"History ..." Soloviev - a work that opened a new era in science. About what is remarkable for this work and what distinguishes it from other literature devoted to the same topic, we will discuss this article.
Author Biography
Speaking of any literary work or scientific work, it is difficult to consider it in isolation from the personality of the person who created it. Therefore, the conversation about the "History ..." Soloviev should begin with the author’s biography. Moreover, Sergei Mikhailovich himself, in addition to writings on a historical topic, also wrote an autobiography in the form of notes, which, in his opinion, were of interest not only to his descendants, but also to a wide range of readers.
Soloviev S. M., who wrote the history of Russia , was born in the family of a church employee. Many of his relatives and ancestors were also priests, who lived mainly in small villages. In addition to serving in the church, the father of the future historian taught the Law of God in one of the Moscow schools.
He was a highly educated man, knew several languages. Therefore, there were always many books in the house, which little Sergey began to read willingly and read a lot, having barely learned to read and write. The primary education of his son was engaged in by the father himself. In those years, there was no special literature for children, so the boy had the same works that his parents had read.
First acquaintance with the story
In the early years of his life, Soloviev was most interested in books about wanderings written by famous travelers, as well as historical novels. In those same years, he first got acquainted with the main work of Nikolai Karamzin.
The child was so carried away by this work of the great Russian historian that by the age of 12 he had read all volumes at least 12 times. He was most interested in the years of the reign of John III, as well as the first half of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Sergei Solovyov himself admitted that at that time he liked to read most about those episodes of Russian history when the state was going through the heyday. Such chapters of Karamzin’s “History ...” aroused in the child a sense of pride in their homeland and a desire to study all events related to its formation and development as deeply as possible.
At the junction of geography and history
Soloviev preserved this love for such literature for his whole life. People who were in close contact with him recalled that even during his scientific and teaching activities at Moscow University, he often devoted his free time to reading books about the nature of Russia.
These addictions left their mark on his professional activities. Many pages of Soloviev’s main work, “History of Russia from Ancient Times,” are devoted to describing the features of the landscape, flora and fauna of our country. Sergei Mikhailovich did not cite these details out of a simple desire to fill his work with an excessive abundance of facts. He pursued a much deeper goal. This will be discussed in detail separately in the sections devoted to the features of the scientific worldview, which Sergey Solovyov reflected in "History of Russia from Ancient Times." And now it’s worth saying a few words about the education of the future outstanding scientist.
The influence of religion on the formation of personality
In addition to books written by famous travelers, the boy received information about the nature of distant lands and how the people living in them live from the numerous stories of his nanny.
In her youth she was a serf, but then the owners gave her "free." The difficult life made her wander a lot through the vast expanses of her native country. In these trips, a woman often had to find herself in difficult life situations and even face robbers and robbers. When asked by the excited young listener how the nanny was able to survive all this, she invariably replied that she remained alive thanks to God's help.
In his notes, Soloviev admits that this simple Russian woman influenced his religious worldview no less than his father did.
In addition to ordinary travels, she also spoke about her pilgrimages to various holy places, including the Solovetsky Monastery. Conversations with her laid in the future historian the basis for his religious worldview, which was later reflected in the main work of Solovyov's "History ...".
Education
Like many representatives of the Russian clergy, Sergei Mikhailovich Soloviev’s father wanted his child to follow in his footsteps and continue the priestly dynasty. To do this, many years before the boy reached the required age, he enrolled him in a religious school. Sergey began to master the program of this institution from the age of 12. The school was in another city, so the boy had to take the course in absentia. The law of God and other special subjects were taught to him by his father at home, and the young man attended classes in general educational disciplines at the school where his parent worked.
He traveled to another city only to take exams. According to the historian himself, teaching at this educational institution was carried out at an extremely low level. The educators were rude. Therefore, the boy dreamed at the first suitable opportunity to leave school. He soon got such a chance. His mother did not come from the clergy, but was the daughter of a petty official who rose to the rank of nobleman. Therefore, a woman, although she was a sincere believer, wanted her son to find a profession that was not related to church service.
