N.M. Karamzin is a famous Russian historian and writer. He began a new era of Russian historical literature. Karamzin was the first to replace the dead language of the book with a living language of communication.
Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin was born on December 1, 1766. After a failed military career, he took up literary activity. His thought was born in the intense and difficult communication of the experience of the turbulent events of European and Russian life. This was a kind of university that determined his entire future path. Impressions shaped his personality and awakened Karamzin’s thoughts, determining his desire to understand what was happening not only in his fatherland, but also in the world.
Among Karamzin’s literary and historical heritage, “History of the Russian State” occupies a huge place. In it, as his contemporaries noted, “Rus' read the history of its fatherland and for the first time received an understanding of it.” Work on “History” lasted more than two decades (1804 – 1826). “The History of the Russian State” is built on a wealth of factual material collected by the writer over many years. Among primary sources, chronicles are of great importance. The text of his “History” uses not only valuable information and facts from chronicles, but also includes extensive quotes or retellings of stories, traditions, and legends. For Karamzin, the chronicle is valuable primarily because it revealed the attitude towards the facts, events and legends of their contemporary – the chronicler.”
“The History of the Russian State” made it possible to reveal the process of formation of national character, the fate of the Russian land, and the struggle for unity. When considering these issues, Karamzin paid great attention to the role of the national factor, patriotism and citizenship, as well as the social factor and its influence on national identity. Karamzin writes: “Courage is a great quality of the soul; a people marked by it should be proud of themselves.”
Karamzin traced the influence of the political regimes of the past on national life, how they developed into the forms of princely and tsarist government; he, as a historian, believes in the experience of history, asserts that the experience of history is the true guide of humanity. Analyzing the events of history, Karamzin writes: “We are too humble in our thoughts about our national dignity - and humility in politics is harmful, whoever does not respect himself will no doubt be respected by others.” The stronger the love for the Fatherland, the clearer the citizen’s path to his own happiness. Therefore, Karamzin writes: “Russian talent is getting closer and closer to glorifying the Russian.”
The events of the French Revolution and the subsequent reaction to it served as a link between the period when the formation of historicism began in the Enlightenment, and its subsequent development. Engels pointed out that it was in the first decade of the 19th century that a rapid process of developing a new philosophy of history took place. The history of mankind has ceased to seem like a wild chaos of senseless violence; on the contrary, it has appeared as a process of development of humanity itself, and the task of thinking has now been reduced to tracing the successive stages of this process, among all its wanderings, and to prove the internal regularity among all seeming accidents. “The History of the Russian State” is a particular example of the process of philosophical understanding of the historical past based on the history of Russia.
Karamzin’s contemporaries treated “The History of the Russian State” differently. Thus, Klyuchevsky wrote: “Karamzin’s view of history was based not on historical patterns, but on moral and psychological aesthetics. He was not interested in society with its structure and make-up, but in man, with his personal qualities and the accidents of his personal life.”
I.I. Pavlenko in his work “Historical Science in the Past and Present” wrote: “The structure of the “History of the Russian State” reflects the undivided dominance of descriptive history with weak attempts to comprehend the essence of phenomena and to grasp their close interrelation. The author records phenomena and himself tries to explain them from a moral and psychological perspective, which influenced not so much the reader’s thoughts as his feelings.”
But despite all the shortcomings, the significance of the work is very great. Without Karamzin, the Russians would not have known the history of their fatherland, because they did not have the opportunity to look at it critically. Karamzin wanted to make the history of Russia not a word of praise to the Russian people, like Lomonosov, but a heroic epic of Russian valor and glory; he helped the Russian people better understand their past, but he made them love it even more. This is the main merit of his works to Russian society and his main disadvantage to historical science, noted historians and writers.
Karamzin was not only a historian; in the last 5 years of the 18th century, Karamzin acted as a prose writer and poet, as a critic and translator, as an organizer of new literary publications uniting young poets, and paid great attention not only to Russian literature, but also to Russian society.
