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Birthday anniversary of Nikolai V. Kalachov, historian, lawyer, archaeographer, archivist
Nikolai Vasilyevich Kalachov, lawyer, historian, archaeographer archivist, professor of history of Russian law, was born in a noble family May 26 (June 7), 1819, in the village Vesky, Yuriev county, Vladimir province.
First, the boy was educated in his estate under the guidance of tutors from abroad. One of his teachers, Ph.D. Gegerman, inculcated in Kalachov a great love for history. From 1831, Nikolai Vasilyevich studied in Moscow: first, in Cermak’s boarding school, then at the Moscow Institute of Nobility. Upon graduation in 1836, he entered the Moscow University, Faculty of Law. While still a student, Nikolai Vasilyevich wrote a study, "On Sudebnik of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich," published in the collected works, "Legal notes" issued by P. G. Redkin and K. K. Yanevich-Yanevski.
In 1840, on the recommendation of M. P. Pogodin, Nikolai Kalachov joined the Archaeography Committee in Petersburg, where he studied in the original Old Russian acts. Three years later he was sent by the Commisttee to Moscow to work in the archives under guidance of the famous archeographer M. P. Stroev, but for family reasons, was forced to quit the service and start farming at the family estate.
Returning to Moscow in 1846, Kalachov got the post of librarian in Moscow General Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The same year, he defended his master's thesis, "The preliminary legal research for a full explanation of the "Russkaya Pravda," and issued "The text of Russkaya Pravda on the basis of the lists of four different editions," which stood four reprints (1846-1888). In 1847, he published a paper "On the importance of Kormchaya (collections of church and secular laws) in the Old Russian law system" that strengthened his authority specialist in the history of Russian law.
From 1848 to 1852, Nikolai Vasilyevich was a professor at the department of history of Russian legislation at Moscow University. Most of his course, he devoted to a critical review and analysis of monuments of Russian legislation. In 1850, Kalachov began publishing "Archives of historical and legal information about Russia", which included studies both on the Old Russian legislation and the ancient life in general. In 1857, Kalachov’s edition was renamed to "Archives of historical and practical information related to Russia."
In 1851, Kalachov was re-elected member of Archaeography Committee; he was entrusted with the publication of the "Addenda to historical acts." To collect historical materials, Nikolai Vasilyevich made two archaeographic expeditions in 1852 and 1853; he visited Orel, Vladimir, Saratov, Samara, Tambov and Ryazan provinces.
In 1857, when he was in St. Petersburg, Kalachov enlisted in the Second Branch of the Office of His Majesty and took the editorship of the third edition of the “Code of civil laws." In December 1858, he was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences in the category of Historical and Political Science. As a member of the drafting committee, Kalachov participated in the preparation of the reform of February 19 (March 3), 1861, then was a member-editor of the Commission on the preparation of judicial reform of 1864. Later, Nikolai Vasilyevich was chairman of the committee, established under the Geographical Society to collect people's legal traditions. In 1864, he published the study, "Artels of ancient and present-day Russia."
In 1864, St. Petersburg University gave Kalachov the degree of Doctor of Civil Law for his scholarly works, and four years later he was elected to honorary membership.
In 1865, Nikolai Vasilyevich started managing the Moscow Archives of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Empire and formed there a special "academic department" for the systematic description of archival documents. In 1884, he personally initiated the adoption of the decision to form a network of provincial Russian historical archives and provincial academic archival commissions. April 13 (25), 1884, under the imperial provision "On the establishment of the provincial historical archives and academic archival commissions" "as an experiment" the first provincial academic archival commission were created in Tver, Tambov, Ryazan and Orel provinces.
In 1873, Kalachov proposed to establish a Provisional Commission on the arrangement of archives. The proposal was approved by the emperor and the Commission was created. It was chaired by Kalachov and included representatives of various departments. In 1877, Nikolai Vasilyevich organized the creation and became the first director of the Archaeological Institute of St. Petersburg. At the institute Kalachov began publishing the journal, "Collected works of the Archaeological Institute" (from 1885 it was titled "Bulletin of Archaeology and History.")
In 1860-1864, Kalachov published St. Petersburg journal "Legal Bulletin" and in 1867-1870 he was the first editor of the "Legal Bulletin" published by Moscow Law Society.
Nikolai Vasilyevich Kalachov died on October 25 (November 6), 1885in the village of Volhonschina, Serdobsky County, Saratov Province.
Lit.: Памяти Николая Васильевича Калачова: [Сборник]. [СПб., 1885].
From the Presidential library materials:
Калачов Н. В. О значении Карамзина в истории русского законодательства. М., 1866;
Калачов Н. В. О значении Кормчей в системе древнего русского права. М., 1850;
Калачов Н. В. Предварительные юридические сведения для полного объяснения Русской Правды. М., 1846;
Текст Русской правды на основании четырех списков разных редакций / издал Н. Калачов. М., 1846;