Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin is a famous Russian writer, a representative of sentimentalism, an outstanding historian and thinker, and educator. His main service to his native Fatherland, the pinnacle of his life’s journey, is the 12-volume work “History of the Russian State.” Perhaps the only Russian historian who was treated kindly by the highest royal favor, who had the official status of a historiographer, created especially for him.

Biography of Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin (12/1/1776 - 22/5/1826) briefly

Nikolai Karamzin was born on December 1, 1766 in the family estate of Znamenskoye, not far from Simbirsk, into a wealthy noble family. He received his primary education, which was very comprehensive, at home. At the age of 13 he was sent to the private boarding school Schaden in Moscow. In 1782, his father, a retired officer, insisted that his son try himself in military service, so for two years Nikolai ended up in the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment. Realizing that a military career is not at all interesting to him, he retires. Not feeling the need to do something he doesn't like to earn his daily bread, he begins to do what interests him - literature. First as a translator, then he tries himself as an author.

Karamzin - publisher and writer

During the same period in Moscow, he became close to a circle of Freemasons and was friends with the publisher and educator Novikov. He is interested in studying various trends in philosophy and travels to Western Europe to become more fully acquainted with French and German enlighteners. His journey coincided with the Great French Revolution; Karamzin even witnesses these events and, at first, perceives them with great enthusiasm.

Returning to Russia, he publishes “Letters of a Russian Traveler.” This work is the reflections of a thinking person on the fate of European culture. The medieval dogma of man as subordinate to someone’s supreme reason has been overthrown from the pedestal. It is replaced by the thesis of personal freedom as such, and Karamzin welcomes this theory with all his heart. In 1792, he published in his own literary magazine “Moscow Journal” the story “Poor Liza,” in which he develops the theory of equality of individuals, regardless of social status, in addition to the literary merits of the story. Russian literature is valuable because it is written and published in Russian.

The beginning of the reign of Emperor Alexander I coincided with the beginning of Karamzin’s publication of the journal “Bulletin of Europe,” whose motto was “Russia is Europe.” The materials published in the magazine appealed to the views of Alexander I, so he responded favorably to Karamzin’s desire to write the history of Russia. He not only gave permission, but by personal decree appointed Karamzin as a historiographer with a decent pension of 2000 rubles, so that he could work with all dedication on a grandiose historical work. Since 1804, Nikolai Mikhailovich has been engaged only in compiling the “History of the Russian State”. The Emperor gives him permission to work to collect materials in the archives. He was always ready to provide an audience and be sure to report the slightest difficulties if they arose.

The first 8 volumes of “History” were published in 1818 and were sold out in just a month. Pushkin called this event “absolutely exceptional.” The interest in Karamzin’s historical work was enormous, and although he managed to describe historical events from the first mention of the Slavic tribes only to the Time of Troubles, which amounted to 12 volumes, the significance of this historical work cannot be overestimated. This grandiose work formed the basis of almost all subsequent fundamental works on the history of Russia. Unfortunately, Karamzin himself did not see his work published in full. He died from a cold, which he received after spending the entire day on Senate Square in St. Petersburg during the Decembrist uprising. This happened on May 22, 1826.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin as a historian and his methods of studying the past

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin is an outstanding leader of the minds of Russia at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 19th centuries. The role of N.M. Karamzin in Russian culture is great and what he did for the benefit of the Motherland would be enough for more than one life. He embodied many of the best features of his century, appearing before his contemporaries as a first-class master of literature (poet, critic, playwright, translator), a reformer who laid the foundations of the modern literary language, a major journalist, an organizer of publishing, and the founder of wonderful magazines. A master of artistic expression and a talented historian merged in the personality of N.M. Karamzin. He left a noticeable mark in science, journalism, and art. N.M. Karamzin largely prepared the success of his younger contemporaries and followers - figures of the Pushkin period, the golden age of Russian literature. N.M. Karamzin was born on December 1, 1766. And during his fifty-nine years he lived an interesting and eventful life, full of dynamism and creativity. He received his education at a private boarding school in Simbirsk, then at the Moscow boarding school of Professor M.P. Shaden, then reported to St. Petersburg for service and received the rank of non-commissioned officer. Then he worked as a translator and editor in various magazines, becoming close to many famous people of that time (M. M. Novikov, M. T. Turgenev). Then he traveled around Europe for more than a year (from May 1789 to September 1790); During the trip, he makes notes, after processing which the famous “Letters of a Russian Traveler” appear.

