The famous official and reformer Mikhail Speransky (years of life: 1772-1839) is known as the author of several programs to change the legislation of Russia at the beginning of the XIX century. He experienced the peak and decline of his career, not all of his ideas were realized, but it was his name that is synonymous with the liberal direction in which our state could develop under Alexander I and Nicholas I.
Childhood
The future prominent statesman Mikhail Speransky was born on January 1, 1772 in the Vladimir province. He was of noble birth - his father worked in the church, and his mother was the daughter of a deacon. It was the parents who most influenced the character and interests of the child. He quickly learned to read and write and read a lot. Great influence on Misha was made by his grandfather, who went to church a lot, and also introduced his grandson to such important books as The Hourglass and The Apostle.
Even after his exaltation, Mikhail Speransky did not forget about his origin. As Secretary of State, he himself cleaned his chambers and was generally distinguished by modesty in everyday life and habits.
Michael began his systematic studies in 1780 at the walls of the Vladimir Diocesan Seminary. It was there that, thanks to his outstanding abilities, the boy was first recorded under the name of Speransky, which was tracing paper from the Latin adjective, translating as “promising”. The father of the child was Vasiliev. Mikhail Speransky immediately stood out from the total mass of students with his quick wit, desire to learn, a love of reading, as well as a modest but firm character. The seminary allowed him to learn Latin and Ancient Greek.
Moving to Petersburg
Michael could stay in Vladimir and begin a church career. He even became a cell attendant at a local abbot. But already in 1788, as one of the brightest and most talented students, Speransky was given the opportunity to go to St. Petersburg and continue his studies at the Alexander Nevsky Seminary. This institution was under the direct control of the Synod. Here new programs were developed and the best teachers taught.
In a new place, Speransky Mikhail Mikhailovich studied not only theology, but also secular disciplines, including higher mathematics, physics, philosophy and the French language, which at that time was international. A strict discipline reigned in the seminary, thanks to which students developed skills of many hours of intense mental work. After Speransky learned to read in French, he became interested in the works of scientists of this country. Access to the best and latest books made the young seminarian one of the most educated people in the country.
In 1792, Speransky Mikhail Mikhailovich graduated from his studies. He remained at the seminary, where for several years he was a teacher of mathematics, philosophy and eloquence. In his free time, he was fond of fiction, and also wrote poetry. Some of them were published in St. Petersburg magazines. All the activities of a seminary teacher showed him a multilateral person with the broadest horizons.
The beginning of public service
In 1795, young Speransky, on the recommendation of Metropolitan Gabriel, was hired by Alexander Kurakin. He was a prominent metropolitan official and diplomat. With the accession to the throne of Paul I, he was appointed prosecutor general. Kurakin needed a secretary who could handle a large amount of work. Such a person was Speransky Mikhail Mikhailovich. In short, he preferred a secular career to a career within the Church. At the same time, the seminary did not want to part with a talented teacher. The metropolitan invited him to take monastic tonsure, after which Speransky could count on the rank of bishop. However, he refused and in 1797 received the rank of titular adviser in the office of the Attorney General.
Very quickly, the official ascended the career ladder. Just a couple of years later, he became a state adviser. Biography of Speransky Mikhail Mikhailovich is a story of rapid exaltation in service due to his unique capacity for work and talent. These qualities allowed him not to be fooled by his superiors, which became the reason for his unquestioned authority in the future. Indeed, Speransky worked primarily for the good of the state, and only then thought about his own interests.
The rise of the reformer
In 1801, Alexander I became the new emperor of Russia. He was radically different from his tyrannical father Paul, who was known for military manners and conservative views. The new monarch was a liberal and wanted to carry out in his country all the reforms that were necessary for the normal development of the state. In general, they consisted in expanding the freedoms of the population.
Mikhail Speransky also had the same views. The biography of this figure is extremely curious: he met Alexander I, when he was still the heir to the throne, and the official was engaged in the arrangement of St. Petersburg, being a state adviser. Young people immediately found a common language, and the future king did not forget the figure of a bright native from the Vladimir province. With the accession to the throne, Alexander I appointed Speransky as Secretary of State with Dmitry Troshchinsky. This man was a senator and one of the proxies of the new emperor.
Soon, the activities of Mikhail Speransky attracted the attention of members of the Secret Committee. These were the statesmen closest to Alexander, united in one circle to work out decisions on pressing reforms. Speransky became an assistant to the famous Victor Kochubey.
In the secret committee
Already in 1802, thanks to the Secret Committee, Alexander I established the ministries. They replaced the outdated and ineffective colleges of the Petrine era. Kochubey became the first Minister of the Interior, and Speransky became his Secretary of State. He was an ideal clerical worker: he worked with papers for tens of hours a day. Soon, Mikhail Mikhailovich began to write his own notes to the highest persons, in which he outlined his thoughts on the projects of various reforms.
Here it will not be amiss to mention once again that Speransky's views were formed thanks to a reading of the French thinkers of the 18th century: Voltaire, etc. The liberal ideas of the state secretary were echoed by the authorities. Soon he was appointed head of the department involved in the development of reform projects.
It was under the leadership of Mikhail Mikhailovich that the main provisions of the famous “Decree on Free Tillage” were formulated. This was the first timid step by the Russian authorities on the path to abolishing serfdom. According to the decree, the nobles could now let the peasants along with the land. Despite the fact that this initiative found a very small response from the privileged estate, Alexander was pleased with the work done. He instructed to begin developing a plan of fundamental reforms in the country. Speransky Mikhail Mikhailovich was put at the head of this process. A brief biography of this statesman is amazing: he, without possessing connections, only thanks to his own abilities and hard work was able to get to the top of the political Olympus of Russia.