While maintaining his ideological positions, the historian did not remain deaf to the social events that preceded the Decembrist uprising, and changed the emphasis in the last volumes of History - the focus was on the autocrats who took the path of despotism.
Karamzin, as a patriot and scientist, loved Russia very much and tried to do as much as possible for its prosperity. Karamzin wrote historically conditioned advice, based on premises of reason, and based on the experience of history.
In conclusion, we can cite the words of Belinsky: “The main merit of Karamzin, as a historian of Russia, is not at all that he wrote the true history of Russia, but that he created the possibility of a true history of Russia in the future.”
N.M. Karamzin
History of Russian Goverment
PREFACE
Chapter I. ABOUT THE PEOPLES WHO FROM ANCIENT TIMES RESIDENTED IN RUSSIA. ABOUT THE SLAVS IN GENERAL
Chapter II. ABOUT THE SLAVS AND OTHER PEOPLES,
WHO CONSTITUTED THE RUSSIAN STATE
Chapter III. ABOUT THE PHYSICAL AND MORAL CHARACTER OF THE ANCIENT SLAVS
Chapter IV. RURIK, SINEUS AND TRUVOR. G. 862-879
Chapter V. OLEG RULER. G. 879-912
Chapter VI. PRINCE IGOR. G. 912-945
Chapter VII. PRINCE SVYATOSLAV. G. 945-972
Chapter VIII. GRAND DUKE YAROPOLK. G. 972-980
Chapter IX. GRAND DUKE VLADIMIR,
NAMED BASILI IN BAPTISM. G. 980-1014
Chapter X. ON THE STATE OF ANCIENT RUSSIA
Chapter I. GRAND DUKE SVYATOPOLK. G. 1015-1019
Chapter II. GRAND DUKE YAROSLAV OR GEORGE. G. 1019-1054
Chapter III. RUSSIAN TRUTH, OR YAROSLAVOV’S LAWS
Chapter IV. GRAND DUKE IZYASLAV,
NAMED DEMITRIUS IN BAPTISM. G. 1054-1077
Chapter V. GRAND DUKE VSEVOLOD. G. 1078-1093
Chapter VI. GRAND DUKE SVYATOPOLK-MIKHAIL. G. 1093-1112
Chapter VII. VLADIMIR MONOMAKH,
NAMED BASILI IN BAPTISM. G. 1113-1125
Chapter VIII. GRAND DUKE MSTISLAV. G. 1125-1132
Chapter IX. GRAND DUKE YAROPOLK. G. 1132-1139
Chapter X. GRAND DUKE VSEVOLOD OLGOVICH. G. 1139-1146
Chapter XI. GRAND DUKE IGOR OLGOVICH
Chapter XII. GRAND DUKE IZYASLAV MSTISLAVICH. G. 1146-1154
Chapter XIII. GRAND DUKE ROSTISLAV-MIKHAIL MSTISLAVICH. G. 1154-1155
Chapter XIV. GRAND DUKE GEORGE, OR YURI VLADIMIROVICH,
NAMED LONG-ARMED. G. 1155-1157
Chapter XV. GRAND DUKE IZYASLAV DAVIDOVICH OF Kyiv.
PRINCE ANDREY OF SUZDAL,
NICKNAMED BOGOLYUBSKY. G. 1157-1159
Chapter XVI. GRAND DUKE ROSTISLAV-MIKHAIL IS IN Kyiv FOR A SECOND TIME.
ANDREY IN VLADIMIR SUZDAL. G. 1159-1167
Chapter XVII. GRAND DUKE MSTISLAV IZYASLAVICH OF Kyiv.
ANDREY SUZDAL, OR VLADIMIRSKY. G. 1167-1169
Chapter I. GRAND DUKE ANDREY. G. 1169-1174
Chapter II. GRAND DUKE MICHAEL II [GEORGIEVICH]. G. 1174-1176
Chapter III. GRAND DUKE VSEVOLOD III GEORGIEVICH. G. 1176-1212
Chapter IV. GEORGE, PRINCE OF VLADIMIR.
