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Birth of Vasiliy O. Klyuchevsky, eminent Russian historian
16 (28) January, 1841 in the village of Voznesenskoye, Penza Province, in the family of a village priest was born Vasiliy Osipovich Klyuchevsky, prominent Russian historian, Honorary Academician (1908) of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.
Vasiliy Osipovich studied at the Penza parish and county religious schools, and from 1856 to 1860 - in Penza Theological Seminary. Despite the opposition of the diocesan seminary and government authorities, in 1861 Klyuchevsky, not having graduated from the seminary, went to Moscow and entered the History & Philology Faculty of the Moscow University. There he studied with renowned professors: S. V. Eshevskiy (world history), S. M. Soloviev (Russian history), F. I. Buslaev (history of Old Russian literature). Under the direction of Buslaev, Vasily Klyuchevsky studied the manuscripts of the Synodal Library. His thesis on "The Tale of foreigners about the Muscovy" was highly appreciated by the commission.
After graduation, Klyuchevsky stayed at the Department of Russian history to prepare for a professorship. For six years he had worked on his master's thesis, "Old Russian hagiographies as a historical source”, had done a lot studying ancient hagiography in various manuscript copies, preserved in the Synodal Library and in the monastery archives. After receiving a master's degree, Vasily Osipovich began teaching at the Alexander Military School, the Moscow Theological Academy, the University for Women, the School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. In 1879 Klyuchevsky became an assistant professor of the Moscow University.
In 1872 Vasily Osipovich started working on his doctoral thesis, "Boyar Duma of Old Rus." The work of Klyuchevsky covered the entire period of the Boyar Duma from the tenth century until the early 18th century when it ceased to exist being replaced by the Senate. Doctoral thesis defense took place on September 29 (October 11), 1882. It lasted nearly four hours and was brilliant. The newspaper "Golos" the next day wrote: "The impression made by Klyuchevsky’s dispute was close to enthusiasm. Knowledge of the subject, accuracy of answers, dignified tone of the objections, all this showed that we are dealing not with a rising, but already sprouted luminary of the Russian science."
1 (13) March 1885, Vasily Osipovich became a full professor of the university. From September 27 (October 9), 1887 to 28 March (April 9), 1889 he was Dean of History and Philology, and from March 28 (April 9), 1889 to December 15 (27), 1890 he occupied the post of assistant chancellor.
In 1893-1895, on behalf of Alexander III, Klyuchevsky delivered a course on Russian history to the emperor's son George. In 1899, Vasily Osipovich published "A Brief Guide on Russian history," which actually became a textbook for high schools.
The historian gave speeches and public lectures, actively cooperated with scientific societies: the Moscow Archaeological Society, the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature, the Society of Russian History and Antiquities, the chairman of which he was elected in 1893. Among other things, Klyuchevsky participated in the Commission to revise laws on the press and in meetings on the project of establishing the State Duma and its powers.
In 1900 the Russian Academy of Sciences elected Klyuchevsky academician of History and Russian Antiquities, and in 1908 he became an honorary academician of the Language & Literature Department.
Among the major works of the historian are: "The composition of representatives at the Zemsky Sobor of the Old Rus'” (1890-1892), “The Empress Catherine II. 1786-1796" (1896), "Peter the Great among his employees" (1901). The main achievement of the scientist was the "Course on Russian History", published for the first time in 1902, subsequently reprinted several times and translated into many European languages. The "Course on Russian History" focuses mainly on the epoch and the reforms of Peter I, strengthening of feudal oppression under Catherine II. The last sections of the course cover the reign of Paul I, Alexander I and Nicholas I. Like Solovyov, Klyuchevsky considered colonization the major factor in Russian history. On this basis, he divided Russian history into periods, in the first place, depending on the movement of the general population and the geographical conditions, which had a strong effect on the course of historical life. The principal novelty of his periodization was the fact that he enriched it with another two criteria – political one (the problem of government and society) and economic one.
12 (25) May, 1911 Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky died and was buried at Donskoy Cemetery in Moscow.
Lit.: Александров В. А. Ключевский Василий Осипович // Большая советская энциклопедия. М., 1973. Т. 12; Баранов М. В. Философия истории В. О. Ключевского: автореферат дис. ... канд. филос. наук. М., 2007; Богословский М. М. Памяти В. О. Ключевского. М., 1912; Бороздин И. Н. В. О. Ключевский: (Некролог). М., 1913; Василий Осипович Ключевский: Биогр. очерк, [сост. М. К. Любавским]. М., 1914; Василий Осипович Ключевский: Очерк характеристики личности и мировоззрения почившего историка. М., 1912; Василий Осипович Ключевский: Характеристики и воспоминания. М., 1912; Ключевский В. О. Собрание сочинений. В 8 т. М., 1956-1959; Сборник статей, посвящённых Василию Осиповичу Ключевскому его учениками, друзьями и почитателями ко дню тридцатилетия его профессорской деятельности в Московском университете (5 декабря 1879 — 5 декабря 1909 года). М., 1909.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: