Pogodin Mikhail Petrovich, whose biography and work are the subject of this review, was one of the prominent and prominent Russian historians of the 19th century. In addition, he is known as a public figure, publicist, publisher, antiquarian, and writer. His source studies contributed to the development of Russian historical science, and his research methodology was really a new word in the science of that time.
Some facts of life
Pogodin Mikhail Petrovich, whose brief biography is the subject of this article, lived a long and fruitful life (1800-1875). He was the son of a serf peasant Count Saltykov, but received a free education and entered the historical and philological faculty of Moscow University. Here he defended his master's thesis and became a professor.
He taught domestic and world history, and soon Mikhail Pogodin became the head of the department of Russian history, which was founded according to the university charter in 1835. However, after some time he was forced to leave this post. This happened in 1844 due to a conflict with the trustee of the institution. Since then, Pogodin devoted himself exclusively to research, journalistic and social activities. From 1820 to 1850 he published magazines of the conservative trend.
Work with sources
Pogodin Mikhail Petrovich is known as a collector of Russian antiquities. He collected old manuscripts and various rarities. He carefully described and published them. In this regard, his works were fruitful for historical science. After all, just at that time she was experiencing her heyday. Therefore, the introduction of scientific sources was extremely relevant. Mikhail Petrovich began to collect his collection Pogodin back in 1830. He found a significant number of ancient things: icons, images, seals, autographs of famous people, ancient manuscripts, including act material. All this has received the name "Timber storage".
Proceedings
The historian paid special attention to ancient and medieval Russian history. The focus of his attention was the problem of the emergence of the state. In 1825 he wrote a master's thesis "On the Origin of Russia." This question interested him because it was in him that he saw the difference in the development paths of our country and Western European states. So, he contrasted the conquest that occurred in these lands with the peaceful calling of the Varangians in Russia. In 1834, Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin defended his second dissertation, On the Chronicles of Nestor, in which he outlined the problem of sources. In addition, he was interested in the question of the reasons for the rise of Moscow. And the first of the historians created the theory of “collecting power” by its rulers.
Periodization
Pogodin Mikhail Petrovich created his chronological grid of the history of Russia. The starting point for him was the vocation of the Vikings. However, he made a reservation that the Slavic factor was of great importance in the creation of the state. He completed this first period with the rule of Yaroslav, by the time of which he attributed the final formation of Russian statehood. He determined the boundary of the second stage by the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars and the establishment of the Horde yoke. The next period, Moscow, he attributed to the time until the beginning of the reign of Peter I. And finally, Mikhail Petrovich called Pogodin the modern era to him a time that was national-distinctive, and he spoke especially positively of the abolition of serfdom.
Comparison of domestic and world history
The scientist expressed a number of interesting thoughts about common and distinctive features about the development of Europe and Russia. In his opinion, their past has many parallels: feudalism and the specific system, its subsequent weakening and strengthening of monarchical power. However, the researcher argued that despite the common features, these stories will never intersect. He finally came to the conclusion that our country is developing in a special way. This is possible due to the fact that the state was founded by peaceful calling, and not conquest. And so the empire is safe from the revolutions that were taking place on the continent at that time.
About the meaning of history
The author, in principle, was close to the Slavophiles, since the latter also spoke about the original path of development of Russia. Approximately the same ideas were developed in his writings by Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin. The main historical work of the researcher is, perhaps, “Studies, remarks and lectures on Russian history”. He attached great importance to this discipline in moral and patriotic education, since he saw in it a guardian and guardian of public order. He believed that in our country there is no reason for revolutionary upheaval, since the people were originally devoted to autocracy, the Orthodox faith and their native language. Thus, the scientist approached the theory of official nationality, which was created at that time.
About the rulers
Pogodin Mikhail Petrovich, whose photo is presented in the article, in addition to medieval and ancient history, also dealt with later time. Of particular interest are his assessments of various rulers. So, he considered the reign of Ivan the Terrible a natural stage in the formation of Russian statehood. The historian highly appreciated the Petrine reforms, believing that their premises arose even before the beginning of his reign. So, the work and activities of Pogodin occupy a prominent place in the development of domestic historiography.