KONSTANTIN ROSTOVSKY. G. 1212-1216
Chapter V. CONSTANTINE, GRAND DUKE
VLADIMIRSKY AND SUZDAL. G. 1216-1219
Chapter VI. GRAND DUKE GEORGE II VSEVOLODOVICH. G. 1219-1224
Chapter VII. THE STATE OF RUSSIA FROM THE 11TH TO THE 13TH CENTURIES
Chapter VIII. GRAND DUKE GEORGE VSEVOLODOVICH. G. 1224-1238
Chapter I. GRAND DUKE YAROSLAV II VSEVOLODOVICH. G. 1238-1247
Chapter II. GRAND DUKES SVYATOSLAV VSEVOLODOVICH,
ANDREY YAROSLAVICH AND ALEXANDER NEVSKY
(one after the other). G. 1247-1263
Chapter III. GRAND DUKE YAROSLAV YAROSLAVICH. G. 1263-1272
Chapter IV. GRAND DUKE VASILY YAROSLAVICH. G. 1272-1276.
Chapter V. GRAND DUKE DMITRY ALEXANDROVICH. G. 1276-1294.
Chapter VI. GRAND DUKE ANDREY ALEXANDROVICH. G. 1294-1304.
Chapter VII. GRAND DUKE MIKHAIL YAROSLAVICH. G. 1304-1319
Chapter VIII. GRAND DUKES GEORGE DANIILOVITCH,
DIMITRY AND ALEXANDER MIKHAILOVICH
(one after the other). G. 1319-1328
Chapter IX. GRAND DUKE JOHN DANIILOVICH,
NAMED KALITA. G. 1328-1340
Chapter X. GRAND DUKE SIMEON IOANNOVICH,
CALLED PROUD. G. 1340-1353
Chapter XI. GRAND DUKE JOHN II JOANNOVICH. G. 1353-1359
Chapter XII. GRAND DUKE DMITRY KONSTANTINOVICH. G. 1359-1362
Chapter I. GRAND DUKE DMITRY IOANNOVICH,
NAMED DON. G. 1363-1389
Chapter II. GRAND DUKE VASILY DIMITRIEVICH. G. 1389-1425
Chapter III. GRAND DUKE VASILY VASILIEVICH THE DARK. G. 1425-1462
Chapter IV. THE STATE OF RUSSIA FROM THE INVASION OF THE TATARS TO JOHN III
Chapter I. THE GOVERNOR, THE SOVEREIGN GRAND DUKE
JOHN III VASILIEVICH. G. 1462-1472
Chapter II. CONTINUATION OF JOHN'S REGION. G. 1472-1477
Chapter III. CONTINUATION OF JOHN'S REGION. G. 1475-1481
Chapter IV. CONTINUATION OF JOHN'S REGION. G. 1480-1490
Chapter V. CONTINUATION OF JOHN'S REGION. G. 1491-1496
Chapter VI. CONTINUATION OF JOHN'S REGION. G. 1495-1503
Chapter VII. CONTINUATION OF JOHN'S REGION. G. 1503-1505
Chapter I. GOVERNOR GRAND DUKE VASILY IOANNOVICH. G. 1505-1509
Chapter II. CONTINUATION OF VASILIEV'S STATE. G. 1510-1521
Chapter III. CONTINUATION OF VASILIEV'S STATE. G. 1521-1534
Chapter IV. STATE OF RUSSIA. G. 1462-1533
Chapter I. GRAND DUKE AND TSAR JOHN IV VASILIEVICH II. G. 1533-1538
Chapter II. CONTINUATION OF THE REGION OF JOHN IV. G. 1538-1547
Chapter III. CONTINUATION OF THE REGION OF JOHN IV. G. 1546-1552
Chapter IV. CONTINUATION OF THE REGION OF JOHN IV. G. 1552
Chapter V. CONTINUATION OF THE REGION OF JOHN IV. G. 1552-1560
Chapter I. CONTINUATION OF THE REIGN OF JOHN THE TERRIBLE. G. 1560-1564
Chapter II. CONTINUATION OF THE REIGN OF JOHN THE TERRIBLE. G. 1563-1569
Chapter III. CONTINUATION OF THE REIGN OF JOHN THE TERRIBLE. G. 1569-1572
Chapter IV. CONTINUATION OF THE REIGN OF JOHN THE TERRIBLE. G. 1572-1577
Chapter V. CONTINUATION OF THE REIGN OF JOHN THE TERRIBLE. G. 1577-1582
Chapter VI. THE FIRST CONQUEST OF SIBERIA. G. 1581-1584
Chapter VII. CONTINUATION OF THE REIGN OF JOHN THE TERRIBLE. G. 1582-1584
Chapter I. THE REIGN OF THEODOR IOANNOVICH. G. 1584-1587
Chapter II. CONTINUATION OF THE REIGN OF THEODOR IOANNOVICH. G. 1587-1592
Chapter III. CONTINUATION OF THE REIGN OF THEODOR IOANNOVICH. G. 1591 - 1598
