The Presidential Library portrays Nikolay Karamzin by his contemporaries

December 12, 2021 marks the 255th anniversary of the birth of Nikolay Karamzin, a Russian historian, the greatest writer of the era of sentimentalism, publicist. The Presidential Library’s portal features the electronic collection Nikolay Karamzin (1766–1826), which includes studies, essays and archival documents, his own works on the history of the Russian state, as well as individual letters and notes, new editions and video lectures.

The collection materials make it possible to find out how Karamzin was seen and perceived by his contemporaries.

Unique handwritten Notes of Nikolay Petrovich Valuev... of the 19th century say that Karamzin was a member of the Friendly Society, and thanks to this "he learned to focus his thoughts on serious subjects" and "developed an elegant literary taste and a critical look". And after traveling abroad, according to Count Valuev, Karamzin “decided to devote all his knowledge and talents, all his time and energy to literature; he was the first Russian writer, since before him they studied literature at their leisure...".

Historian, writer and publicist Mikhail Pogodin in the publication Nikolay Mikhailovich Karamzin, based on his writings, letters and reviews of his contemporaries. Part 1 (1866) gives a story about Karamzin's acquaintance with Gavriil Derzhavin. In 1790, a 24-year-old Karamzin was “introduced” “into the house of the glorious Derzhavin and attracted his attention with his clever, curious stories. Derzhavin approved his intention to publish a magazine...". Later, the “first Russian poet” dedicated the lines to Karamzin: “Sing, Karamzin! And in prose // The nightingale is heard".

Most of his contemporaries had completely different feelings for Karamzin. Poet, prose writer and publicist Fyodor Glinka recalled that "this respect, this love for Karamzin reached the point that in many cadet circles the favorite conversation and the best desire was: how to walk to Moscow to bow to Karamzin!"

Literary critic Pyotr Makarov wrote in his magazine Moscow Mercury in 1803: "In the twenty-third century, a friend of literature, curious to know the one who, 400 years before, cleansed and adorned our language and left behind a name dear to grateful domestic muses, friend literature, reading the works of Karamzin, always say: “He had a soul; he had a heart!""

Karamzin, being a historian, earned the most rave reviews from his contemporaries. The essay The First Russian Historian Nikolay Karamzin (1766-1826) (1916) cites the opinion of Alexander Turgenev, who admired the History of the Russian State: "What a criticism, what research, what a historical mind and what a simple but strong and often an eloquent syllable!"  

Pushkin wrote in 1825-1826 that the appearance of this book made a strong impression; everyone, even women of the world, rushed to read it, talking about nothing else; that "ancient Russia, seemed, was found by Karamzin, like America by Columbus" and "The history of the Russian state is not only the creation of a great writer, but also the feat of an honest man".

From the letters of the august persons included in the collection Unpublished Works and Correspondence of Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin (1862) it is possible to learn about their attitude to the History of the Russian State. Grand Duchess Catherine in 1818 wrote to him that she reads and enjoys, because "the book fills my head with good things". Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna, wife of Alexander I, said that she wanted to see the continuation of this important work "for the glory of the Fatherland and yours". Emperor Alexander I himself in 1822 called the reading of "History..." "pleasant and instructive", and four years later Nicholas I in a letter to Karamzin quotes the words of his elder brother: "The Russian people deserve to know their history" And he adds on his own behalf: "History, written by you, is worthy of the Russian people".

Over the past centuries, numerous studies have appeared devoted to the life, literary, journalistic and scientific work of Nikolay Karamzin, his image became much fuller and brighter, but the idea of ​​his contemporaries about him as a person with a pure heart and selflessly loving his homeland and all of humanity has not changed.

“To live is not to write history, not to write a tragedy or comedy, but to think, feel and act as best as possible, to love good, to rise in soul to its source; everything else is husk..." - said Karamzin himself.