Knowledge of the past and present led Karamzin to a break with the Freemasons, who were quite influential in Russia at the end of the 18th century. He returns to his homeland with a wide program of publishing and magazine activities, hoping to contribute to the education of the people. He created the "Moscow Journal" (1791-1792) and the "Bulletin of Europe" (1802-1803), published two volumes of the almanac "Aglaya" (1794-1795) and the poetic almanac "Aonids". His creative path continues and ends with the work “History of the Russian State,” work on which took many years, which became the main result of his work.

Karamzin had been approaching the idea of ​​creating a large historical canvas for a long time. As proof of the long-standing existence of such plans, Karamzin’s message in “Letters of a Russian Traveler” about a meeting in 1790 in Paris with P.-S. is cited. Level, author of "Histoire de Russie, triee des chroniques originales, des pieces outertiques et des meillierus historiens de la nation" (only one volume was translated in Russia in 1797). Reflecting on the merits and demerits of this work, the writer came to a disappointing conclusion: “It hurts, but it must be said in fairness that we still do not have a good Russian history.” He understood that such a work could not be written without free access to manuscripts and documents in official repositories, so he turned to Emperor Alexander I through the mediation of M.M. Muravyova (trustee of the Moscow educational district). “The appeal was successful and on October 31, 1803, Karamzin was appointed historiographer and received an annual pension and access to the archives.” Imperial decrees provided the historiographer with optimal conditions for working on “History...”.

Work on “The History of the Russian State” required self-denial, rejection of the usual image and way of life. In the figurative expression of P.A. Vyazemsky, Karamzin “took his hair as a historian.” And by the spring of 1818, the first eight volumes of history appeared on book shelves. Three thousand copies of "History..." were sold in twenty-five days. The recognition of his compatriots inspired and encouraged the writer, especially after the historiographer’s relationship with Alexander I deteriorated (after the release of the note “On Ancient and New Russia,” where Karamzin in a sense criticized Alexander I). The public and literary resonance of the first eight volumes of “History...” in Russia and abroad was so great that even the Russian Academy, a long-time stronghold of Karamzin’s opponents, was forced to recognize his merits.

The readership success of the first eight volumes of “History...” gave the writer new strength for further work. In 1821, the ninth volume of his work saw the light. The death of Alexander I and the Decembrist uprising delayed work on “History...”. Having caught a cold on the street on the day of the uprising, the historiographer continued his work only in January 1826. But doctors assured that only Italy could give a full recovery. Going to Italy and hoping to finish the last two chapters of the last volume there, Karamzin instructed D.N. Bludov has everything to do with the future edition of the twelfth volume. But on May 22, 1826, without leaving Italy, Karamzin died. The twelfth volume was published only in 1828.

Having picked up the work of N.M. Karamzin, we can only imagine how difficult the work of the historiographer was. A writer, poet, amateur historian takes on a task of incongruous complexity, requiring enormous special training. If he had avoided serious, purely intelligent matter, but had only vividly narrated about the past times, “animating and coloring” - this would still have been considered natural, but from the very beginning the volume is divided into two halves: in the first - a living story, and the one to whom this is enough; you may not need to look into the second section, where there are hundreds of notes, references to chronicles, Latin, Swedish, and German sources. History is a very harsh science, even if we assume that the historian knows many languages, but in addition, Arab, Hungarian, Jewish, Caucasian sources appear... And let by the beginning of the 19th century. the science of history did not stand out sharply from literature, all the same, Karamzin the writer had to delve into paleography, philosophy, geography, archeography... Tatishchev and Shcherbatov, however, combined history with serious government activities, but professionalism is constantly increasing; from the West, serious works of German and English scientists come; the ancient naive chronicle methods of historical writing are clearly dying out, and the question itself arises: when will Karamzin, a forty-year-old writer, master all the old and new wisdom? The answer to this question is given to us by N. Eidelman, who reports that “only in the third year Karamzin confesses to close friends that he ceases to be afraid of the “Schletser ferule,” that is, the rod with which a venerable German academician could flog a careless student.”