Chapter IV. STATE OF RUSSIA AT THE END OF THE 16TH CENTURY
Chapter I. THE REIGN OF BORIS GODUNOV. G. 1598-1604
Chapter II. CONTINUATION OF BORISOV'S REIGN. G. 1600-1605
Chapter III. THE REIGN OF THEODOR BORISOVICH GODUNOV. G. 1605
Chapter IV. REIGN OF THE FALSE DMITRY. G. 1605-1606
Chapter I. THE REIGN OF VASILY IOANNOVICH SHUISKY. G. 1606-1608
Chapter II. CONTINUATION OF BASILI'S REIGN. G. 1607-1609
Chapter III. CONTINUATION OF BASILI'S REIGN. G. 1608-1610
Chapter IV. THE OVERTHROWING OF BASILI AND THE INTERREGNUM. G. 1610-1611
Chapter V. INTERREGONUM. G. 1611-1612
PREFACE
History, in a sense, is the sacred book of peoples: the main, necessary; a mirror of their existence and activity; the tablet of revelations and rules; the covenant of ancestors to posterity; addition, explanation of the present and example of the future.
Rulers and Legislators act according to the instructions of History and look at its pages like sailors at drawings of the seas. Human wisdom needs experience, and life is short-lived. One must know how from time immemorial rebellious passions agitated civil society and in what ways the beneficial power of the mind curbed their stormy desire to establish order, harmonize the benefits of people and give them the happiness possible on earth.
But an ordinary citizen should also read History. She reconciles him with the imperfection of the visible order of things, as with an ordinary phenomenon in all centuries; consoles in state disasters, testifying that similar ones have happened before, even worse ones have happened, and the State was not destroyed; it nourishes a moral feeling and with its righteous judgment disposes the soul towards justice, which affirms our good and the harmony of society.
Here is the benefit: how much pleasure for the heart and mind! Curiosity is akin to man, both the enlightened and the wild. At the glorious Olympic Games, the noise fell silent, and the crowds remained silent around Herodotus, reading the legends of the centuries. Even without knowing the use of letters, peoples already love History: the old man points the young man to a high grave and tells about the deeds of the Hero lying in it. The first experiments of our ancestors in the art of literacy were devoted to Faith and Scripture; Darkened by a thick shadow of ignorance, the people greedily listened to the tales of the Chroniclers. And I like fiction; but for complete pleasure one must deceive oneself and think that they are the truth. History, opening the tombs, raising the dead, putting life into their hearts and words into their mouths, re-creating Kingdoms from corruption and imagining a series of centuries with their distinct passions, morals, deeds, expands the boundaries of our own existence; by its creative power we live with people of all times, we see and hear them, we love and hate them; Without even thinking about the benefits, we already enjoy the contemplation of diverse cases and characters that occupy the mind or nourish sensitivity.
