Birthday anniversary of Timothy N. Granovsky, public figure, historian-medievalist

21 March 1813

March 9 (21), 1813 in the town of Orel, in a noble family of modest means was born Timothy N. Granovsky, social figure, historian-medievalist, who laid the foundations for scientific development of the West-European Middle Ages.

Granovsky studied in Moscow private boarding school of F. I. Kister. In 1832, having moved to St. Petersburg, Granovsky, after intensive self-study, entered the Law Department of the Imperial St. Petersburg University. Of particular interest to him were the lectures of Professor P. A. Pletnev, who taught a course of the Old Russian literature. Like other students of the professor, Granovsky attended the evenings at his home, where he met with well-known writers of the time – V. A. Zhukovsky, V. F. Odoevsky, and was presented to A. S. Pushkin.

After graduating from the University in 1835-1836 Granovsky served as an assistant librarian at the Hydrographic depot of the General Naval Staff. In 1836, upon the recommendation of the trustee of the Moscow school district S. G. Stroganov, he was sent abroad to prepare for a professorship in the Department of General History at Moscow University. Until 1839 a young scientist studied at the University of Berlin where his teachers were German historians L. Ranke, F. K. Savigny; K. Ritter, the geographer; he also studied philosophy of Hegel.

Granovsky read his first lecture in September 1839 and soon became the most popular lecturer at the university. From his first year in university, his lectures often brought together students from all faculties. Granovsky never limited his communication with students only to the department and the university, and this was his principled position.

By his views the scientist belonged to the circle of Westerners, emphasizing the commonality of the historical development of Russia and Western Europe, but at the same time he acknowledged the historic role of the Slavs. As a historian-educator Granovsky captivated his audience not only with his oratorical talent and profound development of historical problems, but also with the ideological thrust of the lectures.

The most serious researches by Granovsky were his theses: for master’s degree – “Volin, Iomsburg and Vineta "- awarded to him in 1845, and Doctor of Sciences, awarded in 1849 -"The priest Sougueur. On communities in France", where he studied the process of establishment of an alliance between state and church in medieval France.

In May 1855 Granovsky was elected Dean of History and Philology Department of the University. But 4 (16) October 1855 Granovsky died. His funeral at Pyatnitskaya cemetery in Moscow was attended by many thousands of students, which was a notable social event of the time. The tradition to gather on this day at the grave of Granovsky preserved among the students until the early 20th century.

Granovsky works were highly praised by famous Russian writers and philosophers N. G. Chernyshevsky and A. I. Herzen.

Nowadays there is a museum of T. N. Granovsky in Orel, a branch of Orel Joint State Literary Museum of I. S. Turgenev, The House of T. N. Granovsky, located in the house, which remained from the estate of Granovsky family.

 

Lit.: Алпатов М. А. Труды Т. Н. Грановского // Очерки истории исторической науки в СССР. Т. 1. М., 1955; Асиновская С. А. Архив Грановского // Записки отдела рукописей ГБЛ. Вып. 21. М., 1959; Грановский Т. Н. Полное собрание сочинений. Т. 1-2. СПб., 1905; Грановский Т. Н. Лекции по истории позднего средневековья. М., 1971; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL:http://historic.ru/books/item/f00/s00/z0000005/index.shtml; Довнар-Запольский М. В. Тимофей Николаевич Грановский (1813-1855 гг.) // Из истории общественных течений в России: статьи. Киев, 1910; Каменский З. А. Т. Н. Грановский. М., 1988; Кареев Н. И. Историческое миросозерцание Грановского. СПб., 1905; Косминский Е. А. Жизнь и деятельность Т. Н. Грановского // Вестник МГУ, 1956. № 4; Левандовский А. А. Время Грановского: У истоков формирования русской интеллигенции. М., 1990; Милюков П. Н. Университетский курс Грановского // Из истории русской интеллигенции. СПб., 1903; Минаева Н. В. Грановский в Москве. М., 1963; Т. Н. Грановский и его переписка. М., 1897. Т. 2; Чешихин-Ветринский В. Е. Грановский и его время: Исторический очерк. СПб., 1897.

 

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Грановский Т. Н. История войны России с Францией в царствование императора Павла 1-го в 1799 году. Пять томов. Сочинение полковника Милютина: Рецензия. СПб., 1853;

Станкевич А. В. Т. Н. Грановский и его переписка. Т. 1: Биографический очерк. М., 1897.