Karamzin Nikolai Mikhailovich Historian. Karamzin Nikolai Mikhailovich

Russian writer, founder of Russian sentimentalism. The creator of the "Story of the Russian State" (1803 - 1826), the first review work, which opened the history of the general public.

The first eight volumes of "History", which became the main scientific and cultural feat of N. M. Karamzin, saw the light in 1818. In 1821, the 9th Tom dedicated to the reign of Ivan IV of Grozny, in 1824 - the 10th and 11th, O Fedor I Ivanovich and Boris Godunov. The death of N. M. Karamzin on May 22 (June 3), 1826 in converged his work over the 12th Tom of "History", which was published only in 1829.

The literary activity of N. M. Karamzina played a big role in the development of Russian literature of the personality problem, in improving artistic means of the image of the inner world of a person, in the development of the Russian literary language. His early prose had a significant impact on creativity, K. N. Batyushkova, young. "The history of the Russian state" has become not only significant historical labor, but also a large phenomenon of Russian art prose, served as the main source for Pushkin "Boris Godunova" and Russian historical drama of the 1830s.

Karamzin Nikolai Mikhailovich is a famous Russian historian, as well as a writer. At the same time, he was engaged in the publisher, the reformity of the Russian language and was the brightest representative of the Epoch of Sentimentalism.

Since the writer was born in the noble family, he received an excellent primary home education. Later he entered the noble board, where he continued his own training. Also in the period from 1781 to 1782, Nikolai Mikhailovich attended important university lectures.

In 1781, Karamzin went to serve in the St. Petersburg Guards Regiment, where his work began. After the death of his own father, the writer put an end to military service.

Since 1785, Karamzin closely begins to develop its creative abilities. He moves to Moscow, where he enters the "friendly scientist community." After this significant event, Karamzin participates in the issue of the magazine, and also cooperates with various publishers.

For several years, the writer traveled by Europe, where he got acquainted with various outstanding people. This is exactly what has served the further development of his work. Such a work was written as "Letters of the Russian Traveler."

More details

The future historian named Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin was born in the city of Simbirsk, December 12, 1766 in the family of hereditary nobles. His the very first initial foundations of education, Nikolai received at home. After receiving primary education, the father gave to the noble pansyon, which was in Sixbmsk. And in 1778, he transported the Son to the Moscow Pension. In addition to basic education, young Karamzin was also very fond of foreign languages \u200b\u200band at the same time visited lectures.

After graduating from his formation, in 1781, Nikolai, on the advice of his father, went to military service, in an elite time, Transfiguration regiment. Karamzin's debut, as a writer took place in 1783, with a work called "Wooden Leg". In 1784, Karamzin decided to finish his military career and therefore resigned, calling the lieutenant.

In 1785 after the end of his military career, Karamzin takes a volitional decision to move from Simbrmrsk, in which he was born and lived almost all his life, to Moscow. It was there that the writer met Novikov and Plescheyev. Also, while in Moscow, he was carried away by Freemasonry and for this reason he joined the Masonic circle, there he turns communication with Gamaley and Kutuzov. In addition to his passion, he is also engaged in the edition of his first children's magazine.

In addition to writing their own work, Karamzin is also engaged in translations of various works. So in 1787, he translates the tragedy of Shakespeare - "Julius Caesar". After a year, he translates "Emilia Galotti" written by lesing. The first work of the whole and fully written by Karamzin was published in 1789 and it was called "Eugene and Julia", it was published in a magazine called "Children's reading"

In 1789-1790, Karamzin decides to diversify his life and therefore goes on a trip throughout Europe. The writer visited such major countries as Germany, England, France, Switzerland. During his trip, Karamzin was called with many famous historical Persons of that time, for example Gerder and Bonn. He was even able to press the speeches of the Robespierre himself. During the trip, he was not easy to admire the beauty of Europe, but he also thoughtfully described it, after which he called this work "Letters of the Russian Traveler".

Detailed biography

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin is the greatest Russian writer and historian, the founder of sentimentalism.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin was born on December 12, 1766 in the Symbirian province. His father was an offacarious nobleman and possessed his own estate. Like most representatives of the highest society, Nikolai received a home education. In adolescence, he leaves the native home and enters Moscow University of Johann Shaden. He makes progress in learning foreign languages. In parallel with the main program, the guy visits lectures of famous enlighteners and philosophers. It also begins his literary activities.

In 1783, Karamzin becomes a soldier of the Preobrazhensky regiment, where he serves until the death of his father. After notice of his death, the future writer goes to his homeland, where it remains to live. There he meets the poet Ivan Turgenev, consisting in the Masonic bed. It was Ivan Sergeevich that Nikolay suggests this organization. After joining the ranks of Masons, the young poet is fond of Literature Rousseau and Shakespeare. His worldview gradually begins to change. As a result, passionate about the European culture, he breaks all ties with false and goes on a journey. Visiting the leading countries of that period, Karamzin is becoming a revolution in France and acquires new acquaintances, the most famous of which was a popular philosopher of that time was Immanuel Kant.

The above events were very inspired by Nicholas. Being under the impression, he creates a documentary prose "Letters of the Russian Traveler", where his feelings and attitude towards everything that happens in the West is fully set out. Readers liked the sentimental style. Noticing this, Nikolai begins work on the reference work of this genre, known as "poor Lisa". Thoughts and experiences of different heroes are revealed in it. This work was positively perceived in society, it actually displaced classicism on the bottom plan.

In 1791, Karamzin is engaged in journalism, working in the Moscow magazine newspaper. In it, he publishes his own almanaci and other works. In addition, the poet works on the reviews of theatrical productions. Up until 1802, Nikolai is engaged in journalism. During this period, Nikolai gets closer to the royal court, actively communicates with the emperor Alexander 1st, they were often noticed for walking in gardens and parks, the publicist deserves the confidence of the ruler, actually becomes approximated. A year later, he changes his vector on historical notes. The idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a book telling about the history of Russia has covered the writer. Having received the title of historic, he writes his most valuable creation "The history of the Russian state". 12 volumes were released, the last of which was completed by 1826 in the royal village. Here Nikolai Mikhailovich and spent his last years of life, dies on May 22, 1826 due to a cold.

December 12 (December 1, by Art. Style) 1766 Born Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin - Russian Writer, Poet, Editor of the Moscow Journal (1791-1792) and Journal of European Journal (1802-1803), Honorary Member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences ( 1818), a valid member of the Imperial Russian Academy, a historian, the first and only courtist, one of the first reformers of the Russian literary language, the founder of domestic historiography and Russian sentimentalism.

Contribution N.M. Karamzin in Russian culture is difficult to overestimate. Recalling everything that this person managed to make this man for a brief 59 years of his earthly existence, it is impossible to pass by the fact that it was Karamzin who largely identified the face of the Russian XIX century - the "golden" century of Russian poetry, literature, historiography, sources and other humanitarian directions of scientific knowledge. Thanks to linguistic search, directed to the popularization of the literary language of poetry and prose, Karamzin presented Russian literature to its contemporaries. And if Pushkin is "our all", then Karamzin can safely be called "our all" with the largest letter. Without it, Vyazemsky, Pushkin, Baratinsky, Batyushkov and other poets of the so-called "Pushkin Pleiads" would hardly be possible.

