Konstantin Pobedonostsev "came out of the innermost depths of Russian life"

Konstantin Pobedonostsev - a Russian statesman, legal scholar, publicist, chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, a member of the State Council of the Russian Empire was born in Moscow on June 2 (May 21, old style) 1827. He was a professor at Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Kiev and St. George's Universities, Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev and Kazan Theological Academies, an honorary member of the Paris Academy of Sciences.

Pobedonostsev "...is a phenomenon of extraordinary order. For more than a quarter of a century, his name has attracted the attention of contemporaries, it did not leave the columns of our press, some hated and cursed him, others praised him, worshiped him and blessed him; some saw him as the savior angel of Russia, others saw him as an evil genius. Nobody was indifferent to him”, - the writer and publicist Boris Glinsky characterized him in the article “Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev” posted in the “Historical Herald” (1907), available on the Presidential Library’s portal.

An extensive collection is dedicated to this controversial historical figure on the institution’s portal, including rare, including archival, documents — studies and articles by Konstantin Pobedonostsev, his “most comprehensive reports”, notes and projects, letters, diaries, related biographical materials, and the Innocent documentary Ivanov “Ober-Prosecutor of the Holy Synod Konstantin Pobedonostsev” (2014) and video recording of the report of Doctor of Historical Sciences Sergey Firsov “The Most Holy Governing Synod in the era of Konstantin Pobedonostsev” (2016).

According to Boris Glinsky, “Pobedonostsev left the spiritual family of the Moscow clergy. His grandfather was a priest of Zvenigorod district, and his father was a professor of literature at Moscow University”.

The career of Konstantin Pobedonostsev "Encyclopedic Dictionary" (1898) of the German publisher Friedrich Brockhaus describes as follows: "At the end of the course at the School of Law, he entered the service in the Moscow departments of the Senate; in 1860–65 he held the department of civil law at Moscow University; at the same time was a lecturer in law. Prince Nikolai Alexandrovich, Alexander Alexandrovich, Vladimir Alexandrovich... In 1863 he accompanied the late heir to Tesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich on his trip to Russia... In 1865 he was appointed a member of the consultation of the Ministry of Justice, in 1868 a senator, in 1872 a member of the state council, in 1880, Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod... ". In the same year he was appointed a member of the Committee of Ministers.

According to Boris Glinsky in the above-mentioned article, “the last appointment, according to Novago Vremya “attracted general attention at one time. The fact is that until that time, Chief Prosecutor of the Holy synod, although in its importance in managing the affairs of the Orthodox ministry, held a position almost equal to the ministerial one, was not, however, considered a member of the committee of ministers. …K. P. Pobedonostsev was made a member of the Committee of Ministers personally“”.

In October 1905, after the publication of the Manifesto on October 17 (30), Pobedonostsev resigned.

During his professorship and throughout the public service, “being an employee of the three emperors in a certain area of ​​public administration, the chief procurator of the synod was not limited, however, to a specific area of ​​public affairs assigned to him. And by the rank of member of the State Council, and as a person close to his sovereign leaders, and as a citizen with a strictly defined world outlook, he showed interest and influence in the most diverse sectors of national life, giving his independent and confident voice on all the most important issues of governance”, - wrote Boris Glinsky.

In the 1850s, Pobedonostsev became famous as a writer and publicist of liberal views. This, according to Glinsky, "...the beginning of his literary activity, which immediately revealed a great literary talent and wide legal knowledge in a young senate official, putting him among a number of first-class domestic civilians...".

Konstantin Pobedonostsev has created such works as “Letters on the journey of the Tsar’s heir to the Tsarevich in Russia, from St. Petersburg to the Crimea” (1864), “Materials for the history of court proceedings in Russia” (1890), “The course of civil law” (1896), “The History of Orthodox Church before the separation of churches” (1899), “Moscow Collection” (1901) and many others, both historical-legal and moral-religious in nature, including translations.

Since 1861, at the disposal of the “Secretary of State for temporary work on the organization and transformation of the judicial part” Pobedonostsev was involved in the development of judicial reform in 1864, advocating the principles of the independence of the court, the transparency of the proceedings and the adversarial process of the court.

As the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Governing Synod, in the building of which the Presidential Library is currently located, Pobedonostsev did much to develop the Church and support the clergy.

Konstantin Pobedonostsev also paid much attention to issues of public education. In elementary school, he saw, first of all, the keeper of Russian traditions, religious principles, moral standards. According to the same Almanac of Contemporary Russian State Figures, by the efforts of Pobedonostsev", the salaries and pensions of the teaching staff of theological educational institutions have increased, spread widely and parish schools and literacy schools have reappeared...". 

March 23 (10), 1907, Konstantin Pobedonostsev died in St. Petersburg. He is buried according to his will, at the eastern altar wall of the Church of the Introduction to the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was located in St. Vladimir's Church and Teacher's School for Women, founded by the Pobedonostsev spouses.

In April 1907, Boris Glinsky noted: “Pobedonostsev completely emerged from the innermost depths of Russian life, was a highly peculiar type of Russian scholarly state husband, unusually strong in his analysis and skepticism and weak as the creator of life and forms of this life”.