Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin is a famous Russian writer, a representative of sentimentalism, an outstanding historian and thinker, an educator. His main merit is to his native Fatherland, the peak life path, is a 12-volume work "History of the Russian State". Perhaps the only one of the Russian historians, treated kindly by the highest royal mercy, who had the official status of a historiographer, created especially for him.
Biography of Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin (12/1/1776 - 5/22/1826) briefly
Nikolai Karamzin was born on December 1, 1766 in the family estate of Znamenskoye, not far from Simbirsk in a rich noble family. Elementary education, highly versatile, received at home. At the age of 13, he was sent to the private boarding school Shaden in Moscow. In 1782, his father, a retired officer, insisted that his son try his hand at military service, so Nikolai ended up in the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment for two years. Realizing that he was not at all interested in a military career, he retired. Not feeling the need to engage in an unloved business in order to obtain 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 closely converged with a circle of Masons, was friends with the publisher and educator Novikov. Passionate about studying the most different directions in philosophy and for a more complete acquaintance with the French and German Enlightenment travels to Western Europe. His journey coincided in time with the French Revolution, Karamzin even witnesses these events and, at first, perceives them with great enthusiasm.
Returning to Russia, he publishes Letters from a Russian Traveler. This work is a reflection thinking person about destinies European culture. The medieval dogma about a person as a subject to someone's supreme mind has been overthrown from its pedestal. It is replaced by the thesis of individual 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 Lisa”, in which he develops the theory of personal equality, regardless of social status. In addition to the literary merits of the story, it is valuable for Russian literature because it was written and published in Russian.
The beginning of the reign of the emperor coincided with the beginning of the publication by Karamzin of the journal “Bulletin of Europe”, the motto of which was “Russia is Europe”. The materials published in the journal impressed the views of Alexander I, so he reacted favorably to Karamzin's desire to write a history of Russia. Not only did he give permission, but by personal decree he appointed Karamzin a historiographer with a decent pension of 2,000 rubles, so that he could work with all his 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 grant an audience and be sure to report the slightest difficulty, if any.
The first 8 volumes of the "History" were published in 1818 and were sold out in just a month. called the event "quite exceptional." Interest in the historical work of Karamzin was enormous, and although he managed to describe historical events from the first mention of Slavic tribes only until the Time of Troubles, which amounted to 12 volumes, the meaning of this historical work cannot be overestimated. This grandiose work was 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 that he received after spending the whole day on Senate Square in St. Petersburg during. This happened on May 22, 1826.
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Biography, life story of Karamzin Nikolai Mikhailovich
Karamzin Nikolai Mikhailovich - Russian writer, historian, translator.Childhood and youth
Nikolai Karamzin was born on December 12 (1 according to the old style) of December 1766 in the Znamenskoye estate (Mikhailovka village, Simbirsk province, Russian empire). Some historians claim that in fact Karamzin was born in the Orenburg province, but the first version is considered official.
Until 1778, Nikolai studied at home, then he was sent to the boarding school of Moscow University professor Johann Matthias Schaden. At the same time, during the year (from 1781 to 1782), Nikolai attended lectures by the famous educator Ivan Grigorievich Schwartz at the University. Karamzin studied with great pleasure foreign languages, philosophy, history and literature.
Nikolai's father Mikhail Yegorovich Karamzin was a retired captain. It was he who insisted that his son, after completing his studies, enter the service in the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment of St. Petersburg. Nikolai Karamzin did not want to contradict the will of his father and carried out his decree. However, he did not stay in the regiment for long - very soon Nikolai retired.
Creative activity
For the first time Karamzin tried his hand at literature during military service. Even then he began to take notes (exclusively for himself), even then he felt that writer's work he is much more pleasant than the military. After Karamzin left the service, he lived for some time in Simbirsk, then moved to Moscow. In Simbirsk, Nikolai Mikhailovich was a member Masonic Lodge"Golden Crown". Arriving in Moscow, he joined the "Friendly Scientific Society", engaged in charitable and educational activities, and remained a member of this Masonic assembly for four whole years - from 1785 to 1789. During this time he met many famous writers, communication with which greatly influenced further fate writer. Around the same time, Karamzin began to create the first Russian children's magazine « Children's reading for the heart and mind."
CONTINUED BELOW
In 1787, Nikolai Mikhailovich published his version of the translation of the tragedy "" the great. A little later, the book was included in the banned list. This was Karamzin's first experience as a translator. The second time he got carried away foreign literature in the early 1790s, he translated the drama "Sakuntala" by the Indian playwright Kalidas.
From 1789 to 1790, Nikolai Karamzin was on a trip across the expanses of Europe. Thanks to this trip, Karamzin was able to significantly expand his horizons - he met Immanuel Kant, saw the French Revolution with his own eyes ... The result of the trip was the collection Letters of a Russian Traveler, after the publication of which they started talking about Karamzin. Fame came to the writer, readers and associates fell in love with him. By the way, it was thanks to the "Letters of a Russian Traveler", which over time began to be considered the first book of modern domestic literature, Karamzin and is considered one of the most important Russian writers.
Returning to Moscow, Karamzin continued to write - in 1792 the story "Poor Liza" was published, which became the starting point for the emergence of sentimentalism in Russia. Sentimentalism later becomes mainstream literary movement in Russia, and Nikolai Karamzin is the generally recognized leader of this direction, the creator and distributor of this genre.