"To anything, neither contact our literature - everything is marked by Karamzin: journalism, criticism, stories, novel, the story of historical, publicism, study of history," - rightly noticed by V.G. Belinsky.

"The history of the state of the Russian" N.M. Karamzin became not just the first Russian-speaking book on the history of Russia available to a wide reader. Karamzin presented the Fatherland to Russian people in the full sense of the word. They say that, having shuting the eighth, the last Tom, Count Fedor Tolstoy on Nickname America exclaimed: "It turns out that I have a fatherland!" And he was not alone. All his contemporaries suddenly learned that they live in a country with a thousand-year history and they have something to be proud of. Prior to this, it was believed that to Peter I, who drove the "window to Europe", there was nothing at least any worthy of attention: the dark centuries of backwardness and barbarism, boyars selfhood, original Russian laziness and bears on the streets ...

Multi-volume work of Karamzin was not completed, but, going into the world in the first quarter of the XIX century, he fully determined the historical self-awareness of the nation for many years ahead. All subsequent historiography has not been able to give birth to anything more responsible under the influence of Karamzin "imperial" self-consciousness. Karamzin's views left a deep, indelible trail in all areas of Russian culture of the XIX-XX centuries, forming the foundations of national mentality, which, ultimately, determined the ways of development of Russian society and the state as a whole.

It is significant that in the 20th century, the building of the Russian Greatness of the revolutionary internationalists, the building of the Russian Greatness was reborn by the 1930s, under other slogans, with other leaders, in another ideological packaging. But ... The approach to the historiography of domestic history itself, both before 1917, and after, in many ways it remained in Karamzinski, Patriotic and Sentimental.

N.M. Karamzin - Early years

N.M. Karamzin was born on December 12 (1 Art.) 1766 in the village of Mikhaylovka Buzuluk district of the Kazan province (according to other sources - in the generic estate of the Znamensky Symbirsk County of the Kazan province). There is little about his early years: there are no letters left, nor diaries, no memories of Karamzin himself about their childhood. He even did not even know his year of birth and considered almost all his life that he was born in 1765. Only for old age, finding documents, "grinding" for one year.

The future historiogram grew up in the Father's estate - the retired captain Mikhail Egorovich Karamzin (1724-1783), a medium-rate symbirsk nobleman. Got a good home education. In 1778, he was sent to Moscow to the House of Professor Moscow University I.M. Shaden. Simultaneously visited in 1781-1782 lectures at the university.

After graduating from the boarding room, in 1783 Karamzin entered the service at the Transfiguration Regiment in St. Petersburg, where he met the young poet and the future employee of his "Moscow magazine" Dmitriev. At the same time published his first translation of Idylliya S. Geesner "Wooden Noga".

In 1784, Karamzin resigned by the guarantion and never served, which was perceived in the then society as a challenge. After a short stay in Simbirsk, where he joined the Masonic Life of the Golden Crown, Karamzin moved to Moscow and was introduced into the circle of N. I. Novikov. He settled in the house owned by the Novikovsky "friendly scientist", became the author and one of the publishers of the first children's magazine "Children's reading for the heart and mind" (1787-1789), founded by Novikov. At the same time, Karamzin became close to the sepheyev family. With N. I. Plescheyeva, his long years associated gentle Platonic friendship. In Moscow, Karamzin publishes its first translations, in which the interest in European and Russian history is clearly visible: "Seasons" Thomson, "Rustic Evening" Zhanlis, the tragedy of W. Shakespeare "Julius Caesar", the tragedy of Lesseing Emilia Galotti.

In 1789, the first original story of Karamzine "Eugene and Julia" appeared in the magazine "Children's reading ...". The reader practically did not notice her.

Travel to Europe

According to many biographers, Karamzin was not located to the mystical side of Freemasonry, remaining a supporter of his activity-enlightenment direction. If you say more precisely, by the end of the 1780s, the Masonic mysticism in its Russian version Karamzin has already been "silent." Perhaps cooling to Masonry was one of the reasons for his departure to Europe, in which he spent more than a year (1789-90), visiting Germany, Switzerland, France and England. In Europe, he met and talked (except influential Masons) with European Umov's "rulers": I. Kant, I. G. G. Gerder, S. Bonn, I. K. Lafater, J. F. Marmontel, visited museums, theaters, secular Salons. In Paris, Karamzin listened to the National Assembly of O. Mr. Mirabo, M. Robespierre and other revolutionaries, saw many outstanding political figures and was familiar with many. Apparently, the revolutionary Paris of 1789 showed Karamzin, how much the word can affect the person: printed when Parisians with a living interest read pamphlets and leaflets; Oral when revolutionary speakers were opposed and controversial (the experience that could not be purchased at the time of Russia).

About the English parliamentarism Karamzin was not too enthusiastic opinion (perhaps, going in the footsteps of Rousseau), but very highly put the level of civilization on which the English society was in general.

Karamzin - journalist, publisher

In the fall of 1790, Karamzin returned to Moscow and soon organized the publication of the monthly "Moscow magazine" (1790-1792), in which most of the "letters of the Russian traveler" was printed, telling about the revolutionary events in France, the story "Liodor", "poor Liza" , "Natalia, Boyarskaya Daughter", "Floor Silin", essays, stories, critical articles and poems. To cooperate in the magazine Karamzin attracted the entire literary elite of that time: his friends Dmitriev and Petrova, Heraskova and Derzhavin, Lviv, Nelozzin, and others. Articles of Karamzin argued a new literary direction - sentimentalism.

The Moscow Journal has only 210 permanent subscribers, but for the end of the XVIII century it is like a hundred thousandth circulation at the end of the XIX century. Moreover, the magazine read by those who "did the weather" in the literary life of the country: students, officials, young officers, minor employees of various state institutions ("Archive young men").

After the arrest of Novikov, the authorities were seriously interested in the publisher of the Moscow Journal. In the interrogations in the secret expedition, they ask: not the "special taste" with the "special task", "Russian traveler" abroad? Novikovs were high decency people and, of course, Karamzin was burned, but because of these suspicions the magazine had to stop.

In 1790, Karamzin published the first Russian almanacies - "Aglaya" (1794 -1795) and "Aonids" (1796 -1799). In 1793, when the Jacobin dictatorship was installed at the third stage of the French revolution, which shook Karamzin his cruelty, Nikolai Mikhailovich refused some of his former looks. The dictatorship opened in him serious doubts about the possibility of humanity to achieve prosperity. He sharply condemned the revolution and all violent ways to transform society. The philosophy of despair and fatalism permeates its new works: Tale "Borngolm Island" (1793); Sierra-Morane (1795); poem "Melancholy", "Message to A. A. Plescheyev", etc.

During this period, real literary glory comes to Karamzin.

Fedor Glinka: "Of the 1200 cadet, the rare did not repeat the page from the" Borgonolm Island "page..

The name of the ERAST, before that is completely unpopular, becoming more and more common in the noble lists. Rumors about successful and unsuccessful suicides in the spirit of poor Lisa. Poisonous memoirist Vigel recalls that important Moscow Venels began to do "Almost like equal to the thirty-year-old retired guarantor".

In July 1794, Karamzin's life was barely cut off: on the way to the estate, in the steppe wilderness, the robbers attacked him. Karamzin was miracle, having received two light wounds.

