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Birthday anniversary of Mikhail I. Sukhomlinov, known historian of literature
February 29 (March 12), 1828 in Kharkov, in the family of a professor of chemistry was born Mikhail Sukhomlinov, future philologist, Academician, Chairman of the 2nd Division of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.
Having lost his parents as a child, Mikhail Ivanovich was brought up by his aunt Olga Davydovna Daschenkova. After graduation from E. Zimnitsky boarding school in Kharkov, Mikhail Sukhomlinov entered the History and-Philology Faculty of the Kharkov University. Having defended his master's thesis on "A look at the historical course of the Russian drama", in 1852, Sukhomlinov received a master's degree in Russian literature, and then was appointed assistant professor at St. Petersburg University in the Department of Russian literature. In addition, Mikhail Sukhomlinov taught Russian literature at the School of the Guard ensigns and cavalry cadets, and in 1856 gave the lessons of Russian language in the second Cadet Corps.
In 1855, Sukhomlinov became a member of the Academy of Sciences.
In 1856, with a thesis "On the Old Russian chronicles as a literary monument", a young associate received a doctorate in Slavic-Russian philology. The work of Mikhail Ivanovich was a significant contribution to the study of the Old Russian literature; the author first drew attention to the literary significance of annals.
In March of 1858, Sukhomlinov went on his first research trip. During the trip, the scholar visited all the major European and West Slavic cultural centers, attended courses in literature, studied the monuments of world literature in the famous university libraries and archives. Sukhomlinov described his impressions of the trip abroad in the articles published on the pages of the "Russian Bulletin".
On his return from abroad, in December 1860, Mikhail Ivanovich Sukhomlinov was appointed extraordinary professor, and in 1864 - a full professor of St. Petersburg University.
At the end of 1861, as a result of student unrests, the university was closed, and Sukhomlinov together with other professors were dismissed. In 1862, the scientist went into another research trip: he visited Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov, Kiev, Kherson, Chernihov and Yaroslavl provinces.
In July of 1863, with the support of I. I. Sreznevsky, Sukhomlinov was restored in professorial position at the University, which he held until 1884. While working at the University, Mikhail taught at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence.
In 1858, Sukhomlinov published "On the writings of Cyril of Turov," which included both the works of Cyril and the studies on the church leader and writer of the Old Russia.
In the 1860s, Mikhail published books and essays on M. V. Lomonosov, A. N. Radishshev, N. I. Novikov, A. S. Pushkin, N. V. Gogol, and others, many of which were later included in the 1889 collection of "Researches and articles on Russian literature and education." In 1865, the "Journal of the Ministry of Public Education" began to publish his articles on the history of education in Russia during the reign of Alexander I, later issued as a single volume.
In 1871, the scientist became a member of the Academy of Sciences, which charged him to write the eight-volume "History of the Russian Academy." In the paper, the author traced the development of philological knowledge in the 18th century and the first decades of the 19th century in connection with the development of Russian literature and society.
In 1877-1878, Mikhail Suhomlinov’s course of lectures on the history of Russian literature was published in a single volume.
In the second half of the 1880s, Sukhomlinov published the "Materials for the history of the Imperial Academy of Sciences" in ten volumes - a systematic collection of over 8, 000 archival documents. In 1887, Mikhail Ivanovich attempted to make an academic edition of the works of Lomonosov.
From 1899, Sukhomlinov had been at the head of the 2nd Department of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Sciences, and in 1900 established and led the Division of belles lettres.
June 8 (21), 1901, not having recovered from a serious illness, Mikhail Ivanovich died and was buried in St. Petersburg, in the monastery cemetery.
Lit.: Петухов Е. В. Материалы для биографии М. И. Сухомлинова. СПб., 1912; Русские филологи XIX века: Библиографический словарь-справочник. М., 2006.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Сухомлинов М. И. История Российской академии. СПб., 1875. Вып. 2;
Сухомлинов М. И. История Российской академии. СПб., 1876. Вып. 3;
Сухомлинов М. И. История Российской академии. СПб., 1878. Вып. 4;
Сухомлинов М. И. История Российской академии. СПб., 1885. Вып. 7;
Сухомлинов М. И. О языкознании в древней России. СПб., 1854;
Сухомлинов М. И. Фридрих-Цезарь Лагарп, воспитатель императора Александра I. СПб., 1871.