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Birthday anniversary of Sergei Soloviev, Russian historian, Petersburg Academy of Science member, author of ‘History of Russia from Ancient Times’
Sergei Mikhailovich Soloviev, an eminent Russian historian, Petersburg Academy of Science member, author of ‘History of Russia from Ancient Times’ was born on May 5 (17), 1820 in Moscow, in a family of priest.
In 1828 in accordance with religious families tradition Sergei Soloviev was signed up for Moscow seminary and then accepted in the 3rd grade of the First Moscow gymnasium where he was among the best students owing to his progress in study sciences. Even being a child Sergei Mihkailovich loved historical reading: by the age of 13 he had read the History by N. M. Karamzin at least 12 times; he was also keened on trips descriptions and had kept this interest until the end of his life.
Having graduated from the gymnasium he was accepted for the History and Philology Department of Moscow University. Among the professors who had most influenced Soloviev was Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin. He introduced Soloviev to his richest collection of manuscripts. Working with it Sergei Mikhailovich had made the first discovery – unknown before the 5th part of ‘Russian history’ by V. N. Tatyshchev.
Having graduated from the University, Sergei Mikhailovich received a proposal from count Stroganoff to work abroad as a family teacher for the children of his brother, former Domestic Affairs Minister A. G. Stroganoff. In 1842-1844 with Stroganoff’s family Sergei Mikhailovich visited Austro-Hungary, Germany, France, Belgium. This voyage had given to a young historian the opportunity to attend lectures of the major scholars of Western Europe of the time, such as philosopher Shelling, geographer Ritter, historians Neander and Ranke in Berlin, Schlosser in Heidelberg, Lenormand and Michelet in Paris. Staying abroad had extended Soloviev’s political and cultural views and prepared him even more for the career of scholar and teacher.
In 1845 Sergei Mikhailovich defended the paper of Magister ‘On attitude of Novgorod towards the grand dukes’. In 1848 he started his fundamental work which became the work of his life ‘History of Russia from Ancient Times’.
Soloviev’s research was based upon the extensive documentary material. His main idea was to regard and present the Russian history as a single progressive process of advance from tribal system to the ‘rule of law’ and ‘European civilization’. The scholar explained many particularities of the Russian statehood development, the struggle between ‘forest and steppe’, relationship with neighboring peoples by its geographical location. Using comparative historical method of research Soloviev marked out common features in history of Russia and European countries but at the same time noted the originality of Russia explaining it first of all by its interstitial location between Europe and Asia and long struggle with nomads. He was the first to substantiate thesis on historical conditionality of Peter’s I reforms and gradual approach of Russia to Western Europe thus opposing the theory of ‘Slavophils’ regarding the forced rupture between Peter’s reforms and the Russian traditions.
In 1851 was published the first volume of the ‘History of Russian from Ancient Times’; in 1879 after the author’s death, was issued the last one N 29. The work covered the period of the Russian history from Ancient Times to 1774.
Soloviev’s work intentionally does not mark any periods ‘because in history nothing ends suddenly and nothing starts suddenly; the new starts at the time when the old continues’. Each section of the ‘History of Russia’ covers particular figures whose activity could be traced through reliable (in author’s opinion) sources.
The new view of the scholar had provoked a lot of censures, the published volumes had been largely criticized. However as the new volumes of ‘History of Russia’ had been issued, Soloviev’s work was winning more and more recognition. Many comments noted the abundance of factual information in the scholar’s work, his ability to explain convincingly controversial and complex issues of the Russian history.
Scientific and pedagogical biography of Sergei Mikhailovich was related to Moscow University. For over thirty years he had had a chair in Russian history; had worked for six years as the dean of Historical and Philological Department; 1871 to 1877 had been a chancellor of University. In March of 1872 he was elected a full member of the Academy of Science for the Russian language and literature. In the end of his life the scholar was offered a position of the head of Moscow society for history and Russian antiquities.
On October 4 (16), 1879 the eminent Russian historian died and was buried at Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.
Lit.: Безобразов П. В. С. М. Соловьёв. СПб., 1894; Бестужев-Рюмин К. Н. Биографии и характеристики: Татищев, Шлецер, Карамзин, Погодин, Соловьёв, Ешевский, Гильфердинг. СПб., 1882; Бестужев-Рюмин К. Н. Биографии и характеристики: (Летописцы России). М., 1997; Иванцов-Платонов А. М. Слово при годичном поминовении С. М. Соловьёва 4-го октября 1880 года, говоренное в Московском Новодевичьем монастыре прот. А. М. Иванцовым-Платоновым. М., 1880; Иллерицкий В. Е. Сергей Михайлович Соловьёв. М., 1980; Соловьёв С. М. Собрание сочинений [Электронный ресурс] // Lib.ru: Классика. 2004. URL: http://az.lib.ru/s/solowxew_sergej_mihajlowich/; Ключевский В. О. Исторические портреты (О Болтине, Карамзине, Соловьёве). М., 1991. С. 496-538; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://modernhistory.omskreg.ru/page.php?id=709; Памяти Сергея Михайловича Соловьёва. М., 1879; Синский И. Памяти С. М. Соловьёва. Псков, 1880; Соловьёв С. М. Владимир Соловьёв. Жизнь и творческая эволюция. М., 1997; Соловьёв С. М. Общедоступные чтения о русской истории. М., 1992; Соловьёв С. М. Первые научные труды; Письма. М., 1996; Соловьёв С. М. Сочинения. М. 1988-1996; Соловьёв С. М. Чтения и рассказы по истории России. М., 1989; Цимбаев Н. И. Сергей Соловьёв. М., 1990.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Безобразов П. В. С.М. Соловьёв : Его жизнь и науч.-лит. Деятельность. СПб., 1894;
Соловьёв С. М. История отношений между русскими князьями Рюрикова дома. М., 1847;
Соловьёв С. М. История России с древнейших времён. Кн. 1. Т. 1-5. СПб., 1895-1896?;
Соловьёв С. М. История России с древнейших времён. Кн. 2. Т. 6-10. СПб., 1895-1896;
Соловьёв С. М. История России с древнейших времен. Т. 1. М., 1874;
Соловьёв С. М. История России с древнейших времен. Т. 2. М., 1879;
Соловьёв С. М. История России с древнейших времен. Т. 3. М., 1880;
Соловьёв С. М. История России с древнейших времен. Т. 4. М., 1881;
Соловьёв С. М. История России с древнейших времен. Т. 5. М., 1882;
Соловьёв С. М. История России с древнейших времен. Т. 6. М., 1887;
Соловьёв С. М. История России с древнейших времен. Т. 7 М., 1889;
Соловьёв С. М. Об историческом движении русского народонаселения. СПб., 1867;