One historian alone cannot find and process such a large amount of materials on the basis of which the “History of the Russian State” was written. It follows from this that N.M. Karamzin was helped by his many friends. He, of course, went to the archive, but not too often: several special employees, headed by the head of the Moscow archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a magnificent expert on antiquity, Alexei Fedorovich Malinovsky, searched, selected, and delivered ancient manuscripts directly to the historiographer’s desk. Archives and book collections of the foreign board of the Synod, the Hermitage, the Imperial Public Library, Moscow University, the Trinity-Sergius and Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Volokolamsk, Resurrection monasteries; in addition, dozens of private collections, and finally, archives and libraries of Oxford, Paris, Copenhagen and other foreign centers. Among those who worked for Karamzin (from the very beginning and later) there were several remarkable scientists in the future, for example, Stroev, Kalaidovich... They sent more comments on already published volumes than others.

In some modern works, Karamzin is reproached for the fact that he did not work “alone.” But otherwise, it would have taken him not 25 years to write “History…”, but much more. Eidelman rightly objects to this: “It is dangerous for one to judge an era by the rules of another.”

Later, when Karamzin's authorial personality develops, a combination of historiographer and junior collaborators will emerge that might seem delicate...However, in the first years of the 19th century. in such a combination it seemed quite normal, and the doors of the archive would hardly have been opened for the younger ones if there had not been an imperial decree about the eldest. Karamzin himself, selfless, with a heightened sense of honor, would never allow himself to become famous at the expense of his employees. Besides, was it only “the archive regiments that worked for the Count of History”? It turns out not. “Such great people as Derzhavin send him their thoughts about ancient Novgorod, young Alexander Turgenev brings the necessary books from Gottingen, D.I. Yazykov, A.R. Vorontsov promises to send ancient manuscripts. Even more important is the participation of the main collectors: A.N. Musin -Pushkin, N.P. Rumyantsev; one of the future presidents of the Academy of Sciences A.N. Olenin sent Karamzin on July 12, 1806 the Ostromir Gospel of 1057.” But this does not mean that all of Karamzin’s work was done by his friends: he discovered it himself and stimulated others with his work to find it. Karamzin himself found the Ipatiev and Trinity Chronicles, the Code of Law of Ivan the Terrible, and “The Prayer of Daniil the Prisoner.” For his “History...” Karamzin used about forty chronicles (for comparison, let’s say that Shcherbatov studied twenty-one chronicles). Also, the great merit of the historiographer is that he was not only able to bring together all this material, but also organize the de facto work of a real creative laboratory.

The work on “History...” came at a turning point in a sense, which influenced the author’s worldview and methodology. In the last quarter of the XVIII. In Russia, the features of the decomposition of the feudal-serf economic system became increasingly noticeable. Changes in the economic and social life of Russia and the development of bourgeois relations in Europe influenced the internal policy of the autocracy. Time confronted the ruling class of Russia with the need to develop socio-political reforms that would ensure the preservation of the dominant position by the class of landowners and power by the autocracy.

“The end of Karamzin’s ideological quest can be attributed to this time. He became the ideologist of the conservative part of the Russian nobility.” The final formulation of his socio-political program, the objective content of which was the preservation of the autocratic-serf system, falls in the second decade of the 19th century, that is, at the time of the creation of “Notes on Ancient and New Russia.” The revolution in France and the post-revolutionary development of France played a decisive role in the design of Karamzin’s conservative political program. “It seemed to Karamzin that the events in France at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries historically confirmed his theoretical conclusions about the paths of human development. He considered the only acceptable and correct path of gradual evolutionary development, without any revolutionary explosions and within the framework of those social relations, that state structure which is characteristic of a given people." Leaving in force the theory of the contractual origin of power, Karamzin now places its forms in strict dependence on ancient traditions and national character. Moreover, beliefs and customs are elevated to a kind of absolute that determines the historical fate of the people. “The institutions of antiquity,” he wrote in the article “Notable views, hopes, and desires of the present time,” “have a magical power that cannot be replaced by any power of the mind.” Thus, historical tradition was opposed to revolutionary transformations. The socio-political system became directly dependent on it: traditional ancient customs and institutions ultimately determined the political form of the state. This could be seen very clearly in Karamzin’s attitude towards the republic. An ideologist of autocracy, Karamzin, nevertheless, declared his sympathies for the republican system. His letter to P.A. is known. Vyazemsky from 1820, in which he wrote: “I am a republican at heart and will die as such.” Theoretically, Karamzin believed that a republic was a more modern form of government than a monarchy. But it can only exist if a number of conditions are present, and in their absence, the republic loses all meaning and right to exist. Karamzin recognized republics as a human form of organization of society, but made the possibility of the existence of a republic dependent on ancient customs and traditions, as well as on the moral state of society.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin is a famous Russian writer and historian, famous for his reforms of the Russian language. He created the multi-volume “History of the Russian State” and wrote the story “Poor Liza.” Nikolai Karamzin was born near Simbirsk on December 12, 1766. My father was retired at that time. The man belonged to a noble family, which, in turn, came from the ancient Tatar dynasty of the Kara-Murza.