Knowledge of national history is important and necessary for every person, and well-written history books can influence national identity. Such works include “The History of the Russian State,” which was written by N. M. Karamzin. Emperor Alexander I himself supported his work and gave him the title of historiographer of Russia. To work on such a voluminous work, which included many volumes, Karamzin used many historical sources. In particular, chronicles were used that have not survived to this day. For this reason, this book can be considered the only source of information regarding certain historical events.
From the book, readers will be able to learn about how the formation of the Russian state took place. The author talks about ancient times, about the peoples who then inhabited the territory of Russia. He describes the time of the arrival of Rurik, shows what the relations of different peoples were with each other. The book talks about the first princes, and the author speaks not only about the positive results of their reign, but in some cases gives negative assessments. The following is about Tsarist Russia. Karamzin planned to set out the story before the Romanovs’ accession, but he didn’t have time quite a bit. The narrative ends at events that are dedicated to the interregnum of 1611–1612.
This edition also includes a book in which the historian writes about the activities of Emperor Alexander I, sums up the first years of his reign, and talks about significant events in the lives of Russian people that occurred during this time. The publication of this work became possible only a hundred years after it was written, since the author was quite critical in his assessments at some points. One cannot underestimate the importance of a voluminous work, which combines the features of documentary and epic presentation, making it a great pleasure to read.
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History of Russian Goverment. Volume I-XII. Karamzin N.M.
“Karamzin is our first historian and last Chronicler...” - this is the definition given by A. S. Pushkin to the great educator, writer and historian N. M. Karamzin (1766-1826). The famous "History of the Russian State", all twelve volumes of which are included in this book, became a major event in the social life of the country, an era in the study of our past.
Karamzin N.M.
Born in the village of Mikhailovka, Simbirsk province, in the family of a landowner. At the fourteenth year of his life, Karamzin was brought to Moscow and sent to the boarding school of the Moscow professor Schaden. In 1783, he tried to enlist in military service, where he was enrolled while still a minor, but retired that same year. From May 1789 to September 1790, he traveled around Germany, Switzerland, France and England, stopping mainly in large cities - Berlin, Leipzig, Geneva, Paris, London. Returning to Moscow, Karamzin began publishing the Moscow Journal, where Letters of a Russian Traveler appeared. Karamzin spent most of 1793 - 1795 in the village and prepared two collections here called "Aglaya", published in the fall of 1793 and 1794. In 1803, through Comrade Minister of Public Education M.N. Muravyov, Karamzin received the title of historiographer and an annual pension of 2,000 rubles in order to write a complete history of Russia. IN 1816 he published the first 8 volumes of the "History of the Russian State", in 1821 g. - volume 9, in 1824 g. - 10th and 11th. IN 1826 Mr. Karamzin died without having time to finish the 12th volume, which was published by D.N. Bludov from the papers left behind by the deceased.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
VOLUME I
Chapter I. About the peoples who have inhabited Russia since ancient times. About the Slavs in general.
Chapter II. About the Slavs and other peoples who made up the Russian State.
Chapter III. On the physical and moral character of the ancient Slavs.
Chapter IV. Rurik, Sineus and Trubor. 862-879
Chapter V. Oleg - Ruler. 879-912
Chapter VI. Prince Igor. 912-945
Chapter VII. Prince Svyatoslav. 945-972
Chapter VIII. Grand Duke Yaropolk. 972-980
Chapter IX. Grand Duke Vladimir, named Vasily in baptism. 980-1014
Chapter X. On the state of Ancient Russia.
VOLUME II
Chapter I. Grand Duke Svyatopolk. 1015-1019
Chapter II. Grand Duke Yaroslav, or George. 1019-1054
Chapter III. Russian truth, or Yaroslavna's laws.
Chapter IV. Grand Duke Izyaslav, named Dmitry in baptism. 1054-1077
Chapter V. Grand Duke Vsevolod. 1078-1093
Chapter VI. Grand Duke Svyatopolk - Michael. 1093-1112
Chapter VII. Vladimir Monomakh, named Vasily in baptism. 1113-1125
Chapter VIII. Grand Duke Mstislav. 1125-1132
Chapter IX. Grand Duke Yaropolk. 1132-1139
Chapter X. Grand Duke Vsevolod Olgovich. 1139-1146
Chapter XI. Grand Duke Igor Olgovich.