Nikolai Karamzin wrote both prose and poetry, and was the editor of many well-known magazines. Any business that the writer undertook, turned out easily, naturally. Nikolai Mikhailovich carried out a real reform in the Russian language - it was he who eliminated from prose the usual and already rather boring church vocabulary, heavy and difficult to perceive. Karamzin, inspired French, did contemporary literature lighter, airy, gentle, pleasant to the ear. In addition, the writer introduced many neologisms into use, such as “love”, “freethinking”, “human” and so on. Karamzin is also one of the first who began to use the letter "e" in writing.
In 1803, by decree, Karamzin became a historiographer and began to create the History of the Russian State. Nikolai Mikhailovich worked on this work until the end of his days, simultaneously creating other masterpieces.
A family
Nikolai Karamzin was married twice. In April 1801, he married Elizaveta Protasova, an educated girl of a noble family. A year later, Elizabeth gave birth to her husband's daughter Sophia. Alas, the woman's health turned out to be very weak - she died a month after giving birth.
In January 1804 Karamzin found himself new spouse. She became Ekaterina Kolyvanova, illegitimate daughter Prince Vyazemsky. Nine children were born in the marriage of Nikolai and Ekaterina - daughters Natalya (1804-1810), Ekaterina (1806-1867), also Natalya (1812-1815), Elizabeth (1821-1891) and sons Andrey ( 1807-1813), again Andrei (1814-1854), Alexander (1815-1888), Nikolai (1817-1833), Vladimir (1819-1879).
last years of life
In early 1818, the first eight volumes of The History of the Russian State were published. In the next few years, three more volumes were released, the writer continued to work on another part. All this time, Karamzin lived in Tsarskoye Selo, often communicated with
short biography outlined in this article.
Nikolai Karamzin short biography
Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin- historian, the largest Russian writer of the era of sentimentalism. Creator of the "History of the Russian State"
Was born December 12 (December 1 O.S.) 1766 in the estate, located in the Simbirsk district in a noble family. First received home education, after which he continued to study first at the Simbirsk noble boarding school, then from 1778 - at the boarding school of Professor Shaden (Moscow). During 1781-1782. Karamzin attended university lectures.
Since 1781, at the insistence of his father, he served in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, where he began to write. In 1784, after the death of his father, having retired with the rank of lieutenant, he finally left military service. Living in Simbirsk, he joined the Masonic lodge.
From 1785 he moved to Moscow, where he met N.I. Novikov and other writers, joins the "Friendly Scientific Society", takes part in the publication of the magazine "Children's Reading for the Heart and Mind", which became the first Russian magazine for children.
During the year (1789-1790) Karamzin traveled around Europe, where he met not only with prominent figures of the Masonic movement, but also with great thinkers, in particular, with Kant, I.G. Herder, J. F. Marmontel. The impressions from the trips formed the basis of the future famous Letters of a Russian Traveler, which brought fame to the author.
The story "Poor Liza" (1792) strengthened the literary authority of Karamzin. Subsequently published collections and almanacs "Aglaya", "Aonides", "My trinkets", "Pantheon of Foreign Literature" opened the era of sentimentalism in Russian literature.
A new period in the life of Karamzin is associated with the accession to the throne of Alexander I. In October 1803, the emperor appoints the writer as an official historiographer, and Karamzin is tasked with capturing history Russian state. His genuine interest in history, the priority of this topic over all others was evidenced by the nature of the publications of Vestnik Evropy (this country's first socio-political, literary and artistic magazine Karamzin published in 1802-1803).
In 1804, literary and artistic work was completely curtailed, and the writer began to work on The History of the Russian State (1816-1824), which became the main work in his life and a whole phenomenon in Russian history and literature. The first eight volumes were published in February 1818. Three thousand copies were sold within a month. The next three volumes, published in the following years, were quickly translated into several European languages, and the 12th, final, volume saw the light after the death of the author.
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 in 1783, he came to Preobrazhensky Regiment Petersburg, where he met a 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 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 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), 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 is 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.
Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin was born in 1766 in Simbirsk (on the middle Volga) into a family of provincial noblemen. He received a good secondary education in private school German - professor at Moscow University. After school, he almost became a dissolute nobleman looking for some entertainment, but then he met I.P. Turgenev, a prominent freemason, who led him away from the path of vice and introduced him to Novikov. These Masonic influences played leading role in the design of Karamzin's worldview. Their vaguely religious, sentimental, cosmopolitan ideas paved the way for the understanding of Rousseau and Herder. Karamzin began to write for Novikov's magazines. His first work was a translation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar(1787). He also translated Seasons Thomson.
In 1789 Karamzin went abroad and spent there, wandering around Germany, Switzerland, France and England, for about a year and a half. Returning to Moscow, he began to publish a monthly Moscow magazine(1791-1792), from which the new movement begins. Most of the materials placed in it belonged to the pen of the publisher himself.
Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin. Portrait by Tropinin
His main work, published there, were Letters from a Russian traveler(see summary and analysis), taken almost as a revelation by the public: a new, enlightened, cosmopolitan sensibility appeared to their eyes and delightfully new style(see article Karamzin as a reformer of the Russian literary language). Karamzin became the leader and the most prominent literary figure of his generation.