Between 1803 and 1806 Speransky became the author of a large number of notes delivered to the emperor. In the papers, the state secretary analyzed the then state of the judiciary and the executive branch. The main proposal of Mikhail Mikhailovich was to change the state system. According to his notes, Russia was to become a constitutional monarchy, where the emperor was deprived of absolute power. These projects remained unrealized, but Alexander approved many of Speransky's theses. Thanks to his enormous work, this official also completely changed the language of clerical communication in state structures. He abandoned the numerous archaisms of the XIX century, and his thoughts on paper, devoid of uselessness, were clear and maximally clear.
Assistant Emperor
In 1806, Alexander I made the former seminarian his chief assistant, “taking” him from Kochubey. The emperor needed just such a man as Speransky Mikhail Mikhailovich. A brief biography of this civil servant cannot do without a description of his relationship with the monarch. Alexander valued Speransky primarily for his isolation from various aristocratic circles, each of which lobbied for its own interests. This time, Michael’s obscure background played into his hands. He began to receive instructions personally from the king.
In this status, Speransky took up education in theological seminaries - a personally related topic. He became the author of the charter governing all the activities of these institutions. These rules existed safely until 1917. Another important enterprise of Speransky as an auditor of Russian education is a note in which he outlined the principles of work for the future Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. For several generations this institution has taught the color of the nation - young men from the most aristocratic families. His graduate was Alexander Pushkin.
Diplomatic service
At the same time, Alexander I was very busy with foreign policy. Going to Europe, he invariably took Speransky with him. So it was in 1807, when the Erfurt Congress with Napoleon took place. It was then that Europe first learned who Mikhail Speransky was. A short biography of this official necessarily mentions his skills of the polyglot. But until 1807, he had never been abroad.
Now, thanks to his knowledge of languages and his education, Speransky was able to pleasantly surprise all the foreign delegations that were present in Erfurt. Napoleon himself drew attention to the assistant of Alexander and even allegedly jokingly asked the Russian emperor to change the talented state secretary "to some kingdom." But abroad Speransky also noted the practical benefits of his stay in the delegation. He took part in the discussion and the conclusion of peace between France and Russia. However, the political situation in Europe was shaky then, and soon these agreements were forgotten.
Zenith career
Speransky spent a lot of time working on drafting requirements for entering the civil service. The knowledge of many officials did not correspond to the level of their position. The reason for this situation was the widespread practice of recruiting due to family ties. Therefore, Speransky proposed introducing exams for people who want to become officials. Alexander agreed with this idea, and soon these norms became law.
With the accession of Finland to Russia, Speransky began to lead the reforms in the new province. There was no conservative nobility, so it was in this country that Alexander was able to realize his wildest liberal ideas. In 1810, the Council of State was established. Also appeared the post of Secretary of State, which became Speransky Mikhail Mikhailovich. The activity of the reformer was not in vain. Now he officially became the second person in the state.
Opal
Numerous reforms Speransky affected almost all spheres of life. Somewhere, the changes were radical, which the inert part of society resisted. Nobles did not like Mikhail Mikhailovich, because because of his activities it was their interests that suffered in the first place. By 1812, a group of ministers and associates appeared at the court of the sovereign, who began to intrigue against Speransky. They spread false rumors about him, for example, that he allegedly criticized the emperor. With the approach of the war, many ill-wishers began to recall his connection with Napoleon in Erfurt.
In March 1812, Mikhail Speransky was dismissed from all his posts. He was ordered to leave the capital. In fact, he was in exile: first in Nizhny Novgorod, then in the Novgorod province. After a few years, he nevertheless achieved the removal of the opal.
In 1816 he was appointed Penza governor. Mikhail Speransky, in short, did not know this land well. Nevertheless, thanks to his organizational skills, he was able to become the guarantor of order in the province. The local population fell in love with the former Secretary of State.
After Penza, the official ended up in Irkutsk, where he worked as the Siberian governor from 1819 to 1821. Here the situation was even more neglected than in Penza. Speransky set about arranging: developed charters on the management of national minorities and the conduct of economic activity.
Again in St. Petersburg
In 1821, Mikhail Mikhailovich ended up in St. Petersburg for the first time in many years. He achieved a meeting with Alexander I. The emperor made it clear that the old days when Speransky was the second person in the state are behind. Nevertheless, he was appointed head of the law commission. This was precisely the position in which it was possible to most effectively apply all the experience that Mikhail Speransky owned. The historical portrait of this man shows him as an outstanding reformer. Therefore, he again engaged in transformations.
The first thing the official finished Siberian affairs. According to his notes, administrative reform was carried out. Siberia was divided into Western and Eastern. In the last years of his reign, Alexander I devoted much time to the arrangement of military settlements. Now Speransky, who, along with Aleksei Arakcheev, headed the corresponding commission, was also engaged in them.
When Nicholas I
In 1825, Alexander I. passed away. An unsuccessful performance by the Decembrists took place. Speransky was entrusted with the drafting of the Manifesto about the beginning of the reign of Nicholas I. The new ruler appreciated the services of Speransky, despite the fact that he had his own political view. The famous official remained a liberal. The tsar was a conservative, and the rebellion of the Decembrists set him even more against reforms.
In the years of Nikolaev, Speransky's main work was the compilation of a complete code of laws of the Russian Empire. The multivolume edition combined a huge number of decrees, the first of which appeared in the XVII century. In January 1839, thanks to his merits, Speransky received the title of Count. However, on February 11, he died at the age of 67.
His ebullient and productive activities became the engine of Russian reforms of the first years of the reign of Alexander I. At the zenith of his career, Speransky found himself in an undeserved disgrace, but later returned to his duties. He faithfully served the state, in spite of any adversity.