Chapter XII. Grand Duke Izyaslav Mstislavovich. 1146-1154
Chapter XIII. Grand Duke Rostislav-Mikhail Mstislavovich. 1154-1155
Chapter XIV. Grand Duke George, or Yuri Vladimirovich, nicknamed Dolgoruky. 1155-1157
Chapter XV. Grand Duke Izyaslav Davidovich of Kyiv. Prince Andrei of Suzdal, nicknamed Bogolyubsky. 1157-1159
Chapter XVI. Grand Duke Svyatopolk - Michael.
Chapter XVII. Vladimir Monomakh, named Vasily in baptism.
VOLUME III
Chapter I. Grand Duke Andrei. 1169-1174
Chapter II. Grand Duke Mikhail II [Georgievich]. 1174-1176
Chapter III. Grand Duke Vsevolod III Georgievich. 1176-1212
Chapter IV. George, Prince of Vladimir. Konstantin Rostovsky. 1212-1216
Chapter V. Constantine, Grand Duke of Vladimir and Suzdal. 1216-1219
Chapter VI. Grand Duke George II Vsevolodovich. 1219-1224
Chapter VII. The state of Russia from the 11th to the 13th centuries.
Chapter VIII. Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich. 1224-1238
VOLUME IV
Chapter I. Grand Duke Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich. 1238-1247
Chapter II. Grand Dukes Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, Andrei Yaroslavich and Alexander Nevsky (one after the other). 1247-1263
Chapter III. Grand Duke Yaroslav Yaroslavich. 1263-1272
Chapter IV. Grand Duke Vasily Yaroslavich. 1272-1276
Chapter V. Grand Duke Dimitri Alexandrovich. 1276-1294
Chapter VI. Grand Duke Andrei Alexandrovich. 1294 -1304
Chapter VII. Grand Duke Mikhail Yaroslavich. 1304-1319
Chapter VIII. Grand Dukes Georgy Daniilovich, Dimitri and Alexander Mikhailovich. (one after the other). 1319-1328
Chapter IX. Grand Duke John Daniilovich, nicknamed Kalita. 1328-1340
Chapter X. Grand Duke Simeon Ioannovich, nicknamed the Proud. 1340-1353
Chapter XI. Grand Duke John II Ioannovich. 1353-1359
Chapter XII. Grand Duke Dimitri Konstantinovich. 1359-1362
VOLUME V
Chapter I. Grand Duke Dimitri Ioannovich, nicknamed Donskoy. 1363-1389
Chapter II. Grand Duke Vasily Dimitrievich. 1389-1425
Chapter III. Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich the Dark. 1425-1462
Chapter IV. The state of Russia from the Tatar invasion to John III.
VOLUME VI
Chapter I. Sovereign, Sovereign Grand Duke John III Vasilyevich. 1462-1472
Chapter II. Continuation of Ioannov's reign. 1472-1477
Chapter III. Continuation of Ioannov's reign. 1475-1481
Chapter IV. Continuation of Ioannov's reign. 1480-1490
Chapter V. Continuation of Ioannov's reign. 1491-1496
Chapter VI. Continuation of Ioannov's reign. 1495-1503
Chapter VII. Continuation of the reign of John. 1503-1505
VOLUME VII
Chapter I. Sovereign Grand Duke Vasily Ioannovich. 1505-1509
Chapter II. Continuation of Vasiliev's government. 1510-1521
Chapter III. Continuation of Vasiliev's government. 1521-1534
Chapter IV. State of Russia. 1462-1533
VOLUME VIII
Chapter I. Grand Duke and Tsar John IV Vasilyevich II. 1533-1538
Chapter II. Continuation of the reign of John IV. 1538-1547
Chapter III. Continuation of the reign of John IV. 1546-1552
Chapter IV. Continuation of the reign of John IV. 1552
Chapter V. Continuation of the reign of John IV. 1552-1560
VOLUME IX
Chapter I. Continuation of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. 1560-1564
Chapter II. Continuation of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. 1563-1569
Chapter III. Continuation of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. 1569-1572
Chapter IV. Continuation of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. 1572-1577
Chapter V. Continuation of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. 1577-1582
Chapter VI. The first conquest of Siberia. 1581-1584
Chapter VII. Continuation of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. 1582-1584
VOLUME X
Chapter I. The reign of Theodore Ioannovich. 1584-1587
Chapter II. Continuation of the reign of Theodore Ioannovich. 1587-1592
Chapter III. Continuation of the reign of Theodore Ioannovich. 1591-1598
Chapter IV. The state of Russia at the end of the 16th century.