Nikolai Mikhailovich began studying in a private boarding school, but in 1778 his parents sent the boy to the boarding school of Moscow University professor I.M. Shadena. Karamzin had a desire to learn and develop, so for almost 2 years Nikolai Mikhailovich attended lectures by I.G. Schwartz in an educational institution in Moscow. My father wanted Karamzin Jr. to follow in his footsteps. The writer agreed with his parents' will and enlisted in the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment.

Nikolai was not a military man for long, he soon resigned, but he learned something positive from this period of his life - his first literary works appeared. After resignation, he chooses a new place of residence - Simbirsk. Karamzin at this time became a member of the Golden Crown Masonic lodge. Nikolai Mikhailovich did not stay long in Simbirsk - he returned to Moscow. For four years he was a member of the Friendly Scientific Society.

Literature

At the dawn of his literary career, Nikolai Karamzin went to Europe. The writer met with and looked at the Great French Revolution. The result of the trip was “Letters of a Russian Traveler.” This book brought fame to Karamzin. Such works had not yet been written before Nikolai Mikhailovich, so philosophers consider the creator the founder of modern Russian literature.

Returning to Moscow, Karamzin begins an active creative life. He not only writes stories and short stories, but also runs the Moscow Journal. The publication published works by young and famous authors, including Nikolai Mikhailovich himself. During this period of time, “My trifles”, “Aglaya”, “Pantheon of Foreign Literature” and “Aonids” came out from Karamzin’s pen.

Prose and poetry alternated with reviews, analyzes of theatrical productions and critical articles that could be read in the Moscow Journal. The first review, created by Karamzin, appeared in the publication in 1792. The writer shared his impressions of the ironic poem “Virgil’s Aeneid, Turned Inside Out,” written by Nikolai Osipov. During this period, the creator writes the story “Natalya, the Boyar’s Daughter.”

Karamzin achieved success in the art of poetry. The poet used European sentimentalism, which did not fit into the traditional poetry of that time. No odes or odes, with Nikolai Mikhailovich a new stage in the development of the poetic world in Russia began.

Karamzin praised the spiritual world of man, leaving the physical shell without attention. The “language of the heart” was used by the creator. Logical and simple forms, meager rhymes and an almost complete absence of paths - that’s what Nikolai Mikhailovich’s poetry represented.

In 1803, Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin officially became a historian. The emperor signed the corresponding decree. The writer became the first and last historiographer of the country. Nikolai Mikhailovich devoted the second half of his life to the study of history. Karamzin was not interested in government positions.

Nikolai Mikhailovich’s first historical work was “A Note on Ancient and New Russia in its Political and Civil Relations.” Karamzin represented the conservative layers of society and expressed their opinion regarding the emperor’s liberal reforms. The writer tried to prove through his creativity that Russia does not need transformation. This work represents a sketch for a large-scale work.

Only in 1818 Karamzin published his main creation - “The History of the Russian State.” It consisted of 8 volumes. Later, Nikolai Mikhailovich published 3 more books. This work helped bring Karamzin closer to the imperial court, including the tsar.

From now on, the historian lives in Tsarskoye Selo, where the sovereign allocated him separate housing. Gradually, Nikolai Mikhailovich went over to the side of the absolute monarchy. The last, 12th volume of “History of the Russian State” was never completed. The book was published in this form after the writer’s death. Karamzin was not the founder of descriptions of Russian history. According to researchers, Nikolai Mikhailovich was the first to reliably describe the life of the country.

“Everyone, even secular women, rushed to read the history of their fatherland, hitherto unknown to them. She was a new discovery for them. Ancient Russia, it seemed, was found by Karamzin, like America - “, stated.