In 1801, he married Elizabeth Protasovoy, a neighbor for the estate, which he knew from childhood - at the time of the wedding they were familiar for almost 13 years.

Reformer of the Russian literary language

Already in early 1790s, Karamzin is seriously thinking over the present and future Russian literature. He writes to a friend: "I am deprived of the pleasure of reading a lot in my native language. We are still poor writers. We have several poets that deserve to be cleaners. " Of course, Russian writers were and there are: Lomonosov, Sumarokov, Fonvizin, Derzhavin, but there are no more than a dozen significant names. Karamzin is one of the first to understand that the case was not behind talents - talents in Russia no less than in any other country. Just Russian literature can not move away from long-standing traditions of classicism laid in the middle of the XVIII century the only theorist M.V. Lomonosov.

The reform of the literary language conducted by Lomonosov, as well as the theory of "three calm" created by him, responded to the tasks of the transition period from the ancient to the new literature. A complete refusal to eat the usual church salvations in the language was then premature and inappropriate. But the evolution of the language, which began in Ekaterina II, actively continued. "Three Channels" proposed by Lomonosov, relied not on a living speech, but on the ingenious thought of the theorist writer. And this theory often put the authors in a difficult position: I had to use heavy, outdated Slavic expressions where in a conversational language they have long been replaced by other, softer and elegant. The reader sometimes could not "tackle" through the hesitation of outdated satellites used in church books and records to understand the essence of a secular product.

Karamzin decided to bring the literary language to the conversational language. Therefore, one of his main goals was the further liberation of literature from church salvations. In the preface to the second book of Almanach "Aonids", he wrote: "One thunder of words just stuns and never comes to the heart."

The second feature of the "new syllable" of Karamzin was to simplify the syntactic structures. The writer abandoned the extensive periods. In the "Pantheon of Russian Writers" he strongly stated: "Prose Lomonosov cannot serve as a model for us: long periods are tedious, the location of words is not always in appearance with the current thoughts."

Unlike Lomonosov, Karamzin sought to write short, easily prominent proposals. This day is a sample of a good syllable and an example for imitating in the literature.

The third merit of Karamzin was to enrich the Russian language near successful neologisms, which are firmly entered into the main vocabulary. An innovation proposed by Karamzin includes such widespread words as "industry", "development", "refinement", "focus", "touching", "Integrand", "Humanity", "public", " Commonly, "," influence "and a number of others.

Creating neologisms, Karamzin used mainly the method of calcizing French words: "interesting" from "Interessant", "sophisticated" from "Raffine", "Development" from "DevelopPement", "touching" from "Touchant".

We know that many foreign words appeared in the Petrovsk era in Russian, but they mostly replaced the words already existed in the Slavic language and were not necessary. In addition, these words were often taken in the untreated form, so they were very difficult and clumsy ("Fortation" instead of the "Fortress", "Victoria" instead of "victory", etc.). Karamzin, on the contrary, tried to give in foreign words to the Russian end, adapting them to the requirements of Russian grammar: "Serious", "Moral", "Aesthetic", "Audience", "Harmony", "Enthusiasm", etc ..

In its reform activity, Karamzin made an installation on the living spoken speech of educated people. And it was the key to the success of his creativity - he writes not scientists treatises, but travel notes ("Letters of the Russian Traveler"), sentimental stories ("Borngolm Island", "Poor Lisa"), poems, articles, translates from French, English and German .

"Arzamas" and "Conversation"

It is not surprising that most of the young writers, modern Karamzin, adopted his conversion "with a bang" and willingly followed him. But, like every reformer, Karamzin had convinced opponents and decent opponents.

At the head of the ideological opponents of Karamzin stood up A.S. Shishkov (1774- 1841) - Admiral, Patriot, a well-known State Worker of that time. Strover, Lomonosov's fan, Shishkov at first glance was a classicist. But this point of view needs essential reservations. In contrast to Europe, Karamzin Shishkov put forward the idea of \u200b\u200bthe nationality of literature - the most important sign of a distant one from the classicism of romantic worldview. It turns out that shishkov also adjoined to romantic, but not only progressive, but a conservative direction. His glances can be recognized as a peculiar forerunner of the later Slavophilism and silence.

In 1803, Shishkov spoke with "reasoning about the old and new syllable of the Russian language." He reproached "Karamzinists" in the fact that they succumbed to the temptation of European revolutionary falsecracies and spoke for the return of literature to the oral folk creativity, to the folk spaciousness, to the Orthodox Church Slavonic Book.

Shishkov was not a philologist. He was engaged in the problems of literature and Russian language, rather as an amateur, so attacks Admiral Shishkova on Karamzin and his supporters of writers sometimes looked not so much scientifically justified as poorly ideological. Language reform of Karamzin seemed shishkov, warrior and defender of the fatherland, nonpatariotic and antireligious: "Language is the soul of the people, the mirror of the morals, the correctness of the enlightenment, a unpleasant witness. Where there is no in the hearts of faith, there is no pity in the language. Where there is no love for the Fatherland, there the language does not express the feelings of domestic ".

Shishkov reproached Karamzin for the unsalimized use of Varvarisov ("Epoch", "Harmony", "Catastrophe"), he was neologisms ("coup" as - the transfer of the word "revolution"), cut the ear artificial words: "Future", "readiness" and etc.

And we must admit that sometimes the criticism of him was a label and accurate.

The evasiveness and aesthetic welcomes of the Speech "Karamzinists" very soon outdated and out of literary use. This is what the future predicted to them shishkov, believing that instead of expression "when the journey was made by the need of my soul," you can say simple: "When I love to travel"; Exquisite and stuffed with periprases Speech "Mottle crowds of rural sores are taken by dark wathas of reptiles of reptiles" Can be replaced by a clear expression "Rustic girls go gypsies", etc.

Shishkov and his supporters made the first steps in the study of monuments of ancient Russian writing, enthusiastically studied "the word about the regiment of Igor", they were engaged in folklore, advocated the rapprochement of Russia with the Slavic world and recognized the need for the rapprochement of Slovenian syllable.

In the dispute with the translator of Karamzin Shishkov put forward a strong argument about "idiomatics" of each language, about the unique identity of its phraseological systems that make it impossible to the literal translation of thought or genuine semantic value from one language to another. For example, with the literal translation to the French expression "Old Hand" loses a figurative meaning and "means Tokmo the very thing, and in the metaphysical sense does not have any circle of the ban."

In the peak of Karamzinsky Shishkov offered his reform of the Russian language. The missing concepts and feelings in our everyday life denoted by new words formed from the roots of not French, but Russian and Starrodlavlyansky. Instead of Karamzinsky "influence", he suggested "the Nativity", instead of "development" - "stagnation", instead of the "actor" - "Lyedie", instead of "individuality" - "eggs", "mocomatic" instead of "Kalosh" and "Whether" instead "Labyrinth". Most of his innovations in Russian have not taken root.

It is impossible not to recognize the hot love of Shishkov to the Russian language; It is impossible not to recognize that the passion for all foreign, especially French, gone into Russia too far. Ultimately, this led to the fact that the language is common, the peasant began to differ much from the language of cultural classes. But it is impossible to dismiss and from the fact that the natural process of the resulting evolution of the language was impossible to stop. It was impossible to raise the expression already outdated at the time of the expression, which offered Shishkov: "Zane", "UBO", "izh", "Yako" and others.

