“He was an expression of this life”: The Presidential Library’s materials illustrate Konstantin Pobedonostsev

June 2, 2019 marks the 192th anniversary of the birth of a major Russian statesman, jurist, chief procurator of the Most Holy Synod Konstantin Pobedonostsev. The Presidential Library’s portal features a collection about his controversial personality. It includes digital copies of more than a hundred and fifty rare documents - diaries, official notes, projects, biographical materials, as well as the most general reports of the Procurator-General and his scientific works.  

By the way, our interest in Konstantin Pobedonostsev as a personality is not accidental. The Presidential Library is located in Saint-Petersburg on Senate Square, 3 in the very building where the Holy Synod used to be located.

However, before taking throne of the Russian Empire, Konstantin Petrovich went a long, but impetuous way, made a brilliant career, which he built diligently, stubbornly - brick by brick.

Pobedonostsev was born in Moscow in the family of Peter Vasilyevich, a professor of literature, and his second wife, Elena. The grandfather of the future chief prosecutor was a priest. After graduating from the St. Petersburg School of Law in 1846, Konstantin served in the Moscow departments of the Governing Senate and at the same time taught at the law faculty of Moscow University. Pobedonostsev was a man of irrepressible energy, a living mind. On the basis of his lectures and extensive research work, he wrote “The Course of Civil Law” - a work that became fundamental for lawyers not only of the XIX century, but also of today. An electronic copy of all three parts is available in the Presidential Library’s collections, which today number than 770,000 items.

Speaking about the character formation of Pobedonostsev, there are the metamorphosis that occurred with his worldview. During the reign of Alexander II, he was known for his liberal views — he even wrote articles in Herzen's Bell. But after the assassination of the emperor, there was not a trace left of them... Konstantin Petrovich brought down a barrage of criticism on the reforms of 1860–70 and published his famous manifesto “On the inviolability of the autocracy”. Moscow collected works say “the great lie of our time” and predicts future upheavals in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.

Largely due to the reputation of a zealous statesman and brilliant pedagogical skills, Pobedonostsev is moving closer to the royal family, becoming the tutor of Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich and Nikolai Alexandrovich - the future emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II.

In 1880, Konstantin Petrovich was appointed as chief procurator of the Holy Synod. The highest organ of church government, he headed for more than a quarter century. Without exaggeration, we can say that it was the era of Pobedonostsev. Possessing an unprecedented gift of conviction, he easily sought to enforce his policy.

Anyway, it is difficult to find a person more suitable and responsible for the position of head of the Church. Pobedonostsev fought and always achieved the desired: when it significantly increased the number of temples and monasteries, and the clergy received a number of privileges. More information is available in the letters of Konstantin Petrovich to Emperor Nicholas II with his resolutions (1895), copies of which are available on the Presidential Library’s portal.

The chief procurator played the leading role in the educational policy of the empire. He organized a system of parochial schools, real and popular schools. The main objectives of the reform were to increase the literacy of the population in villages and small towns, to strengthen patriotism and, of course, the love of autocratic power focused on the education of future generations.   

In addition, Konstantin Petrovich was well aware: the religious foundations must be clear to everyone. Based on such considerations, Pobedonostsev personally made a new translation of the New Testament.

Like any influential, talented politician, Pobedonostsev had rather strong enemies. On the night of March 8-9, 1901, an assassination attempt was made on the chief procurator of the Holy Synod. The son of a titular adviser to statistics of the Samara provincial zemstvo Nikolai Lagovsky shot at him through the window of his home office on Liteyny Prospekt in Petersburg. Miraculously, Konstantin Petrovich was not injured - the bullets hit the ceiling. The terrorist was then caught and sentenced to 6 years in prison. A more severe sentence was supposed, but Pobedonostsev convinced the court to lighten it...

Not only the Church was for Pobedonostsev’s policy. Up until his death in 1881, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was friends with him. And one of the first steps of Konstantin Petrovich in the position of chief procurator was to appeal to the tsar with a request to assist the relatives of the great writer. This petition is cited in the documentary film “Ober-Prosecutor of the Holy Synod Konstantin Pobedonostsev”.

The assessment of the activity of the chief procurator of the Most Holy Synod by historians is polar: some extol his services in ruling Russia, others blame excessive rigidity and conservatism... But one way or another, Pobedonostsev devotedly served the Fatherland literally until the last day of his life, firmly believing that he could save and to multiply his greatness.

After retiring from his post as head of the highest church body in 1905, Konstantin Petrovich remained in the State Council, served as Secretary of State and Senator. Pobedonostsev died on March 10, 1907, and was buried at the altar of the church of the St. Vladimir Church-Teacher School founded by him in St. Petersburg (now in the courtyard in Moscow Avenue, 104). He died in ten years.