Nikolai Karamzin, whose biography begins on December 1, 1766, was born in the Simbirsk province, in a poor noble family of educated and enlightened parents. He received his first education in the private boarding house of Professor Shaden. After that, like many other secular young people, he went to serve in the Guards Regiment, which was considered one of the best.
It was at this time that Nikolai Karamzin, whose brief biography is presented in this article, for the first time clearly realizes the need for his own path that is different from the usual one: a successful career, position in society, ranks and honors. All this did not at all attract the future writer. Having served in the army for less than a year, he, in the low rank of lieutenant, resigned in 1784 and returned to his native Simbirsk.
Life in provincial Simbirsk
Outwardly, Karamzin lives a disordered, scattered life of a secular man, shining with metropolitan manners and gallant handling of ladies. Nikolai Mikhailovich dresses fashionably, monitors his appearance, plays cards. At the provincial balls, he was a deft and brilliant gentleman. But all this is only external manifestations of his character.
At this time, Karamzin, whose biography is rich in rather unexpected turns and events, seriously thinks about his place in life, reads a lot, meets interesting people. He has already received a good education, but continues to develop, acquiring new knowledge in various fields. Karamzin is most interested in history, literature and philosophy.
Family friend Ivan Petrovich Turgenev, a freemason and writer, who was in great friendship with Nikolai Ivanovich Novikov (who was also a freemason, a talented journalist, book publisher and satirist), played a role in the life of the future writer. On his advice, Nikolai Mikhailovich moved to Moscow and met Novikov's circle. Thus began a new period in his life, covering the time from 1785 to 1789. Let's say a few words about him separately.
Meet the Freemasons
Four years of communication with a circle of Masons greatly changed the image of Karamzin, his life and thinking. Note that the history of Freemasonry in Russia is not yet fully understood. It has long been considered by science as mostly reactionary. However, in recent years, the point of view on this movement has changed somewhat.
Masonic lodges are special moral and religious circles founded for the first time in England in the eighteenth century, and later in other states, including in our country. At the heart of the code, which Freemasons professed, is the need for spiritual self-improvement of man. They also had their own political programs, largely related to religious and moral ones. The activities of the Masons were characterized by theatrical rituals, mystery, knightly and other rituals that have a mystical connotation. She was saturated intellectually and spiritually, was distinguished by high moral principles and seriousness. Masons kept apart. Here is such an atmosphere, described in general terms, that has surrounded Karamzin since then. He began to communicate with interesting people: Nikolai Ivanovich Novikov (see photo below) and Alexei Mikhailovich Kutuzov. The influence of such outstanding personalities gave a powerful impetus to the development of writing talent and its creative self-determination.
First, Karamzin translates fiction into Russian, and later begins to write for the magazine "Children's Reading", the publisher of which was Nikolai Ivanovich Novikov, his first poetic works. It was during this period that he realized his writing talent.
But now the period of self-determination ends, and with it the Masonic period of the young writer’s life. The frames of Masonic lodges become cramped for him; he wants to know life in its wealth, diversity and diversity. To become a professional writer, you need to experience its good and bad sides first hand. Therefore, Karamzin, whose biography was considered as part of this publication, leaves the Masons and goes on a trip.
Euro-trip
To do this, Nikolai Mikhailovich mortgaged his hereditary estate and decided to spend all the money received on a trip to Europe, then to describe it. It was a very bold and unusual step for that time. Indeed, for Karamzin, he meant giving up life on income from a hereditary estate and providing himself at the expense of the labor of serfs. Now Nikolai Mikhailovich was left to earn his living through the work of a professional writer.
Abroad, he spent about a year and a half, traveling around Switzerland, Germany, England and France. Karamzin, whose biography is described in this article, met interesting and prominent people in these countries, not at all feeling like a provincial, representing his country very worthily. He watched, listened, recorded. Nikolai Mikhailovich was attracted to people's homes, historical monuments, factories, universities, street festivals, taverns, village weddings.
He evaluated and compared the characters and customs of one or another nationality, studied the features of speech, wrote descriptions of street scenes in his book, kept records of various conversations and his own thoughts. In the fall of 1790, Karamzin returned to Russia, after which he began to publish the Moscow Journal, where he placed his articles, novels, and poems. Here were published the famous “Letters of a Russian Traveler” and the “Poor Liza” that brought him great fame.
Almanac Edition
Over the next few years, Nikolai Mikhailovich publishes almanacs, among which was the three-volume almanac "Aonides", written in verse, as well as the collection "My trinkets", which includes various novels and poems. Karamzin comes to fame. He is known and loved not only in two capitals (Petersburg and Moscow), but throughout Russia.
The historical story "Martha the Posadnitsa"
One of the first works of Karamzin, written in prose, is published in 1803, "Martha the Posadnitsa" (the genre is a historical novel). It was written long before the fascination with Walter Scott's novels began in Russia. In this story, Karamzin’s attraction to antiquity, classics as an unattainable ideal of morality, which was outlined in the mid-1790s in the utopia “Athenian life”, was manifested.
In an epic, antique form, the struggle of Novgorodians with Moscow was presented in his work by Nikolai Karamzin. The “Posadnitsa” touched upon important worldview issues: about the monarchy and the republic, about the people and leaders, about the “divine” historical predestination and disobedience to it of an individual person. The author's sympathies were clearly on the side of Novgorodians and Martha, and not of monarchist Moscow. This story also revealed the philosophical contradictions of the writer. The historical truth was undoubtedly on the side of the Novgorodians. However, Novgorod is doomed, bad omens are the harbingers of the imminent death of the city, and later they are justified.