Karamzin did not even answer the charges of Shishkov and his supporters, knowing hard that they managed exclusively pious and patriotic feelings. Subsequently, Karamzin himself and the most talented supporters (Vyazemsky, Pushkin, Batyushkov) followed a very valuable indication of "Shishkovtsy" on the need for "returning to their roots" and examples of their own history. But then they could not understand each other.

Paphos and hot patriotism of articles A.S. Shishkov caused a sympathetic attitude among many writers. And when Shishkov, together with G. R. Derzhavin founded the literary society "Best of lovers of Russian words" (1811) with the charter and their magazine, P. A. Katrenin, I. A. Krylov, was immediately joined this society, and later V. K . Kyhehelbecker and A. S. Griboedov. One of the active participants of the "conversation ..." of the prolific playwright A. A. Shakhovskaya in the comedy "New Stern" viciously ridiculed Karamzin, and in the comedy "lesson to the coquets, or Lipetsk waters" in the face of "Baldownika" Phialkin created a parody . Zhukovsky.

This caused a friendly rebuff from the youth, who supported the literary authority of Karamzin. D. V. Dashkov, P. A. Vyazemsky, D. N. Bludov composed several witty pamphlets to the Shakhovsky and other members of the "conversations ...". In the "Vision in the Arzamas Tavern" of Bludov gave a circle of young defenders of Karamzin and Zhukovsky name "Society of obsolete Arzamasic writers" or simply "Arzamas".

In the organizational structure of this society, founded in the fall of 1815, reigned the merry spirit of the parody of a serious "conversation ...". In contrast to the official bakingage, simplicity, naturalness, openness was dominated here, a great place was given to a joke and the game.

Parting the official ritual "Conversations ...", when joining Arzamas, everyone had to read the "tombstone" to his "late" predecessor from among the now healthy members "conversations ..." or the Russian Academy of Sciences (Count D. I. Tail, S. A. Shirinsky-Shichmatov, Samoye A. S. Shishkov, etc.). "Tombstones" were a form of literary struggle: they paroded high genres, ridiculed the stylistic archaic of the poetic works of "Args". At meetings of society, the humorous genres of Russian poetry was honored, a bold and decisive struggle from all kinds of official, the type of independent, free from the pressure of any ideological conventions of the Russian writer was formed. And although P. A. Vyazemsky is one of the organizers and active participants of the Company - in mature years, you condemned the youthful mischief and the intimacy of our like-minded people (in particular - the rites of "funeral" of living literary opponents), he rightly called Arzamas School of Literary Partnership "Arzamas" and mutual creative learning. Arzamas and the "conversation" society soon turned into the centers of the literary life and public struggle of the first quarter of the XIX century. Arzamas included such well-known people like Zhukovsky (pseudonym - Svetlana), Vyazemsky (Asmodener), Pushkin (Cricket), Batyushkov (Achilles), etc.

"Conversation" broke up after the death of Derzhavin in 1816; "Arzamas", losing the main opponent, stopped his existence by 1818.

Thus, by the mid-1790s, Karamzin became a recognized head of Russian sentimentalism, which opened not just a new page in Russian literature, and Russian fiction in general. Russian readers who have absorbed only the French novels, and the writers of the Russian traveler and the "poor Lisa", and Russian writers and poets, with delight, and the Russian writers and poets (both "Arzhasites" and "Arzamastsy") understood that it was possible should write in your native language.

Karamzin and Alexander I: Symphony with power?

In 1802 - 1803, Karamzin published the magazine "Bulletin of Europe", in which literature and politics prevailed. In many ways, thanks to the confrontation with Shishkov, in the critical articles of Karamzin there was a new aesthetic program for the formation of Russian literature as a national-distinctive. The key of the identity of Russian culture Karamzin, unlike Shishkov, has seen not so much in the commitment of ritual antiquity and religiosity, but in the events of Russian history. The most vibrant illustration of his views was the story of "Marfa Posalman or the conquest of NOVAROGOD".

In its political articles 1802-1803, Karamzin, as a rule, appealed with recommendations to the government, the main of which was the enlightenment of the nation in the name of the prosperity of the autocratic state.

These ideas were generally close to Emperor Alexander I - Grandfather Catherine Great, who at one time also dreamed of "enlightened monarchy" and full symphony between the authorities and the European educated society. Karamzin's coupling on March 11, 1801 and the adoption of the throne of Alexander I was the "historical commendable word Catherine Second" (1802), where Karamzin expressed his views on the being of the monarchy in Russia, as well as the duties of the monarch and his subjects. The "coming word" was approved by the sovereign, as a collection of examples for a young monarch and favorably accepted by them. Alexander I, obviously, was interested in the historical research of Karamzin, and the emperor rightly decided that the Great country simply needs to be remembered for his no less great past. And if you do not remember, so at least create a re-...

In 1803, through the royal educator, M. N. Muravyov - poet, historian, teacher, one of the most educated people of the time - N.M. Karamzin received the official title of court historically with a pension in 2000 rubles. (Pension in 2000 rubles a year was appointed then to officials who were not lower than general officials on the rank. Later, I. V. Kireevsky, referring to Karamzin himself, wrote about the ant: "Who knows, maybe, without his bondest and warm assistance, Karamzin would have no funds to make his great business."

In 1804, Karamzin practically moves away from literary and publishing and proceeds to the creation of the "history of the Russian state", over which he worked until the end of his days. With its influence M.N. Muravyov made available for the historian many of the previously unknown and even "secret" materials, opened library and archives for him. About such favorable conditions for work Modern historians can only dream. Therefore, in our opinion, talking about the "Story of the Russian State", as a "scientific feat" N.M. Karamzin, not quite fair. The court historiographer was in service, conscientiously performed the work for which he paid for money. Accordingly, he had to write such a story that was currently necessary to the customer, namely, the sovereign Alexander I, showing at the first stage of the reign of sympathy for European liberalism.

However, under the influence of the activities of the Russian history, by 1810, Karamzin became a serial conservative. During this period, the system of its political views was finally developed. Caramzine's statements that he "republican in the shower" can be adequately interpreted only if it takes into account that we are talking about the "Platonic Republic of the Wise men", an ideal social structure based on state virtue, strict regulation and refusal of personal freedom . In early 1810, Karamzin, through his relative, Count F. V. Rostopchina met in Moscow with the leader of the "Conservative Party" at the courtyard - the Grand Duchess of Catherine Pavlovna (Alexander I sister) and began to constantly visit its residence in Tver. The Salon of the Grand Duchess was represented by the Center for Conservative Opposition by the Liberal-West German rate, personified the figure of M. M. Speransky. In this salon, Karamzin read excerpts from his "history ...", at the same time met with the widden Empress Maria Fedorovna, who became one of his patrons.

In 1811, at the request of the Great Princess, Catherine Pavlovna Karamzin wrote a note "On Ancient and New Russia in its political and civil relations", in which he outlined his ideas about the ideal device of the Russian state and subjected to a sharp criticism of Alexander I and its closest predecessors: Paul I , Catherine II and Peter I. In the XIX century, the note has never been published completely and diverged only in handwritten lists. In the Soviet times, the thought of Karamzin's thought was perceived as a reaction of the extremely conservative nobility on the reforms of M. M. Speransky. The author himself was stamped by the "reactionary", an opponent of the liberation of the peasantry and other liberal steps of the Government of Alexander I.