VOLUME XI
Chapter I. The reign of Boris Godunov. 1598-1604
Chapter II. Continuation of Borisov's reign. 1600 -1605
Chapter III. Reign of Theodore Borisov. 1605
Chapter IV. Reign of False Dmitry. 1605-1606
VOLUME XII
Chapter I. The reign of Vasily Ioannovich Shuisky. 1606-1608
Chapter II. Continuation of Vasiliev's reign. 1607-1609
Chapter III. Continuation of Vasiliev's reign. 1608-1610
Chapter IV. The overthrow of Vasily and the interregnum. 1610-1611
Chapter V. Interregnum. 1611-1612
The unique book monuments that the UlSPU scientific library has are a copy of the third volume of the second corrected lifetime edition “History of the Russian State” N.M. Karamzin, published in 1818 by the brothers Slenins in St. Petersburg in the printing house of N. Grech, and a copy of the X volume of the first lifetime edition of this same great historical work, also published in St. Petersburg in the printing house N. Grecha in 1824
“History of the Russian State” N.M. Karamzin is the largest achievement of Russian and world historical science for its time, the first monographic description of Russian history from ancient times to the beginning. XVIII century, based on a huge range of historical sources. “History” began the introduction of several generations of Russian readers to Russian antiquity; many writers, playwrights, artists and musicians drew plots from it. The uniqueness of the specimens stored in the rare collection of Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University named after I.N. Ulyanov is that these are lifetime editions of the great work of N.M. Karamzin.
It’s no secret that the first attempts to publish his work were unsuccessful: then N.M. Karamzin was not satisfied with either the high price for printing or the quality of the typesetting. The history of the publication of Karamzin's main historical work is complex and dramatic. For himself, the writer made the following conclusion: “...many are waiting for my “History” to attack me. It is published without censorship.”
In 1806, the poet I. Dmitriev (a distant relative and fellow countryman of N.M. Karamzin, his student, follower and comrade-in-arms in literature) learned that Karamzin decided to publish his “History” after writing the fourth volume. But that did not happen. N.M. Karamzin, of course, could start publishing, but in this case he immediately fell under general censorship, and there was no guarantee that everything written would reach readers without hindrance. In addition, Karamzin was not going to release his work to the public in small parts - an experienced journalist, he understood that when a significant part of the path had been covered and several centuries had been mastered, only then was it worth presenting the whole. Other circumstances also played an important role: the lack of funds for publication and the intention to give greater authority to many years of work. All this is in accordance with the rules that existed in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century. practice could be successfully resolved only under one circumstance: the publication of the “History of the Russian State” from the “Highest Command.”
As a result, the first nine volumes of “History” were published without censorship, which was helped by Viktor Pavlovich Kochubey, a statesman, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Empire.
