History ...” in the manuscript, listened to K.'s opinions on current political events. In 1816, Mr.. K. was granted a state councilor, awarded the Order of St.. Anna of the 1st class, in 1824 he became a real state councilor. In 1818, K. was accepted as a member of the Imperial Russian Academy. In 1818, eight volumes of "History ..." were published with a circulation of three thousand copies, which quickly sold out in 25 days. The significance of this grandiose work was accurately expressed by P.A. Vyazemsky: “Karamzin’s work is the only book we have that is truly state, popular and monarchical” (Vyazemsky P.A. complete collection essays. SPb., 1879. V.2. S.215).

The death of Alexander I shocked K., and the rebellion on December 14 finally broke physical forces K. (that day he caught a cold in the Senate Square, the disease turned into consumption and death).

The role of K. as a cultural figure and Russian historiography as a whole is recognized in Russian thought. However, the significance of K. as a conservative thinker, who had a decisive influence on Russian conservative-patriotic thought, historians and philosophers have yet to reveal.

Works by N.M. Karamzin:

Bulletin of Europe. M., 1802. No. 1-24; 1803. No. 1-22;

Note on ancient and new Russia, Moscow, 1991.

Notes of an old Moscow resident. M., 1986.

History of the Russian state, 2nd ed., vol. 1-12, St. Petersburg, 1818-29; 5th ed., kn.1-3 (T.1-12). St. Petersburg, 1842-43 (reprint - M., 1988-89);

Works. T.1-11. M., 1803 - 1815.

Unpublished writings and correspondence. SPb., 1862. Part 1.;

Letters to I.I. Dmitriev. SPb., 1866;

Letters to P.A. Vyazemsky. 1810-1826. SPb., 1897.

Bibliography

Bestuzhev-Ryumin K.N. Karamzin as a historian // ZhMNP. - 1867. - No. 1.-det.2.-S.1-20. The same in the book. Bestuzheva - Ryumina.: Biographies and characteristics. SPb., 1882.

Bestuzhev-Ryumin K.N. N.M. Karamzin: Essay on life and work. SPb., 1895.

Bestuzhev-Ryumin K.N. Karamzin N.M. //Russian biographical dictionary. SPb., 1892. V.8. Ibak-Klyucharev.

Bulich N.N. Biographical sketch of N.M. Karamzin and its development political activity. Kazan, 1866.

Gogotsky S.S. N.M. Karamzin. Kyiv, 187...

Grot Ya.K. Essay on the activities and personality of Karamzin. SPb., 1867.

Gulyga A.V. Karamzin in the system of Russian culture//Literature and art in the system of Russian culture. M., 1988.

Degtyareva M.I. Two candidates for the role of state ideologist: J. de Maistre and N.M. Karamzin// Historical metamorphoses of conservatism. Permian. 1998.

Ermashov D.V., Shirinyants A.A. At the origins of Russian conservatism: N.M. Karamzin. M., 1999.

Zavitnevich V.Z. Speransky and Karamzin as representatives of two political trends, Kyiv, 1907.

Kislyagina L.G. Formation of socio-political views of Karamzin. M., 1976.

Kozlov V.P. “History of the Russian State in the Estimates of Contemporaries” M., 1976.

Lotman Yu.M. “On ancient and new Russia in its political and civil relations”. Karamzin - a monument of Russian journalism of the early nineteenth century//LU.-1988.-No. 4.

Lotman Yu.M. Karamzin. SPb., 1997.

Milyukov P. Main currents of Russian historical thought. SPb., 1913.

Pivovarov Yu.S. Karamzin and the beginning of the Russian Enlightenment.//Society. 1993. No. 26-27.

Pogodin M.P. N.M. Karamzin based on his writings, letters and reviews of contemporaries. Ch.P.M., 1866.-p.58-82.

Predtechensky A.V. Essays on the socio-political history of Russia in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. M., L., 1957.

Pypin A.N. Social movement in Russia under Alexander 1. Historical essays.-St. Petersburg, 1908.-588 p.

Sakharov A.N. Lessons from the “immortal historiographer”//Karamzin N.M. History of the Russian state: In 12 volumes. Vol.1. M., 1989. Applications.

Smirnov A.F. N.M. Karamzin and spiritual culture of Russia//Karamzin N.M. History of Russian Goverment. Book 3. Rostov-on-Don, 1990

Uspensky B.A. From the history of the Russian literary language XVIII-beginning XIX century. Karamzin's language program and its historical roots. M., 1985.