However, at the first full publication of the note in 1988, Yu. M. Lotman revealed her deeper content. In this document, Karamzin made a reasoned criticism of unprepared reforms of a bureaucratic nature conducted from above. Having praised Alexander I, the author of the note at the same time fell into his advisers, meaning, of course, Speransky, standing for constitutional transformations. Karamzin takes over the courage in detail, with reference to historical examples, to prove the king, which is not ready for the abolition of the serfdom and restriction of the autocratic monarchy (according to the example of European powers), Russia is not historically or politically. Some of his arguments (for example, the uselessness of the liberation of peasants without land, the impossibility in Russia of constitutional democracy) and today look quite convincing and historically faithful.

Along with the review of Russian history and the criticism of the political course of Emperor Alexander I, a whole, original and very difficult, original and very difficult, original-Russian type of power, closely associated with Orthodoxy, was kept in a note.

At the same time, Karamzin refused to identify the "True Autocracy" with despotism, tyranny or arbitrariness. He believed that such deviations from the norms were due to the will of the case (Ivan IV Grozny, Paul I) and were rapidly eliminated by the inertia of the tradition of "wise" and "virtuous" monarchical rule. In cases of sharp weakening and even the complete absence of supreme state and church power (for example, during the University), this powerful tradition led to the restoration of autocracy during a short historical term. The autocracy was the "Palladium of Russia", the main cause of its power and prosperity. Therefore, the basic principles of the monarchist rule in Russia, according to Karamzin, should continue to be maintained. They should be supplemented only with due politics in the field of legislation and enlightenment, which would not be able to undermine autocracy, but to its maximum strengthening. With this understanding of the autocracy, any attempt to restraint would be a crime in front of the Russian history and Russian people.

Initially, the note of Karamzin caused only the irritation of the young emperor, who did not favor the criticism of his actions. In this note, the historist showed himself a Plus Royaliste Que Le Roi (a large royalist than the king himself). However, afterwards the brilliant "anthem of the Russian autocracy" in the statement of Karamzin, undoubtedly, had his action. After the war of 1812, the winner of Napoleon Alexander I turned many of his liberal parts: the Speransky reforms were not brought to the end, the Constitution and the very thought of restriction of autocracy remained only in the minds of the future Decembrists. And already in the 1830s, the concept of Karamzin actually went on the basis of the ideology of the Russian Empire, indicated by the "theory of official nationality" of Count S. Uvarova (Orthodoxy-autocrat-nation).

Prior to the publication of the first 8 volumes of "History ...", Karamzin lived in Moscow, from where I went out only in Tver to the Grand Prince Ekaterina Pavlovna and Nizhny Novgorod, during Moscow classes by the French. Summer, he usually spent in Ostafyev, the estate of Prince Andrei Ivanovich Vyazemsky, at whose extramarital daughter, Catherine Andreevna, Karamzin married in 1804. (The first wife of Karamzin, Elizabeth Ivanovna Protasova, died in 1802).

In the last 10 years of life, which Karamzin spent in St. Petersburg, he became very close to the royal family. Although Emperor Alexander I from the time of filing "notes" referred to Karamzin restrained, Karamzin often spent the summer in the royal village. At the request of the Empress (Mary Fedorovna and Elizabeth Alekseevna), he was repeatedly with the emperor Alexander, the frank political conversations, in which he performed as an expressive of the opinions of opponents of sharp liberal transformations. In 1819-1825, Karamzin with a heat revealed against the intentions of the sovereign against Poland (filed a note "the opinion of the Russian citizen"), condemned the increase in government taxes in peacetime, spoke of the ridiculous provincial system of finance, criticized the system of military settlements, the activities of the Ministry of Education, indicated A strange choice of the sovereign of some of the most important dignitaries (for example, Arakcheev), spoke of the need to reduce the internal troops, about the imaginary correction of roads, so painful for the people and constantly indicated the need to have solid laws, civil and state.

Of course, having such intercessors, as both Empress and the Grand Princess Ekaterina Pavlovna, could also be chicting, and argue, and to show civilian courage, and try to instruct the monarch "on the right path." Only no wonder the emperor Alexander I and contemporaries, and the subsequent historians of his reign were called "mysterious Sphinx." In words, the sovereign agreed with Critical remarks of Karamzin regarding military settlements, recognized the need to "give the fundamental laws of Russia", and also revise some aspects of the domestic policy, but it was so necessary in our country that in fact - all wise advice of state people remain "fruitless Surrious Fatherland "...

Karamzin as a historian

Karamzin is our first historian and the last chronicler.
He is criticized by History,
Simple and apophegem - chronicle.

A.S. Pushkin

Even from the point of view of the modern Karamzin of historical science, to name 12 volumes of his "history of the Russian state", in fact, nobody decided by scientific difficulty. Already then everyone was clear that the honorary title of court historically cannot make the writer by the historian, give him relevant knowledge and proper training.

But, on the other hand, Karamzin initially did not put the tasks of taking the role of the researcher. The new historiographer was not going to write a scientific treatise and assign the laurels of the famous predecessors - Schlezer, Miller, Tatischev, Shcherbatova, Bottin, etc.

Preliminary critical work on Karamzin sources is only a "grave tribute, bringing reliability." He was, above all, a writer, and therefore wanted to make his literary talent to the ready-made material: "Choose, to animate, paint," so, thus, from Russian history "something attractive, strong, decent attention not only Russians, but also foreigners. " And he performed this task brilliantly.

Today it is impossible to disagree with the fact that at the beginning of the XIX century, source studies, paleography and other auxiliary historical disciplines were in the coerciless condition. Therefore, to demand professional criticism from the writer of Karamzin, as well as a clear retention of a technique of working with historical sources - just ridiculous.

Often, you can hear the view that Karamzin just beautifully rewritten written by a long time-outdated, difficult to read the syllable "Russian history from ancient times" Prince M.M.Sheterbatova, made some of her thoughts and thus created a book for fans of fascinating reading in family circle. This is not true.

Naturally, when writing his "history ...", Karamzin actively used the experience and works of their predecessors - Schlezer and Shcherbatov. Scherbatov helped Karamzin oriented in the sources of Russian history, significantly affecting the choice of material, and its location in the text. Accidentally or not, but the "history of the Russian state" was brought by Karamzin precisely before the place as the "history" of Shcherbatov. However, in addition to following its predecessors, the scheme, Karamzin leads to its essay, a lot of references to an extensive foreign historiography, almost unfamiliar to the Russian reader. Working on her "story ...", he first introduced a mass of unknown and previously unexplored sources into a scientific turnover. These are the Byzantine and Livonian chronicles, the information of foreigners on the population of ancient Russia, as well as a large number of Russian chronicles, who have not yet concerned the hand of the historian. For comparison: M.M. Scherbatov used when writing his work only 21 Russian chronicle, Karamzin actively quotes more than 40. In addition to the chronicles, Karamzin is attracted to the study of the monuments of the ancient Russian law and the Old Russian fiction. The special chapter of "History ..." is devoted to the "Russian truth", and a number of pages - just an open "Word about the regiment of Igor".