The popularity of history books is due to the fact that Karamzin acted more as a writer than a historian. He respected the beauty of the language, but did not offer readers personal assessments of the events that happened. In special manuscripts for the volumes, Nikolai Mikhailovich made explanations and left comments.

Karamzin is known in Russia as a writer, poet, historian and critic, but little information remains about Nikolai Mikhailovich’s translation activities. He did not work in this direction for long.

Among the works is a translation of the original tragedy “,” written by. This book, translated into Russian, did not pass censorship, so it was sent to be burned. Karamzin attached prefaces to each work in which he assessed the work. For two years, Nikolai Mikhailovich worked on the translation of the Indian drama “Sakuntala” by Kalidas.

The Russian literary language changed under the influence of Karamzin’s work. The writer deliberately ignored Church Slavonic vocabulary and grammar, giving his works a touch of vitality. Nikolai Mikhailovich took the syntax and grammar of the French language as a basis.

Thanks to Karamzin, Russian literature was replenished with new words, including the appearance of “attraction,” “charity,” “industry,” and “love.” There was also a place for barbarism. For the first time, Nikolai Mikhailovich introduced the letter “e” into the language.

Karamzin as a reformer caused a lot of controversy in the literary community. A.S. Shishkov and Derzhavin created the community “Conversation of Lovers of the Russian Word,” whose participants tried to preserve the “old” language. Community members loved to criticize Nikolai Mikhailovich and other innovators. The rivalry between Karamzin and Shishkov ended with the rapprochement of the two writers. It was Shishkov who contributed to the election of Nikolai Mikhailovich as a member of the Russian and Imperial Academy of Sciences.

Personal life

In 1801, Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin was legally married for the first time. The writer’s wife was Elizaveta Ivanovna Protasova. The young woman was the historian's longtime lover. According to Karamzin, he loved Elizabeth for 13 years. Nikolai Mikhailovich's wife was known as an educated citizen.

She helped her husband when necessary. The only thing that worried Elizaveta Ivanovna was her health. In March 1802, Sofya Nikolaevna Karamzina, the daughter of a writer, was born. Protasova suffered from postpartum fever, which turned out to be fatal. According to researchers, the work “Poor Liza” was dedicated to the first wife of Nikolai Mikhailovich. Daughter Sophia served as a maid of honor, was friends with Pushkin and.

Being a widower, Karamzin met Ekaterina Andreevna Kolyvanova. The girl was considered the illegitimate daughter of Prince Vyazemsky. This marriage produced 9 children. Three descendants died at a young age, including two daughters of Natalya and son Andrei. At the age of 16, the heir Nikolai died. In 1806, there was an addition to the Karamzin family - Ekaterina was born. At the age of 22, the girl married retired lieutenant colonel Prince Pyotr Meshchersky. The couple's son Vladimir became a publicist.

In 1814 Andrei was born. The young man studied at the University of Dorpat, but then went abroad due to health problems. Andrei Nikolaevich resigned. He married Aurora Karlovna Demidova, but the marriage did not produce children. However, Karamzin’s son had illegitimate heirs.

After 5 years, there was another addition to the Karamzin family. Son Vladimir became the pride of his father. A witty, resourceful careerist - this is how the heir to Nikolai Mikhailovich was described. He was witty, resourceful, and achieved serious heights in his career. Vladimir worked in consultation with the Minister of Justice, as a senator. Owned the Ivnya estate. His wife was Alexandra Ilyinichna Duka, the daughter of a famous general.

The maid of honor was the daughter Elizabeth. The woman even received a pension for her relationship with Karamzin. After her mother died, Elizabeth moved in with her older sister Sofia, who at that time lived in the house of Princess Ekaterina Meshcherskaya.

The fate of the maid of honor was not easy, but the girl was known as a good-natured, sympathetic, intelligent person. He even considered Elizabeth “an example of selflessness.” In those years, photographs were rare, so portraits of family members were painted by special artists.

Death

The news of the death of Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin spread across Russia on May 22, 1826. The tragedy occurred in St. Petersburg. The official biography of the writer says that the cause of death was a cold.

