Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin is familiar to most as a talented historian and writer. His “History of the Russian State” still holds a place of honor in libraries around the world.
But he was still a brilliant translator, a clever politician, a successful journalist, an unsurpassed innovator and a good friend and husband.
We bring to your attention a list of the 10 most interesting facts about Nikolai Karamzin: a biography of a Russian figure and incredible stories from the life of a writer that influenced his work.
10. Father of 10 children
Nikolai Mikhailovich for his life was married twice. First spouse - Elizaveta Protasova - died shortly after giving birth to a daughter. Some experts claim that the writer named his character “Poor Liza” just because of respect for the memory of his wife.
The second time, Karamzin got married after 2 years. Ekaterina Kolyvanova gave birth to 9 children, three of whom died when they were little.
Separate mention deserves the youngest daughter of Karamzin - Lisa. She had no fortune and was not married, she lived only on a pension, which she was appointed as the daughter of a writer. Contemporaries in her memoirs recall her as a very smart and kind woman. And the writer Leo Tolstoy considered her "a model of selflessness».
9. Conservative
Karamzin was an outstanding representative of Russian conservatism. Moreover, he did not come to this philosophy right away. In his youth, the future writer was seriously carried away by the ideas of romantic liberalism that were so characteristic of the Age of Enlightenment.
Nikolai Mikhailovich was to become disappointed in his convictions after the revolutionary terror that unfolded in France in the 1790s. And already he wrote his famous “History of the Russian State” from the point of view of consistent conservatism. Nevertheless, the writer always appreciated the inner freedom of spirit, noting the need to serve his country.
8. He worked as a translator
Despite the fact that Karamzin had an honorable noble origin, the money was always difficult for an outstanding figure. Having written “Letters of a Russian Traveler” at the dawn of his career, he did not become richer, and therefore he had to look for opportunities for part-time work.
Most often, he earned by doing a variety of translations, which allowed him and his family not to be left without funds completely. Curious that it was he who owned the first few translations of Shakespeare's works into Russian.
7. Restricted himself to food and drink
According to the memoirs of the brother of the wife of Karamzin, the historian and writer is quite calmly related to food and drinks - he did not chase delicacies and preferred modest food, without being carried away by sumptuous meals.
The only exception was coffee, which Nikolai Mikhailovich could drink several cups a day. It is believed that a tonic drink helped the writer work more energetically.
6. Traveled a lot in Europe
Karamzin wrote “Letters of a Russian Traveler” precisely under the impression of his trip to Europe. The journey was long -total Nikolai Mikhailovich spent abroad 14 months. The trip of the young writer to Germany began, where he met with Kant, after which he came to France through Switzerland. In Paris, he became one of the witnesses of the unfolding revolutionary events on the streets of the city.
Seen so shocked a young man who advocated the ideas of liberalism, that he later became a conservative. Karamzin’s great European journey to England ended, which impressed him less than France. By the way, according to some information, Nikolai Mikhailovich was forcibly sent to the European exile after his conflict with a certain influential nobleman.
5. Was a victim of denunciations and slander
Nobleness, intelligence, talent, activity - these are the qualities of Karamzin that were highly valued by Emperor Alexander I, who made him his close one. It was not easy for the historian at court: he did not know how to hypocrite, like most nobles, and therefore he was envied and avenged. Officials directly offered the monarch to lock up the historiographer, a true lover, and immediately burn his works.
In 1811, some of the writer's enemies turned to action, and the emperor received a denunciation of Karamzin: allegedly he is accused of espionage in favor of France. Over the next 5 years, Alexander almost did not communicate with Nikolai Mikhailovich, leaving him in a kind of disgrace. But then they regained their relationship.
4. Created several magazines
Little is known about Karamzin’s journalistic past. But on the account of Nikolai Mikhailovich several successful magazines. So, at the very end of the 80s under his leadership, the Moscow Journal is published. In it, he focused on literary works, which he received from readers and friends - the publication published works of Derzhavin and Dmitriev.
It was in this magazine that the premiere of the text “Poor Liza”, as well as “Letters of a Russian traveler. Experts noted that Karamzin’s work at a particularly high level was the work of the criticism department.
After the magazine closed, the historian was going to release the Aglaya almanac, but could not agree to work together with other writers. The editions nevertheless came out - 2 volumes - but almost entirely they consisted of the works of Karamzin himself. But his almanac "Aonides" has already been published with poems by various Russian authors.
3. Published excerpts of “Walking Over Three Seas”
“Walking beyond the three seas” is reckoned among imperishable monuments of Russian literature. The merchant Athanasius Nikitin composed his travel notes while traveling in India in the 15th century. For the literature of that time, this was a breakthrough: for the first time such a large-scale expedition was undertaken not for religious purposes, but for trade. Thanks to detailed descriptions, it was possible to collect a picture of the life of both Russian people and the population of India in those days.
It was Karamzin who first discovered this work for Russia - at the beginning of the 19th century he published in one of the volumes of “History of the Russian State” in the notes excerpts from Nikitin’s book, which attracted increased attention to it.
2. Appointed as “Russian historiographer”
In 1803, Nikolai Mikhailovich was entrusted with the most important mission. Emperor Alexander I appointed him court historiographer and even “put” a generous salary of 2 thousand rubles a year. Karamzin was to create a great chronicle of the formation of Russia, to keep the history of the whole Russian people.
Now experts say that there are many complaints in the 12 volumes that came out of the hands of the writer of History of the Russian State: allegedly the writer sometimes neglected the real story in favor of politics. But then the publication became a sensation, on which the historian worked until his death. By the way, after Karamzin passed away, no one else in the history of Russia wore the status of historiographer.
1. Discovered new words in Russian
Nikolai Mikhailovich significantly enriched the Russian language. Only a few know that the words that we now use every day - such as “love”, “attraction”, “industry”, “sidewalk” and many others - are the author’s neologisms of Karamzin, which he himself introduced into the language.
In his writings, the writer specifically rejected Church Slavonic vocabulary and tried to make the language more secular. In addition, he was one of the first to use the letter Y.