Thanks to the zealous assistance of directors of the Moscow archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the N. N. Bantysh-Kamensky and A. F. Malinovsky, Karamzin was able to use those documents and materials that were not available to its predecessors. Many valuable manuscripts gave a synodal storage, libraries of monasteries (Trinity Lavra, Volokolamsky Monastery and others), as well as private collections of manuscripts Musina Pushkin and N.P. Rumyantsev. Especially many documents Karamzin received from Chancellor Rumyantsev, who gathered historical materials in Russia and abroad through its numerous agents, as well as from A. I. Turgenev, who made a collection of documents of the papal archive.

Many of the sources used by Karamzin died during the Moscow Fire of 1812 and were preserved only in his "History ..." and extensive "notes" to its text. Thus, the work of Karamzin to some extent, he himself gained the status of a historical source, which has full right to refer to historians-professionals.

Among the main disadvantages of the "history of the Russian state" traditionally marked the peculiar view of its author on the tasks of the historian. According to Karamzin, "knowledge" and "learning" in the historian "do not replace the talent to portray the actions." In front of the artistic task of history, even moral ones retreats to the background, which Patron Karamzin, M.N. Muravyov. Characteristics of historical characters are given by Karamzin solely in the literary and romantic vein, characteristic of the direction of Russian sentimentalism created by him. The first Russian princes from Karamzin are distinguished by the "fervent romantic passion" to conquests, their squad - nobility and loyal spirit, "Cherniy" sometimes showing discontent, raising methers, but ultimately agrees with the wisdom of noble rulers, etc., and t. P.

Meanwhile, the preceding generation of historians under the influence of Slacera has long developed the idea of \u200b\u200bcritical history, and among the contemporaries of Karamzin, the requirements of criticism of historical sources, despite the lack of a clear methodology, were generally accepted. And the next generation has already made the requirement of philosophical history - with identifying the laws of the development of the state and society, recognizing the main driving forces and the laws of the historical process. Therefore, unnecessary "literary" Creation of Karamzin was immediately subjected to quite reasonable criticism.

According to the submission that firmly rooted in Russian and foreign historiography of the XVII - XVIII centuries, the development of the historical process is depending on the development of monarchical power. Karamzin does not depart from this presentation either on the iota: the monarchical power has exalted Russia in the Kiev period; The section of the authorities between princes was a political mistake, which was fixed by the state wisdom of Moscow princes - Gatherers of Russia. At the same time, it was the princes that were corrected and its consequences - the fragmentation of Russia and the Tatar yoke.

But before reproaching Karamzin is that he has nothing new to the development of domestic historiography, it should be remembered that the author of the "history of the Russian state" did not at all set itself the tasks of philosophical understanding of the historical process or blind imitation of the ideas of Western European romantics (F. Gizo , F.Miny, J. Meshable), already then spoke about the "class struggle" and "spirit of the people" as the main driving force of history. Karamzin was not interested in historical criticism at all, and the "philosophical" direction in the history deliberately denied. The conclusions of the researcher from historical material, as well as its subjective fabrications, seem to be a "metaphysics" karamzine, which is not suitable for an image of action and character. "

Thus, with his peculiar views on the tasks of the historian Karamzin, by and large, remained out of the dominant currents of the Russian and European historiography of the XIX and XX centuries. Of course, he participated in its consistent development, but only in the form of an object for constant criticism and the brightest example of how the story is not needed.

Reaction of contemporaries

Contemporaries Karamzin - readers and fans - with delight accepted his new "historical" essay. The first eight volumes of the "Russian State History" were printed in 1816-1817 and went on sale in February 1818. Three thousandths have been huge for that time in 25 days. (And this is despite the solid price - 50 rubles). Immediately the second edition was required, which was carried out in 1818-1819 by I. V. Slyonin. In 1821, a new one, the ninth volume, and in 1824 the following two were published. The author did not have time to finish the twelfth volume of his work, which he saw the light in 1829, almost three years after his death.

"History ..." literary friends of Karamzin admired and the extensive public readers-non-specialists who suddenly discovered, like a Tolstoy-American Count, that their fatherland has a story. According to A.S. Pushkin, "Everything, even secular women, rushed to read the history of their fatherland, the unknown Dotole. She was for them a new discovery. Ancient Russia seemed to be found by Karamzin as america-Columbus. "

Liberal intelligent mugs of the 1820s found a "story ..." Karamzin backward for general views and overly tendentious:

Experts researchers, as already mentioned, reacted to the composition of Karamzin precisely as an essay, sometimes even giving his historical importance. Many people seemed too risky the Karamzin enterprise itself - to start writing such extensive work at the then state of Russian historical science.

In the life of Karamzin, critical analysis of his "history ..." appeared, and soon after the death of the author were made attempts to determine the general meaning of this work in historiography. Lellel pointed to the involuntary distortion of truth, due to patriotic, religious and political hobbies of Karamzin. Arzybashev showed that the literary techniques of the historian-Non-profesional are harmful to the writing of "history". Pogodin summed up all the disadvantages of "history", A N.A. The field saw the common cause of these shortcomings is that "Karamzin is a writer is not our time." All his points of view, both in the literature and in philosophy, politics and history, are outdated with the emergence of new influences of European romanticism in Russia. In contrasting Karamzin, Fieldy soon wrote his sixtime "history of the Russian people", where he was completely given to the power of the ideas of GIZO and other Western European romantics. Contemporaries rated this work as a "unworthy parody" on Karamzin, exposed to the author rather evil, and not always deserved attacks.

In the 1830s, "History ..." Karamzin becomes the banner of the official "Russian" direction. With the assistance of the same pursuit, its scientific rehabilitation is produced, quite the corresponding spirit of the "theory of official nationality" of Uvarova.

In the second half of the XIX century on the basis of "History ..." a mass of research and popular articles and other texts, which are based on well-known educational and teaching and methodological benefits was written. Many works have been created by the historical stories of Karamzin, a lot of works for children and young people were created, whose purpose for many years was the upbringing of patriotism, loyalty to civil debt, the responsibility of the younger generation for the fate of their homeland. This book, in our opinion, played a decisive role in the formation of views of not one generation of Russian people, having a significant impact on the basics of patriotic education of young people in the late XIX - early XX centuries.

December 14th. Final Karamzin.

The end of Emperor Alexander I and December events of 1925 deeply shocked N.M. Karamzin and adversely affected his health.

On December 14, 1825, having received the news about the uprising, the historian goes to the street: "I saw terrible persons, I heard terrible words, five-six stones fell to my legs."

Karamzin, of course, regarded the speech of the nobility against his sovereign as a rebellion and a serious crime. But among the rebels there were so many familiar: Brothers Muravyov, Nikolay Turgenev, Bestuzhev, Ryleev, Kuhelbecker (he translated the "history" of Karamzin to German).

A few days later, Karamzin will say about the Decembrists: "The delusions and crimes of these young people are the election and crime of our century."

December 14, during his movements in St. Petersburg, Karamzin was very cold and fell ill with inflammation of the lungs. In the eyes of contemporaries, he was another victim of this day: his idea of \u200b\u200bthe world collapsed, the faith was lost in the future, and a new king climbed to the throne, very far from the ideal image of an enlightened monarch. Halfall, Karamzin was every day in the palace, where he talked with the Empress Maria Fedorovna, from the memories of the late sovereign Alexander moving to reasoning about the tasks of the future reign.

