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N. M. Karamzin appointed the official historiographer under the decree of the emperor Alexander I
The famous Russian historian, writer of political essays Nikolai Mikhailovitch Karamzin was born on December 1 (12), 1766 in the town of Simbirsk. He spent his childhood in a middle-sized estate of his father, a Simberian noble. At the age of 14 he entered a Moscow private boarding school of the professor I.M. Shaden, attending at the same time lectures at the University.
In 1784 Karamzin started working for the “Children reading” journal editor of which was N.I. Novikov. In May of 1789 Nikolai Mikhailovitch went abroad and had been travelling in Europe until September of 1790 having visited Germany, Switzerland, France and England. On his return to Moscow Karamzin started editing the “Moscow journal” (1791-1792) where he published his “Letters of a Russian traveler”. In 1802-1803 N.M. Karamzin edited literature-political journal “Bulletin of Europe” where along with articles on literature and art there were presented the issues of domestic and foreign policy of Russia, history and political life of foreign countries.
On October 31 (November 12) 1803 under the personal decree of Alexander I Nikolai Mikhailovitch Karamzin was appointed a historiographer “to compose a complete History of the Fatherland”. In order to complete this task “an annual pension” of 2 thousand rubles was assigned for him. This post authorized Karamzin “to read old manuscripts treating of the Russian antiquities stored in monasteries and other libraries in charge of the Holy Synod”. From that day on until his death Nikolai Mikhailovitch was working on the main paper of his life. From 1816 to 1824 the first 11 volumes of “The history of the Russian State” were published in St.-Petersburg. The books were very successful and contributed to the increase of interest for the country’s history in different levels of population. Alexander I had also highly appreciated the work. The emperor ordered to sent “The history” over to the ministries and embassies having noted in the accompanying letter that statesmen and diplomats were obliged to know their national history.
Karamzin related the entire history of Russia with the monarchy. He considered the monarchy as a form of state governing that develops from the complete autocracy of a tsar to the enlightened monarchy. According to V.O. Klyutchevsky, Karamzin supported the following point: “Russia, first of all, has to be a great, powerful and formidable country in Europe, and only the monarchy is able to make it such”. The historical concept of Karamzin became official, supported by the state power but criticized by a series of historians and public figures.
Karamzin died in St.-Petersburg in 1826 not having finished the 12th volume of the “History of the Russian state” covering the events of the “interlunation”.
Lit.: Гуковский Г. А. Карамзин // История русской литературы. Т. 5. Ч. 1. М.; Л., 1941; Карамзин Николай Михайлович [Электронный ресурс] // Lib.ru/Классика. 2018. URL: http://az.lib.ru/k/karamzin_n_m/index.shtml#gr2; Козлов В. П. «История государства Российского» Н. М. Карамзина в оценках современников. М., 1989.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Nikolay Karamzin (1766–1826): [digital collection];
Анучин Д. Н. Столетие «Писем русского путешественника». М., 1891;
Бестужев-Рюмин К. Н. Николай Михайлович Карамзин. Очерк жизни и деятельности. СПб., 1895;
Грот Я. К. Карамзин в истории русского литературного языка. СПб., 1867;
Калачов Н. В. О значении Карамзина в истории русского законодательства. М., 1866;
Карамзин и Сперанский. Paris, 1858;
Карамзин Н. М. Письма русского путешественника. СПб., 1881;
Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского. Кн. 1. Т. 1-4. СПб., 1842;
Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского. Кн. 2. Т. 5-8. СПб., 1842;
Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского. Кн. 3. Т. 9-12. СПб., 1843;
Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского. Т. 1-2. СПб., 1851;
Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского. Т. 3-4. СПб., 1851-1852;
Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского. Т. 5-6. СПб., 1852;
Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского. Т. 7-8. СПб., 1852;
Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского. Т. 9-10. СПб., 1852;
Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского. Т. 11-12. СПб., 1853;
Карамзин Н. М. Неизданныя сочинения и переписка Николая Михайловича Карамзина. Ч. 1. СПб., 1862;