KARAMZIN, NIKOLAI MIKHAILOVICH 1826), Russian historian, critic, novelist and poet, was born at the village of Mikhailovka, in the government of Orenburg, and not at Simbirsk as many of his English and German biographers in correctly state, on Dec. 1 (old style) 1765. His father was an officer in the Russian army, of Tatar extraction. He was sent to 'Moscow to study under Prof. Schaden, whence he afterwards re moved to St. Petersburg (Leningrad). After residing there some time, he went to Simbirsk, where he lived in retirement till in duced to revisit Moscow. In 1789 he resolved to travel, and visited Germany, France, Switzerland and England. On his return he published in the Moscow Journal, which he edited, his Letters of a Russian Traveller, afterwards collected and issued in six vol umes (1797-1801). In this magazine appeared some of his prose tales, one of which, "Poor Liza," is famous in the history of Rus sian literature as being the first example of "sensibility" in Russia, the first fruits of the teaching of Rousseau. In 1794 and Karamzin abandoned his literary journal, and published a miscel lany in two volumes, entitled Aglaia, in which appeared, among other things, "The Island of Bornholm" and "Ilia Murometz," a story based upon the adventures of the hero of many a Russian legend. In 1797-99 he issued another miscellany or poetical al manac, The Aonides, in conjunction with Derzhavin and Dmi triev. In 1798 he compiled The Pantheon, a collection of pieces from the works of the most celebrated authors ancient and mod ern, translated into Russian. Many of his lighter productions were subsequently printed by him in a volume entitled My Trifles. In 1802 and 1803 Karamzin started the monthly European Messen ger, which he abandoned in 1804 to make the necessary researches for his History of the Russian State (1819-26). In 1816 he re moved to St. Petersburg, where he spent the happiest days of his life, enjoying the favour of Alexander, and submitting to him the sheets of his great work, which the emperor read over with him in the gardens of the palace of Tsarkoe Selo. He only reached the
I 1 th volume, carrying his work as far as the accession of Michael Romanov in 1613. He died on May 22 (old style) 1826, in the Taurida palace. A monument was erected to his memory at Simbirsk in The style of his history is elegant and flowing, modelled rather upon the easy sentences of the French prose writers than the long periodical paragraphs of the old Slavonic school. Karamzin left his mark on the vocabulary and the syntax of the Russian language, and introduced many Gallicisms. Perhaps he may justly be censured for the romantic colouring given to the early Russian annals, concealing the coarseness and cruelty of the native man ners; in this respect he recalls Sir Walter Scott, whose writings probably had their influence upon him. Karamzin appears openly as the panegyrist of the autocracy; indeed, his work has been styled the "Epic of Despotism." He does not hesitate to avow his admiration of Ivan the Terrible, and considers him and his grandfather Ivan III. as the builders of Russian greatness, a glory which in his earlier writings, perhaps at that time more under the influence of Western ideas, he had assigned to Peter the Great. The characters of many of the chief personages in the Russian annals are drawn in firm and bold lines.
As a historian, Karamzin has deservedly a very high reputation. Till the appearance of his work little had been done in this direc tion in Russia. The preceding attempt of Tatistchev was merely a rough sketch, inelegant in style, and without the true spirit of criticism. Karamzin was most industrious in collecting materials and the notes to his volumes are mines of curious information.
In the battle-pieces (e.g., the description of the field of Kouli kovo, the taking of Kazan, etc.) we find considerable powers of description. As a critic, he was undoubtedly of great service to his country; in fact he may be regarded as the founder of the review and essay (in western style) in Russia.