Karamzin could no longer write. XII Tom "History ..." Measurement at the International Survey 1611 - 1612. The last words of the last volume - about the Little Russian Fortress: "The nuts did not give up." The last thing I really managed to make Karamzin in the spring of 1826 - along with Zhukovsky persuaded Nicholas I return from the link Pushkin. A few years later, the emperor tried to transfer the poet to the pretty of the first historicist of Russia, but the "sun of Russian poetry" into the role of the state ideologist and theorist somehow did not fit ...

In the spring of 1826 N.M. Karamzin, according to the advice of doctors, decided to go for treatment in South France or Italy. Nicholas I agreed to sponsor his trip and kindly gave a frigate of the Imperial Fleet in the disposal of the historography. But Karamzin was already too weak for travel. He died on May 22 (June 3) of 1826 in St. Petersburg. He was buried at the Tikhvin Cemetery of Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin is the famous Russian writer, historian, the largest representative of the Epoch of Sentimentalism, the reformer of the Russian language, publisher. With his feed, the vocabulary has enriched in a large number of new words-cripples.

The famous writer was born on December 12 (December 1 under Art.) 1766 in the manor located in the Simbirsk district. The father-nobleman took care of his son's home education, after which Nikolai continued to learn first in the Simbirsk noble guest house, then from 1778 - in the House of Professor Shaden (Moscow). For 1781-1782. Karamzin visited university lectures.

Father wanted Nikolai after the guesthouse to enter military service, - the Son fulfilled his desire, in 1781 being in the St. Petersburg Guards Regiment. It was during these years that Karamzin first tried himself at the literary field, in 1783 by making a translation from German. In 1784, after the death of the Father, having resigned in the rank of Lieutenant, finally broke up with the military service. Living in Simbirsk, joined the Masonic Life.

Since 1785, Karamzin's biography is connected with Moscow. In this city, he meets with N.I. Novikov and other writers, entering the "Friendly Society", settled in the house owned by him, in the future cooperates with members of the circle in various publications, in particular, takes part in the release of the journal "Children's reading for the Heart and Reason" magazine, which became the first Russian magazine for kids.

During the year (1789-1790), Karamzin traveled through the countries of Western Europe, where he met not only with prominent figures of the Masonic movement, but also with great thinkers, in particular, with Kant, I.G. Gerder, J. F. Marmontel. The impressions of the trips formed the basis of the future famous "letters of the Russian traveler". This story (1791-1792) appeared in the Moscow Journal, which N.M. Karamzin began to publish on the arrival of his homeland, and brought the author with great fame. A number of philologists believe that modern Russian literature leads countdown with "letters".

The story "Poor Lisa" (1792) strengthened the literary authority of Karamzin. Subsequently issued compilations and almanaci "Aglaya", "Aonids", "My Beackers", "Pantheon of Foreign Literature" opened the Epoch of Sentimentalism in Russian literature, and it was N.M. Karamzin was at the head of the flow; Under the influence of his works, V.A. wrote Zhukovsky, K.N. Batyushkov, as well as A.S. Pushkin at the beginning of the creative path.

The new period in the biography of Karamzin as a person and writer is connected with the entry into the throne of Alexander I. In October 1803, the emperor appoints a writer by the official historist, and the task of imprinting the history of the Russian state is set in front of Karamzin. About his genuine interest in history, the priority of this topic over all the others testified the nature of the publications of the "Bulletin of Europe" (this first socio-political and literary-art magazine Karamzin published in 1802-1803).

In 1804, literary-artwork was completely minimized, and the writer begins to work on the "history of the Russian state" (1816-1824), which became the main difficulty in his life and the whole phenomenon in Russian history and literature. The first eight volumes saw the light in February 1818. For the month, three thousand copies were sold - such active sales did not have a precedent. The next three volumes published in the following years were quickly translated into several European languages, and the 12th, final, Tom saw the light after the author's death.

Nikolai Mikhailovich was a commitment to conservative views, an absolute monarchy. The death of Alexander I and the uprising of the Decembrists, whose witness he was, became a severe blow to him, who had been deprived of the writer-historian of the latest vitality. On the third of June (May 23 (May 22, under Art.) 1826 Karamzin died, being in St. Petersburg; Buried him in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, at the Tikhvin cemetery.

N Ikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin - the Great Russian writer, the largest writer of the Epoch of Sentimentalism. He wrote art prose, lyrics, plays, articles. Reformer of the Russian literary language. The creator of the "history of the Russian state" is one of the first fundamental work on the history of Russia.

"Loved to be sad, not knowing what ..."

Karamzin was born 1 (12) DECEMBER 1766 in the village of Mikhaylovka Buzuluk County of the Symbirian province. Rose in the village of Father, the hereditary nobleman. Interestingly, Karamzin has Turkic roots and comes from Tatar Kara-Murza (aristocratic estate).

About the childhood writer knows a bit. At the age of 12, he is sent to Moscow to the House of Professor Moscow University of Johann Shaden, where a young man receives the first education, studies German and French. After three years later, he begins to attend the lectures of the famous professor aesthetics, Enlightener Ivan Schwartz at Moscow University.

In 1783, at the insistence of Father, Karamzin enters the service to the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment, but soon coming to resign and leaves for his native symbirsk. In Symbirsk there is an important event for young Karamzin - it enters the Masonic Loop "Golden Crown". This decision will play a little later when Karamzine returns to Moscow and will come down with an old familiar home - Mason Ivan Turgenev, as well as writers and writers Nikolai Novikov, Alexey Kutuzov, Alexander Petrov. At the same time, the first attempts of Karamzin in literature begins - he participates in the publication of the first Russian magazine for children - "Children's reading for the heart and mind." Four years, held in the society of Moscow Masons, had a serious impact on his creative development. At this time, Karamzin reads a lot popularly Rousseau, Stern, Gerder, Shakespeare, try to translate.

"The formation of Karamzin, not only the author, but also moral" began in the circle of Novikov.

Writer I.I. Dmitriev

Man of feather and thought

In 1789, a break with Masons, and Karamzin goes to travel through Europe. He traveled Germany, Switzerland, France and England, stopping mainly in large cities, European Enlightenment Centers. Karamzin visits Immanuel Kant in Königsberg, becomes a witness to the Great French Revolution in Paris.

It is according to the results of this trip that he writes the famous "letters of the Russian traveler." These essays in the genre of documentary prose quickly gained popularity from the reader and made Karamzin famous and fashionable writers. At the same time, in Moscow, from under the feather of the writer, a story "Poor Lisa" appears - a recognized sample of Russian sentimental literature. Many literary specialists believe that modern Russian literature begins with these first books.

"In the initial period of his literary activity, Karamzin was characterized by a wide and politically fairly uncertain" cultural optimism ", faith in the saving influence of cultural success per person and society. Karamzin relied on the progress of sciences, peaceful improvement of the morals. He believed in the painless exercise of the ideals of the fraternity and humanity, which permeated the literature of the XVIII century as a whole. "

Yu.M. Lotman.