Pointers:

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin: Index of works, literature about life and work. 1883-1993. M., 1999. -

Black, Josef L. Nicolas Karamzin and Russian society in the nineteenth century: a study in Russian political and historical thought. Toronto-Buffalo Univ. of Toronto Press, 1975.

Gross A.G. N.M. Karamzin. L.-Amsterdam.

Gross A.G. N.M. Karamzins “Messenger of Europe” (Vestnik Yevropy), 1802-3 // Forum for modern language studies. 1969 Vol. V.No.1.

Karamzin Nikolai Mikhailovich (1766 - 1826)

He was born on December 1 (12 n.s.) in the village of Mikhailovka, Simbirsk province, in the family of a landowner. He received a good education at home.

At the age of 14, he began to study at the Moscow private boarding school of Professor Shaden. After graduating from it in 1783, he came to the Preobrazhensky Regiment in St. Petersburg, where he met the young poet and future employee of his "Moscow Journal" Dmitriev. Then he published his first translation of S. Gesner's idyll "Wooden Leg". After retiring with the rank of second lieutenant in 1784, he moved to Moscow, became one of the active participants in the magazine Children's Reading for the Heart and Mind, published by N. Novikov, and became close to the Masons. Engaged in translations of religious and moral writings. From 1787 he regularly published his translations of Thomson's The Seasons, Janlis's Village Evenings, W. Shakespeare's tragedy Julius Caesar, and Lessing's tragedy Emilia Galotti.

In 1789, Karamzin's first original story, Evgeny and Yulia, appeared in the magazine "Children's Reading ...". In the spring, he went on a trip to Europe: he visited Germany, Switzerland, France, where he observed the activities of the revolutionary government. In June 1790 he moved from France to England.

In the autumn he returned to Moscow and soon undertook the publication of the monthly "Moscow Journal", in which most of the "Letters of a Russian Traveler" were printed, the stories "Liodor", "Poor Liza", "Natalia, the Boyar's Daughter", "Flor Silin", essays, short stories, critical articles and poems. Karamzin attracted Dmitriev and Petrov, Kheraskov and Derzhavin, Lvov Neledinsky-Meletsky and others to cooperate in the journal. Karamzin's articles asserted a new literary trend - sentimentalism. In the 1790s, Karamzin published the first Russian almanacs - "Aglaya" (parts 1 - 2, 1794 - 95) and "Aonides" (parts 1 - 3, 1796 - 99). The year 1793 arrived, when the Jacobin dictatorship was established at the third stage of the French Revolution, shocking Karamzin with its cruelty. The dictatorship aroused in him doubts about the possibility for mankind to achieve prosperity. He condemned the revolution. The philosophy of despair and fatalism permeates his new works: the stories "Bornholm Island" (1793); "Sierra Morena" (1795); poems "Melancholy", "Message to A. A. Pleshcheev", etc.

By the mid-1790s, Karamzin had become the recognized head of Russian sentimentalism, opening a new page in Russian literature. He was an indisputable authority for Zhukovsky, Batyushkov, the young Pushkin.

In 1802 - 1803 Karamzin published the journal Vestnik Evropy, which was dominated by literature and politics. In the critical articles of Karamzin, a new aesthetic program emerged, which contributed to the formation of Russian literature as a nationally original one. Karamzin saw the key to the identity of Russian culture in history. The most striking illustration of his views was the story "Marfa Posadnitsa". In his political articles, Karamzin made recommendations to the government, pointing out the role of education.

Trying to influence Tsar Alexander I, Karamzin gave him his Note on Ancient and New Russia (1811), irritating him. In 1819 he filed a new note - "The Opinion of a Russian Citizen", which caused even greater displeasure of the tsar. However, Karamzin did not abandon his faith in the salvation of the enlightened autocracy and later condemned the Decembrist uprising. However, Karamzin the artist was still highly appreciated by young writers who did not even share his political convictions.

In 1803, through M. Muravyov, Karamzin received the official title of court historiographer.

In 1804, he began to create the "History of the Russian State", on which he worked until the end of his days, but did not complete it. In 1818 the first eight volumes of History, Karamzin's greatest scientific and cultural achievement, were published. In 1821, the 9th volume was published, dedicated to the reign of Ivan the Terrible, in 1824 - the 10th and 11th, about Fyodor Ioannovich and Boris Godunov. Death interrupted work on the 12th volume. It happened on May 22 (June 3, NS) 1826 in St. Petersburg.