The historian fell ill after visiting Senate Square on December 14, 1825. The funeral of Nikolai Karamzin took place at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Bibliography

• 1791-1792 – “Letters of a Russian traveler”
• 1792 – “Poor Liza”
• 1792 – “Natalia, boyar’s daughter”
• 1792 – “The Beautiful Princess and the Happy Karla”
• 1793 – “Sierra Morena”
• 1793 – “Island of Bornholm”
• 1796 – “Julia”
• 1802 – “Martha the Posadnitsa, or the Conquest of Novagorod”
• 1802 – “My Confession”
• 1803 – “Sensitive and cold”
• 1803 – “Knight of our time”
• 1816-1829 – “History of the Russian State”
• 1826 – “On Friendship”

Karamzin, Nikolai Mikhailovich, famous Russian writer, journalist and historian. Born on December 1, 1766 in Simbirsk province; grew up in the village of his father, a Simbirsk landowner. The first spiritual food of the 8-9 year old boy was ancient novels,... ... Biographical Dictionary

Karamzin Nikolai Mikhailovich. Karamzin Nikolai Mikhailovich (1766 1826) Russian historian, writer. Aphorisms, quotes Karamzin Nikolai Mikhailovich. Biography Like the fruit of a tree, life is sweetest just before it begins to fade. For… … Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms

Karamzin Nikolai Mikhailovich - .… … Dictionary of the Russian language of the 18th century

Russian writer, publicist and historian. The son of a landowner in the Simbirsk province. He received his education at home, then in Moscow - in a private boarding school (until... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

- (1766 1826), Russian. writer, critic, historian. In L.'s early work, a certain influence of sentimentalists is noticeable, incl. and K. The most interesting material for comparison with production. L. contain “secular” stories by K. (“Julia”, “Sensitive and ... ... Lermontov Encyclopedia

- (1766 1826) Russian historian, writer, honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1818). Creator of the History of the Russian State (vol. 1 12, 1816 29), one of the significant works in Russian historiography. The founder of Russian sentimentalism (... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

The request "Karamzin" is redirected here. See also other meanings. Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin Date of birth: December 1 (12), 1766 Place of birth: Mikhailovka, Russian Empire Date of death: May 22 (June 3), 1826 ... Wikipedia

Historiographer, b. December 1, 1766, d. May 22, 1826 He belonged to a noble family, descended from the Tatar Murza, named Kara Murza. His father, a Simbirsk landowner, Mikhail Egorovich, served in Orenburg under I. I. Neplyuev and ... Large biographical encyclopedia

- (1766 1826), historian, writer, critic; honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1818). Creator of the “History of the Russian State” (volumes 1 12, 1816 1829), one of the significant works in Russian historiography. The founder of Russian sentimentalism... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary

Karamzin, Nikolai Mikhailovich- N.M. Karamzin. Portrait by A.G. Venetsianova. KARAMZIN Nikolai Mikhailovich (1766 1826), Russian writer, historian. The founder of Russian sentimentalism (Letters of a Russian Traveler, 1791 95; Poor Liza, 1792, etc.). Editor... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin is a great Russian writer, the largest writer of the era of sentimentalism. He wrote fiction, poetry, plays, and articles. Reformer of the Russian literary language. Creator of the “History of the Russian State” - one of the first fundamental works on the history of Russia.

“I loved to be sad, not knowing what...”

Karamzin was born on December 1 (12), 1766 in the village of Mikhailovka, Buzuluk district, Simbirsk province. He grew up in the village of his father, a hereditary nobleman. It is interesting that the Karamzin family has Turkic roots and comes from the Tatar Kara-Murza (aristocratic class).

Little is known about the writer’s childhood. At the age of 12, he was sent to Moscow to the boarding school of Moscow University professor Johann Schaden, where the young man received his first education and studied German and French. Three years later, he begins to attend lectures by the famous professor of aesthetics, educator Ivan Schwartz at Moscow University.

In 1783, at the insistence of his father, Karamzin enlisted in the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment, but soon retired and left for his native Simbirsk. An important event for young Karamzin takes place in Simbirsk - he joins the Masonic lodge of the “Golden Crown”. This decision will play its role a little later, when Karamzin returns to Moscow and meets with an old acquaintance of their home - freemason Ivan Turgenev, as well as writers and writers Nikolai Novikov, Alexei Kutuzov, Alexander Petrov. At the same time, Karamzin’s first attempts in literature began - he participated in the publication of the first Russian magazine for children - “Children’s Reading for the Heart and Mind.” The four years he spent in the society of Moscow Freemasons had a serious influence on his creative development. At this time, Karamzin read a lot of the then popular Rousseau, Stern, Herder, Shakespeare, and tried to translate.