The first eight volumes were published in 1818. A huge circulation of three thousand for that time sold out in less than a month. The historiographer testifies that in addition to the sold edition, applications were received for another 600 copies. This is how the poet Delvig described the sale of Karamzin’s “History...”: “...When the first eight volumes of the “History of the Russian State” appeared... it was impossible to get into the room where it was being sold due to the crowded conditions, and... buyers were greeted whole carts filled with copies of this “History”, transported... to the houses of Russian nobles and other lovers of Russian history.” Authoritative and well-known testimony of A.S. Pushkin also conveys the excitement that first of all gripped St. Petersburg society, and with delight, but not without irony, he reported this to Prince P.A. in Warsaw. Vyazemsky and I.I. Dmitriev: “The history of our dear historiographer is in everyone’s hands and lips: the enlightened and the profane, the literary and literary, but the author no longer has a single copy. An exemplary triumph of Russian craftsmanship.” According to V.JI. Pushkin, and in Moscow “History” was quickly sold out, and at a “high price”. In one of the first notes about “History,” the author said that now it can be obtained “with great difficulty and for almost double the price.” According to the memoirs of the Decembrist N.V. Basargin, volumes of “History” passed from hand to hand at the School of Column Leaders. Many years later A.S. Pushkin wrote words that largely explain the reasons for such a stunning success of Karamzin’s work among Russian society: “Ancient Russia seemed to be found by Karamzin, like America by Colomb.”
After the publication in February 1818 of the first eight volumes of “The History of the Russian State,” bookseller Ivan Vasilyevich Slenin, together with his brother, purchased the rights to their second edition from N. Karamzin for 7,500 rubles. Starting from April 1818, in the famous St. Petersburg private printing house N.I. Grech began typing the second edition. Along with subscription, this publication was sold not only in St. Petersburg, but also in Moscow, Kyiv, Mitau at a higher price (from 75 to 80 rubles) than the first edition. The sale was obviously not as impressive as Karamzin had foreseen. In 1821, the subsequent, ninth volume was published. According to one of the writers of the first half of the 19th century. Ksenophon Alekseevich Polevoy, the second edition “settled” with the Slenins and “was finally sold after the death” of the brothers.
In March 1821 N.M. Karamzin began work on the tenth volume. In the beginning. In 1822, the historiographer finished writing “The Reign of Fedorov,” and in November he worked on chapters related to the events of the reign of False Dmitry. At the end of this year, Karamzin abandoned his initial intention to publish the tenth volume: “... it seems better,” he wrote to I. Dmitriev, “to finish the story of the Pretender and then publish it in full: during the reign of Godunov he was just beginning to act.” In 1823, the manuscript of the tenth volume went to the printing house.
In 1829, the second complete edition of 12 volumes was published; in 1830-1831 - third edition. The fourth was published in 1833-1835, the fifth in 1842-1843, the sixth edition in 1853.
A special feature of the copies of the History of the Russian State” stored in UlSPU is the presence on the title page of the owner’s inscription: “From the books of Alexander Sokovnin.” According to one version, Alexander Sokovnin (1737-1800) was a Simbirsk nobleman, by the way, a contemporary of N.M. Karamzin, served in the third militia regiment with the rank of "ensign". In addition, he was a member of the Simbirsk Masonic lodge “Golden Crown” and was listed there as a “rhetor”, i.e. speaker. 
It is interesting that Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin himself also belonged to the Golden Crown lodge, that is, he was initiated into the Freemasons (probably this happened in Moscow in 1783)
However, according to the years of Alexander Sokovnin’s life, he died in 1800, and the third volume of “History of the Russian State” was published in 1818. Who then from the Sokovnin family inherited this copy?
In the tenth volume there is a handwritten excerpt from the article on the front flyleaf A. Bestuzheva A look at Russian literature during 1823, which was published in the almanac “Polar Star” for 1824, published by the Decembrists A. Bestuzhev and K. Ruleev. 
Comparing the handwriting used to make the inscription “from the books of A. Sokovnin” and the excerpt from A. Bestuzhev’s article, we can assume that their author is the same person. But who was it? Does he belong to the Simbirsk Sokovnin family? This is not yet known. But we know for sure that the owner was an intelligent man who read the work of N.M. Karamzin and, perhaps, shared some of the ideas of the Decembrists, in any case familiar with their works.