Soon, the boy began to attend a commercial school. Many teachers who were professors at Moscow State University taught at this institution. Some college graduates continued to receive education at Moscow State University. Sergey Mikhailovich graduated with honors from both of these institutions, after which he defended his doctoral dissertation and began to give a course of lectures on Russian history. Among his students was the future author of a multi-volume work in the same field - Klyuchevsky.
Thus, it is possible to trace the continuity among the three most famous historians of our country: the author of “Russian History from Ancient Times” Soloviev was raised on a book by Karamzin, then became a teacher of Klyuchevsky, a next-generation researcher.
New trends in Russian society
Sergey Mikhailovich Soloviev, born in the 20s of the 19th century, was educated in an era when romanticism was the dominant trend in Russian literature and art. The lyrical heroes of most of the works created by representatives of this movement were looking for ways to escape from the hostile surrounding reality into some other world. Similar sentiments were also permeated by a part of the readership of such authors. Many young people from the intelligentsia and the nobility at that time were fascinated by various mystical religious teachings. Although they recognized the truth of the Orthodox faith, they still considered it the inheritance of the uneducated sections of society.
Orthodox historian
Despite all these newfangled trends, the author of the 29-volume essay on history, Sergei Solovyov, remained faithful to his religious beliefs. Thanks to the upbringing of the priest in the family and communication with people such as his nanny, he not only remained a deeply religious person until the end of his life, but also believed that the baptism of Russia by the Holy Prince Vladimir had a significant impact on the national character.
Therefore, he considered many events of Russian history, taking into account the religious views of the Russian people.
Slavophilism and Westernism
Until the end of the nineteenth century, in Russian society there was a constant confrontation between representatives of two opposing philosophical teachings - Slavophiles and Westerners. Despite his boundless devotion to the Orthodox faith, the author of the multi-volume history of Russia, Solovyov, in his scientific approach to studying did not share the point of view of Westerners: this area of knowledge, like all others, should be based on the foundations of logic and general scientific principles.
Hegel's influence on young minds
In the notes on his life, Soloviev repeatedly admitted that during his studies at the university he and many of his fellow students were passionate about Hegel's philosophy, his dialectics. Despite the fact that, according to him, only a few read the works of the German thinker, however, the ideas contained in them were transmitted to students through young professors.
Global thinking
In many respects following the concepts set forth in Hegel’s works, Soloviev, in the main work of his life, was inclined to consider history not as the result of the activities of individuals and their associates. In all the processes that took place, he tried to find a pattern, to identify the common features of episodes of Russian history and events that took place in other countries of the world. According to his teaching, all states in the process of their existence inevitably go through the same stages of development. Therefore, in the "History of Russia ..." Solovyov does not have that attention to personality traits of rulers, which can be observed in the works of his predecessor Karamzin and his student Klyuchevsky.
Attention to details
This work on the history of Russia Solovyov contains a huge number of diverse facts relating to the economy, politics and cultural life of the country. However, all these details serve to achieve the author’s common goal - to find a common pattern for all world civilizations. It is no coincidence that Sergei Mikhailovich throughout his life showed great interest not only in the events that took place in our country, but also studied literature devoted to other countries. He himself created several works on the history of other states, in particular Poland. Along with this, he tried to find connections between various circumstances and phenomena within the country. He drew a parallel between the large territory of Russia and the attitude of the people to power.
Language of the work
Many critics point out that it is much more difficult to read “History ...” by S. M. Solovyov than, for example, the works of Karamzin. This is due to the oversaturation of his books with various facts. Here, the author, unlike many of his colleagues, acts more as a researcher than a writer creating a work of art. His works contain conclusions substantiated by logic, and not moralizing, as in Karamzin.
About the "History ..." by Sergey Solovyov
This work is central to the life of a scientist. It consists of twenty-nine volumes, which are sometimes published in six books. During the writer's life, all parts except the last were released. With constant regularity, every year, starting in 1851, Soloviev prepared a new book of essays for printing.
This indicates an unprecedented performance and dedication of the author to his work.
The book describes the events that took place on the territory of modern Russia from ancient times to the end of the 18th century. The author was able to explore the history of a huge time period: from the 5th century BC (the ancestors of the Slavic peoples) until the signing of a peace treaty between Russia and Turkey in 1775.