“In Novikov’s circle, Karamzin’s education began, not only as an author, but also as a moral one.”

Writer I.I. Dmitriev

Man of pen and thought

In 1789, a break with the Freemasons followed, and Karamzin went to travel around Europe. He traveled around Germany, Switzerland, France and England, stopping mainly in large cities, centers of European education. Karamzin visits Immanuel Kant in Königsberg and witnesses the Great French Revolution in Paris.

It was based on the results of this trip that he wrote the famous “Letters of a Russian Traveler.” These essays in the genre of documentary prose quickly gained popularity among readers and made Karamzin a famous and fashionable writer. At the same time, in Moscow, from the pen of the writer, the story “Poor Liza” was born - a recognized example of Russian sentimental literature. Many specialists in literary criticism believe that it is with these first books that modern Russian literature begins.

“In the initial period of his literary activity, Karamzin was characterized by a broad and politically rather vague “cultural optimism,” a belief in the salutary influence of cultural success on individuals and society. Karamzin hoped for the progress of science and the peaceful improvement of morals. He believed in the painless realization of the ideals of brotherhood and humanity that permeated eighteenth-century literature as a whole.”

Yu.M. Lotman

In contrast to classicism with its cult of reason, following in the footsteps of French writers, Karamzin affirms in Russian literature the cult of feelings, sensitivity, and compassion. New “sentimental” heroes are important primarily in their ability to love and surrender to feelings. "Oh! I love those objects that touch my heart and make me shed tears of tender sorrow!”(“Poor Lisa”).

“Poor Liza” is devoid of morality, didacticism, and edification; the author does not teach, but tries to evoke empathy for the characters in the reader, which distinguishes the story from previous traditions of classicism.

“Poor Liza” was received by the Russian public with such enthusiasm because in this work Karamzin was the first to express the “new word” that Goethe said to the Germans in his “Werther.”

Philologist, literary critic V.V. Sipovsky

Nikolai Karamzin at the “Millennium of Russia” monument in Veliky Novgorod. Sculptors Mikhail Mikeshin, Ivan Schroeder. Architect Victor Hartman. 1862

Giovanni Battista Damon-Ortolani. Portrait of N.M. Karamzin. 1805. Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin

Monument to Nikolai Karamzin in Ulyanovsk. Sculptor Samuil Galberg. 1845

At the same time, the reform of the literary language began - Karamzin abandoned the Old Slavonicisms that populated the written language, Lomonosov’s pomposity, and the use of Church Slavonic vocabulary and grammar. This made "Poor Liza" an easy and enjoyable story to read. It was Karamzin’s sentimentalism that became the foundation for the development of further Russian literature: the romanticism of Zhukovsky and early Pushkin was based on it.

“Karamzin made literature humane.”

A.I. Herzen

One of Karamzin’s most important achievements is the enrichment of the literary language with new words: “charity”, “falling in love”, “freethinking”, “attraction”, “responsibility”, “suspiciousness”, “refinement”, “first-class”, “humane”, “sidewalk” ", "coachman", "impression" and "influence", "touching" and "entertaining". It was he who introduced into use the words “industry”, “concentrate”, “moral”, “aesthetic”, “era”, “scene”, “harmony”, “catastrophe”, “future” and others.

“A professional writer, one of the first in Russia who had the courage to make literary work a source of livelihood, who valued the independence of his own opinion above all else.”

Yu.M. Lotman

In 1791, Karamzin began his career as a journalist. This becomes an important milestone in the history of Russian literature - Karamzin founded the first Russian literary magazine, the founding father of the current “thick” magazines - “Moscow Journal”. A number of collections and almanacs appear on its pages: “Aglaya”, “Aonids”, “Pantheon of Foreign Literature”, “My Trinkets”. These publications made sentimentalism the main literary movement in Russia at the end of the 19th century, and Karamzin its recognized leader.

But Karamzin’s deep disappointment in his old values ​​soon follows. A year after Novikov’s arrest, the magazine was closed, after Karamzin’s bold ode “To Grace”, Karamzin himself lost the favor of the “powerful of the world”, almost falling under investigation.

“As long as a citizen can calmly, without fear, fall asleep, and all your subjects can freely direct their lives according to their thoughts; ...as long as you give everyone freedom and do not darken the light in their minds; as long as your trust in the people is visible in all your affairs: until then you will be sacredly honored... nothing can disturb the peace of your state.”