The story "Poor Lisa"
But the greatest success was the story "Poor Lisa", published back in 1792. Often found in eighteenth-century Western literature, a story about how a nobleman seduced a peasant woman or a bourgeois was first developed in Russian literature by Karamzin in Russian literature. The biography of a morally pure, beautiful girl, as well as the idea that similar tragic fates can be found in the reality around us, contributed to the huge success of this work. It was also important that N.M. Karamzin (“Poor Liza” became his “calling card”) taught his readers to notice the beauty of their native nature and love it. The humanistic orientation of the work was invaluable for the literature of that time.
The story "Natalia, the boyar daughter"
In the same year, 1792, the story "Natalia, the boyar's daughter" was born. She is not as famous as "Poor Liza", however, it touches on very important moral issues that worried contemporaries N.M. Karamzin. One of the most important in the work is the problem of honor.
Alex, beloved of Natalia, was an honest man who served the Russian Tsar. Therefore, he confessed to his "crime" that he had abducted the daughter of Matvey Andreev, beloved boyar of the sovereign. But the king blesses their marriage, seeing that Alex is a worthy person. The girl’s father does the same. Finishing the story, the author writes that the newlyweds lived happily ever after and were buried together. They were distinguished by sincere love and devotion to the sovereign.
In the story created by Karamzin ("Boyar's daughter"), the question of honor is inseparable from serving the king. Happy is the one whom the emperor loves. Therefore, the life of this family is developing so well, because virtue is rewarded.
Deserved fame
Provincial youth read out the works of Karamzin. The inherent in his works light, conversational, natural style, elegant and at the same time democratic artistic manner were revolutionary in terms of the perception of the works by the public. For the first time, the concept of a fascinating, interesting reading is being formed, and with it the literary worship of the author.
Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, whose biography and work attracted many people, is very famous. Enthusiastic young people from all over the country come to Moscow only to look at their beloved writer. Lizin Pond, which became famous due to the events of the story "Poor Liza" located in the village of Kolomenskoye near Moscow, begins to play the role of a symbolic place, people come here to confess their love or to be sad alone.
Work on the "History of the Russian State"
After some time, Karamzin abruptly and unexpectedly changes his life. Leaving fiction, he is taken for a huge historical work - "The History of the Russian State." The idea of this work, apparently, has long matured in his imagination.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Alexander I, the beloved grandson of Catherine II, began his reign . At first he was a liberal and enlightened ruler. In historical narratives, even such a name as "Alexander spring" has entered.
Friend of Karamzin and former teacher of the young emperor M.N. Muravyov petitioned that Nikolai Mikhailovich be appointed to the post of court historiographer. This appointment was very important for Karamzin and opened up enormous opportunities for him. Now he received a pension (as we know, the writer had no other means of livelihood). But most importantly, he was given access to historical archives, which were of great importance. Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, whose biography is presented to your attention, plunged into the work with his head: he read manuscripts and books on history, sorted out ancient folios, wrote out, compared.
It is hard to imagine what a great job the historian Karamzin did. Indeed, the creation of twelve volumes of his “History of the Russian State” took twenty-three years of hard work, from 1803 to 1826. The presentation of historical events was distinguished, as far as possible, by impartiality and reliability, as well as an excellent artistic style. The narrative was brought to the "troubled times" in the history of the Russian state. The death of Nikolai Mikhailovich did not allow to carry out a large-scale plan to the end.
The works of Karamzin, his works, published in twelve volumes, following one after another, evoked numerous readership. Perhaps for the first time in history, the printed book provoked such a surge in the national identity of the inhabitants of Russia. Karamzin revealed to the people his story, explained his past.
The content of labor was perceived very ambiguously. So, freedom-loving youth was inclined to dispute the support of the monarchical system, which was shown in the pages of the History of the Russian State by historian Karamzin. And the young Pushkin even wrote daring epigrams to the venerable historian in those years. In his opinion, this work proved "the need for autocracy and the charm of a whip."
Karamzin, whose books left no one indifferent, was always restrained in response to criticism, calmly perceived both ridicule and praise.
Opinion on the "History of the Russian State" A.S. Pushkin
Having moved to live in St. Petersburg, he, starting in 1816, spends every summer in Tsarskoye Selo with his family. Karamzins are cordial hosts who host such famous poets as Vyazemsky, Zhukovsky and Batyushkov in their living room, as well as educated youth. Young A.S. Pushkin, enthusiastically listening to the elders reading poetry, caring for his wife N.M. Karamzin, already an elderly, but charming and intelligent woman, whom he even decided to send a declaration of love. The wise and experienced Karamzin forgave the young man’s trick, as well as his daring epigrams on the “History”.
Ten years later, Pushkin, already a mature man, would take a different look at the great work of Nikolai Mikhailovich. In 1826, being in exile in Mikhailovsky, he wrote in the “Note on Public Education” that the history of Russia should be taught according to Karamzin, and he would call this work not only the work of a great historian, but also a heroic deed of an honest man.
On the part of Alexander Sergeyevich, this was not a gesture of loyalty to the authorities with the hope of pardon and return from exile. Not at all, because a year later, after returning, Pushkin will return to History again, once again appreciating it.
last years of life
The characterization of Karamzin would be incomplete without a description of the last years of his life. The past ten years have passed very happily. He was friends with the king himself, Alexander I. Friends often walked together in Tsarskoye Selo Park, talking for a long time, peacefully and sedately. It is possible that the emperor, realizing the nobleness and decency of Nikolai Mikhailovich, told him much more than the palace officials. Karamzin often did not agree with the arguments and thoughts of Alexander I. However, he did not take offense at all, but listened attentively and took note. The "Note on Ancient and New Russia", which the writer handed to the emperor, contains many points in which the historian did not agree with the policies of the government of that time.
Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, whose books were very popular during his lifetime, did not seek either awards or ranks. True, it should be said that he had an order ribbon, to which, however, he always treated with light irony and humor.