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Birthday anniversary of Russian historian, geographer, ethnologist and statesman Vasily Nikitich Tatyshchev
Vasily Nikitich Tatyshchev, Russian statesman and military figure, ethnologist, geographer, historian, author of the ‘Russian history’ – the first multivolume generalized work on the Russian history - was born on April 19 (29), 1686.
Tatyshchev came of a noble but impoverished family. At the age of seven he was taken on as a steward at court of Praskovia Feodorovna, the wife of Peter’s the Great older brother Ivan Alexeevich. He studied in Moscow Artillery and Engineering School under the guidance of Yakov Bruce. During the Northern War Tatyshchev participated in Narva offensive in 1704, the Battle of Poltava in 1709, was wounded. In 1712-1716 Vasily Nikitich improved his education abroad: he studied mathematics, engineering and artillery, learned languages, collected books which later had formed one of the best private collections in Russia at that time. He also studied the advanced philosophic works which developed his aspiration for critical interpretation of the past. Having returned to Russia, Peter the Great charged Tatyshchev with ‘land survey of the entire state and composing of the detailed Russian geography work including land maps’.
In 1720-1723 Tatyshchev managed mine factories in Ural. On his initiative was built Ekaterinburg factory around which the city of the same name had grown. He combined the activities related to the management and mining organization with study of local history, peoples inhabiting the territory, their everyday life, customs and manners. Tatyshchev had been collecting historical documents laying a basis for historical researches, source study and study of early texts.
In 1724-1726 Tatyshchev went to Sweden on business trip in order to study finance and economy. Being abroad he communicated with eminent European scholars, bought books, worked in Swedish archives collecting materials on the Russian history. At that time his first scientific work was published. There he described a mammoth skeleton discovered in Siberia. During the following years Tatyshchev had been at the head of Mint agency, developed the recommendations for the government regarding money circulation stabilization in the country.
In the reign of Anna Ioanovna, Tatyshchev was at the head of Orenburg Commission and then Kalmyk one. In 1741 he became the governor of Astrakhan. In 1745 he was dismissed and spent the last years of his life in disgrace in his estate of Boldino.
Working on the assignment of Peter I to ‘compose the detailed Russian geography’, Tatyshchev realized that it was impossible to learn the national geography without learning the history. As a result of his researches were issued ‘The dictionary on history, geography and policy’, the works on geography of Siveria and Russia and incomplete ‘General geographic description of the entire Siberia’.
The main scientific work of Tatyshchev was the ‘Russian history’ to which he devoted about 30 years of his life. The book covers the period until 1577. Author planned to complete it with accession of Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov but did not finish the work. He left preparatory materials on the events of the 17th century.
Many of the Russian historians resorted to the manuscript of Tatyshchev’s “History” in their researches. Among them M. V. Lomonosov, G. F. Miller, I. N. Boltin; Empress Catherine II also highly appreciated the work of Tatyshchev. The meaning of the work for the Russian history science is valuable: it was the first systematic description of the Russian history including its periodization and the effort to understand rationally the events of the Russian past. Tatyshchev installed the traditions of the Russian historical science to start research with collecting and studying of historical sources. The scholar used annalistic monuments he had collected, ‘Stepennaya’ book (a monument of the Russian historical litterature), acts and works of foreign authors. He also prepared for the publication the “Russkaya Pravda” and the “Code of law” of 1550.
Vasily Tatyshchev died on July 15 (26), 1750.
Lit.: Валк С. Н. В. Н. Татищев в своём болдинском уединении // Проблемы истории феодальной России. Л., 1971; «...Дерзаю о сем по малому моему разумению донести». Записка В. Н. Татищева Петру I о передаче казённых металлургических заводов частным владельцам // Исторический архив. 1993. № 1; Кузьмин А. Г. Татищев. М., 1987; Мамаева Ю. А. В. Н. Татищев — основоположник российского просветительства: дис. ... к. и. н. М., 2000; Попов Н. А. В. Н. Татищев и его время: Эпизод из истории государственной, общественной и частной жизни в России, первой половины прошедшего столетия. М., 1861; Татищев В. Н. Духовная тайнаго советника и астраханскаго губернатора Василия Никитича Татищева: Сочинённая в 1733 году сыну его Евграфу Васильевичу. СПб., 1773; Татищев В. Н. Избранные труды по географии России. М., 1950; Татищев В. Н. История Российская с самых древнейших времён. Кн. 1. Ч. 1 (М., 1769), кн. 1. ч. 2 (М., 1769), кн. 2 (М., 1773), кн. 3 (М., 1774), кн. 4 (М., 1784), кн. 5 (М., 1848); Татищев В. Н. Судебник государя царя и великого князя Иоанна Васильевича и некоторые сего государя и ближних его преемников указы. М., 1786; Торопицын И. В. Н. Татищев о проблемах социально-экономического развития России в первой половине XVIII века: дис. ... к. и. н. М., 2000; Юхт А. И. Государственная деятельность В. Н. Татищева в 20-х — начале 30-х гг. XVIII в. М., 1985.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Татищев С. С. Род Татищевых, 1400-1900: историко-генеалогическое исследование СПб., 1900.