N.M. Karamzin. "To Grace"

Karamzin spent most of 1793–1795 in the village and published collections: “Aglaya”, “Aonids” (1796). He plans to publish something like an anthology on foreign literature, “The Pantheon of Foreign Literature,” but with great difficulty he makes his way through the censorship prohibitions, which did not allow even the publication of Demosthenes and Cicero...

Karamzin expresses his disappointment in the French Revolution in poetry:

But time and experience destroy
Castle in the air of youth...
...And I see clearly that with Plato
We cannot establish republics...

During these years, Karamzin increasingly moved from lyrics and prose to journalism and the development of philosophical ideas. Even the “Historical eulogy to Empress Catherine II,” compiled by Karamzin upon the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander I, is primarily journalism. In 1801-1802, Karamzin worked in the journal “Bulletin of Europe”, where he wrote mainly articles. In practice, his passion for education and philosophy is expressed in writing works on historical topics, increasingly creating the authority of a historian for the famous writer.

The first and last historiographer

By decree of October 31, 1803, Emperor Alexander I granted Nikolai Karamzin the title of historiographer. It is interesting that the title of historiographer in Russia was not renewed after Karamzin’s death.

From this moment on, Karamzin stopped all literary work and for 22 years was exclusively engaged in compiling a historical work, familiar to us as “History of the Russian State”.

Alexey Venetsianov. Portrait of N.M. Karamzin. 1828. Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin

Karamzin sets himself the task of compiling a history for the general educated public, not to be a researcher, but “choose, animate, color” All "attractive, strong, worthy" from Russian history. An important point is that the work must also be designed for foreign readers in order to open Russia to Europe.

In his work, Karamzin used materials from the Moscow College of Foreign Affairs (especially spiritual and contractual letters of princes, and acts of diplomatic relations), the Synodal Repository, the libraries of the Volokolamsk Monastery and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, private collections of manuscripts of Musin-Pushkin, Rumyantsev and A.I. Turgenev, who compiled a collection of documents from the papal archive, as well as many other sources. An important part of the work was the study of ancient chronicles. In particular, Karamzin discovered a chronicle previously unknown to science, called the Ipatiev Chronicle.

During the years of work on “History...” Karamzin mainly lived in Moscow, from where he traveled only to Tver and Nizhny Novgorod, during the occupation of Moscow by the French in 1812. He usually spent the summer in Ostafyevo, the estate of Prince Andrei Ivanovich Vyazemsky. In 1804, Karamzin married the prince’s daughter, Ekaterina Andreevna, who bore the writer nine children. She became the writer's second wife. The writer first married at the age of 35, in 1801, to Elizaveta Ivanovna Protasova, who died a year after the wedding from puerperal fever. From his first marriage, Karamzin had a daughter, Sophia, a future acquaintance of Pushkin and Lermontov.

The main social event in the writer’s life during these years was the “Note on Ancient and New Russia in its Political and Civil Relations,” written in 1811. The “Note...” reflected the views of conservative sections of society dissatisfied with the liberal reforms of the emperor. “The note...” was handed over to the emperor. In it, once a liberal and a “Westernizer,” as they would say now, Karamzin appears in the role of a conservative and tries to prove that there is no need to carry out any fundamental changes in the country.

And in February 1818, Karamzin released the first eight volumes of his “History of the Russian State.” A circulation of 3,000 copies (huge for that time) was sold out within a month.

A.S. Pushkin

“The History of the Russian State” became the first work aimed at the widest reader, thanks to the high literary merits and scientific scrupulousness of the author. Researchers agree that this work was one of the first to contribute to the formation of national identity in Russia. The book has been translated into several European languages.

Despite his enormous work over many years, Karamzin did not have time to finish writing “History...” before his time - the beginning of the 19th century. After the first edition, three more volumes of “History...” were released. The last was the 12th volume, describing the events of the Time of Troubles in the chapter “Interregnum 1611–1612”. The book was published after Karamzin’s death.

Karamzin was entirely a man of his era. The establishment of monarchist views in him towards the end of his life brought the writer closer to the family of Alexander I; he spent his last years next to them, living in Tsarskoe Selo. The death of Alexander I in November 1825 and the subsequent events of the uprising on Senate Square were a real blow for the writer. Nikolai Karamzin died on May 22 (June 3), 1826 in St. Petersburg, he was buried at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.