Nikolay Karamzin
Nikolay Mikhailovich Karamzin was born in the small village of Mikhailovka near Simbirsk. This location sits within what is now Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia. Another version claims he arrived into the world in 1765 at a different Mikhailovka village. That second site lies within the Orenburg Governorate where his father served as an officer. Modern historians in Orenburg actively dispute the official birth records to this day. His father Mikhail Yegorovich Karamzin retired from the Imperial Russian Army as a captain. The family belonged to a noble lineage founded by Semyon Karamzin in 1606. Members of that line served as high-ranking officers in Nizhny Novgorod for many years. Nikolay's grandfather Yegor moved the family to Simbirsk with his wife Ekaterina Aksakova. Her family traced back to the ancient Aksakov dynasty related to Sergey Aksakov. Some accounts suggest the surname derived from Kara-mirza, a baptized Tatar ancestor who arrived in Moscow under Russian rule. No records exist for that earliest ancestor. The first documented Karamzin lived as early as 1534.
In 1789, Karamzin resolved to travel across Europe. He visited Germany, France, Switzerland and England during this journey. A plaque in Geneva bears witness to his presence there. Upon returning home he published Letters of a Russian Traveller. These letters met with great success among readers. They were modelled after Laurence Sterne's A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy. The work appeared first in the Moscow Journal which he edited. Later collectors issued the letters in six volumes between 1797 and 1801. In the same periodical he also published translations from French sources. He included original stories like Poor Liza and Natalia the Boyar's Daughter both released in 1792. These stories introduced Russian readers to sentimentalism for the first time. Critics hailed him as "a Russian Sterne". His style proved elegant and flowing rather than long and heavy. It drew inspiration from easy sentences found in French prose writers.
Karamzin is credited for having introduced the letter ë into the Russian alphabet. This change occurred some time after 1795. Prior to that simple E or e had been used exclusively. There existed also a rare form patterned after the existing letter Yu. Note that ë remains an optional character today. Simple E still appears often in books other than dictionaries and school primers. He promoted a more feminine style of writing throughout his career. His example proved beneficial for creating a distinct Russian literary language. This contribution stands as major for the history of Russian literature. Many lighter productions were subsequently printed by him in a volume called My Trifles. Admired figures like Alexander Pushkin and Vladimir Nabokov praised his work. The style of his writings remained elegant and flowing throughout his life.
In 1802 and 1803, Karamzin edited the journal the Envoy of Europe. It was not until after this publication that he realized where his strength lay. He commenced his twelve-volume History of the Russian State immediately thereafter. To accomplish the task he secluded himself for two years at Simbirsk. When Emperor Alexander learned the cause of his retirement he invited Karamzin to Tver. There he read the first eight volumes directly to the emperor. In 1816 he moved to St Petersburg where he spent the happiest days of his life. He enjoyed the favour of Alexander I while submitting sheets of his great work. The emperor read over these pages with him in the gardens of Tsarskoye Selo palace. He did not live to carry the work further than the eleventh volume. He terminated it at the accession of Michael Romanov in 1613. He died on the 22nd of May old style 1826 inside the Tauride Palace. A monument was erected to his memory at Simbirsk in 1845.
Karamzin wrote openly as a panegyrist of the autocracy throughout his career. His historical work has been styled the Epic of Despotism by some critics. He considered Ivan III the architect of Russian greatness instead of Peter the Great. The deeds of Ivan the Terrible were described with disgust within those pages. Upon appointing him state historian, Alexander I greatly valued Karamzin's advice on political matters. His conservative views appeared clearly in The Memoir on Old and New Russia. This document was written for Alexander I in 1812. It served as a scathing attack on reforms proposed by Mikhail Speransky. That text became a cornerstone of official ideology for imperial Russia for years. Some consider him a founding father of Russian conservatism today. The battle pieces demonstrate considerable powers of description within the narrative. Characters of many chief personages appear drawn in firm and bold lines.
Several places in Russia bear names derived from Karamzin himself. Karamzina village now forms part of Ulyanovsk city limits. Proyezd Karamzina exists as a road running through Moscow. Streets named Nikolay Karamzin appear in Kaliningrad, Krasnoyarsk, Mayna and Ulyanovsk Oblast. A monument stands in honor of Karamzin at Ulyanovsk itself. Another monument honors him at Ostafyevo Museum-Estate near the Moscow Ring Road. The Millennium of Russia monument in Veliky Novgorod includes his statue. The Karamzin Public Library in Simbirsk opened to readers on the 18th of April 1848. In 2016 the Central Bank of Russia issued a silver two-ruble coin dedicated to him. This coin appeared in the series Outstanding People of Russia. Two commemorative stamps have been issued depicting N.M. Karamzin since then. One arrived in 1991 with a face value of 10 Russian kopeks. The second came in 2016 valued at 25 Russian rubles.
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Common questions
When and where was Nikolay Karamzin born?
Nikolay Mikhailovich Karamzin was born in the small village of Mikhailovka near Simbirsk, which is now Ulyanovsk Oblast. Another version claims he arrived into the world in 1765 at a different Mikhailovka village within the Orenburg Governorate.
What major literary work did Nikolay Karamzin publish after traveling across Europe?
Upon returning home from his European journey in 1789, Nikolay Karamzin published Letters of a Russian Traveller. These letters were modelled after Laurence Sterne's A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy and appeared first in the Moscow Journal before being issued in six volumes between 1797 and 1801.
How did Nikolay Karamzin influence the Russian alphabet and literary language?
Karamzin is credited for having introduced the letter ë into the Russian alphabet some time after 1795 to promote a more feminine style of writing. His elegant and flowing prose contributed significantly to creating a distinct Russian literary language that influenced later writers like Alexander Pushkin.
When did Nikolay Karamzin die and what historical period did his History of the Russian State cover?
Nikolay Karamzin died on the 22nd of May old style 1826 inside the Tauride Palace. He terminated his twelve-volume History of the Russian State at the accession of Michael Romanov in 1613 without living to carry the work further than the eleventh volume.
What political views did Nikolay Karamzin hold regarding the Russian autocracy?
Nikolay Karamzin wrote openly as a panegyrist of the autocracy throughout his career and considered Ivan III the architect of Russian greatness instead of Peter the Great. His conservative views appeared clearly in The Memoir on Old and New Russia, which served as a scathing attack on reforms proposed by Mikhail Speransky in 1812.