As opposed to classicism with his cult of mind, in the footsteps of French writers, Karamzin argues the cult of feelings, sensitivity, compassion in Russian literature. New "sentimental" characters are important first of all the ability to love, surrender. "Oh! I love those items that touch my heart and make me shed tears of tender grief! " ("Poor Lisa").

"Poor Lisa" is deprived of morality, didactism, asked, the author does not say, but trying to call the reader to empathize with the heroes, which distinguishes the tale from the previous traditions of classicism.

"Poor Lisa" is because he was adopted by the Russian public with such a delight that in this work Karamzin the first one has expressed the "new word", which the Germans said to Goethe in his "vertier".

Philologist, literary critic V.V. Sipovsky

Nikolay Karamzin on the Millennium of Russia monument in Veliky Novgorod. Sculptors Mikhail Mikeshin, Ivan Schroeder. Architect Viktor Gartman. 1862.

Giovanni Battista Damon-Ortolani. Portrait of N.M. Karamzin. 1805. GMII them. A.S. Pushkin

Monument to Nikolay Karamzin in Ulyanovsk. Sculptor Samuel Galberg. 1845.

At the same time, the reform of the literary language begins - Karamzin refuses the eldersmates that inhabited the written language, Lomonosov's high polity, from the use of church Slavic vocabulary and grammar. It made the "poor Lisa" with a light and pleasant story for reading. It was the sentimentalism of Karamzin that became the foundation for the development of further Russian literature: Romanticism of Zhukovsky and Early Pushkin was repelled.

"Karamzin made Literature humane."

A.I. Herzmen

One of the most important merits of Karamzin - enrichment of the literary language with new words: "Charity", "Love", "Freeness", "Sightseeing", "Responsibility", "Suspiciousness", "refinement", "first-class", "human", "sidewalk "," Kucher "," impression "and" influence "," touching "and" entertaining ". It was he who introduced the word "industry", "focus", "moral", "aesthetic", "epoch", "scene", "harmony", "catastrophe", "future" and others.

"Professional writer, one of the first in Russia who had the courage to make literary work the source of existence, above all the independence of his own opinion."

Yu.M. Lotman.

In 1791, the activities of Karamzin-journalist begins. It becomes an important milestone in the history of Russian literature - Karamzin is based on the first Russian literary magazine, the founder of the current "thick" magazines - "Moscow Journal". On his pages there are a number of collections and almanacs: "Aglaya", "Aonids", "Pantheon of Foreign Literature", "My Trucks." These publications made sentimentalism the main literary flow in Russia of the late XIX century, and Karamzin is his recognized leader.

But soon it follows the deep disappointment of Karamzin in previous values. A year after the arrest of Novikov, the magazine is closed, after the bold Karamzinskaya OD "To the grace" of the grace of the "strong world", Karamzin himself is deprived of the mercy, hardly hitting the investigation.

"Docci citizen is deceased, without fear can fall asleep, and all your subject to highly thinking life is to have; ... Doccies everyone gives freedom and light not dark in the minds; The doctoral of attorney to the people is visible in all your matters: Dotole will be holy honorable ... The calm of your power can not be disturbed. "

N.M. Karamzin. "To the grace"

Most of the 1793-1795 Karamzin spends in the village and produces collections: "Aglaya", "Aonids" (1796). He wonders to publish something in the childbirth of the Foreign Literature "Pantheon of Foreign Literature", but with great difficulty makes its way through the censorship prohibitions, not allowed to print even demosphen and cicero ...

Disappointment in the French revolution Karamzin splashes in verses:

But time, the experience is destroyed
Air castle of young years ...
... And I see it clear that with Plato
The republics do not establish us ...

During these years, Karamzin is increasingly moving from lyrics and prose to journalism and the development of philosophical ideas. Even the "historical commendable word Empress Catherine II", compiled by Karamzin at the end of the throne of Emperor Alexander I - mainly journalism. In 1801-1802, Karamzin operates in the journal "Journal of Europe", where it writes basically an article. In practice, his passion for enlightenment and philosophy is expressed in writing works on historical topics, more and more creating a famous writer the authority of the historian.

First and last historic

By decree of October 31, 1803, Emperor Alexander I gives Nikolai Karamzin the title of historian. Interestingly, the title of historographer in Russia after the death of Karamzin was not renewed.

From that moment on, Karamzin ceases every literary work and for 22 years is engaged solely by the preparation of historical work, familiar to us as the "history of the Russian state".

Alexey Venetsian. Portrait of N.M. Karamzin. 1828. GMII them. A.S. Pushkin

Karamzin puts a task to make a story for a broad educated public, not to be a researcher, but "Choose, linked, paint" everything "Attractive, strong, decent" From Russian history. An important point - work should be designed for a foreign reader to open Russia Europe.

In the work of Karamzin enjoyed materials from the Moscow Board of Foreign Affairs (especially spiritual and contractual diplomas of princes, and acts of diplomatic relations), synodalist repository, libraries of the Volokolamsky Monastery and Trinity-Sergiye Lavra, private collections of Musina-Pushkin's manuscripts, Rumyantsev and A.I. Turgenev, who made a collection of documents of the Papal archive, as well as many other sources. An important part of the work was the study of the ancient chronicles. In particular, Karamzin discovered the previously unknown science in the chronicle called Ipatievsky.

During the years of work on the "story ...", Karamzin lived in Moscow, from where I went out only in Tver and Nizhny Novgorod, at the time of Moscow's classes by the French in 1812. Summerly spent in Ostafyev, the estate of Prince Andrei Ivanovich Vyazemsky. In 1804, Karamzin married the daughter of Prince, Ekaterina Andreevna, who gave birth to the writer of nine children. She became the second wife of the writer. For the first time, the writer married at 35 years, in 1801 at Elizabeth Ivanovna Protasova, who died a year after the wedding from the postpartum heating. From the first marriage, Karamzin remained the daughter of Sophia, the future familiar Pushkin and Lermontov.

The main social event of the life of the writer during these years was the "note of the ancient and new Russia in its political and civil relations", written in 1811. In the "note ..." reflected the views of the conservative layers of society, dissatisfied with the liberal reforms of the emperor. "Possed ..." was transferred to the emperor. In it, once liberal and "Western", as they would say now, Karamzin appears as a conservative and is trying to prove that no fundamental transformations in the country do not need.

And in February 1818, Karamzin produces the first eight volumes of its "history of the Russian state" on sale. A circulation of 3000 copies (huge for that time) is sold within a month.

A.S. Pushkin

The "history of the Russian state" was the first labor oriented on the widest reader, due to the high literary advantages and scientific scrupulsiness of the author. Researchers agree that this work is one of the first to contribute to the formation of a national self-consciousness in Russia. The book was translated into several European languages.

Despite the huge many years of work, Karamzin did not have time to add "story ..." until his time - the beginning of the XIX century. After the first edition, three more languages \u200b\u200b"History ..." were released. The last one was the 12th volume describing the events of the troubled time in the chapter "Intermoper 1611-1612". The book came out after the death of Karamzin.

Karamzin was a whole person of his era. The assertion of monarchical views by the end of his life brought together a writer with the family of Alexander I, in recent years he spent next to them, living in the royal village. The death of Alexander I in November 1825 and the subsequent events of the uprising in the Senate Square became a real blow to the writer. Nikolai Karamzin died on May 22 (June 3) of 1826 in St. Petersburg, he was buried at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.