The history and progress of the world . is vastEmpire. French influence, which during the reign ofCatharine II, had prevailed in literature, was supplantedby an effort at a truly national literature. The historian, Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin (1765-1826) was one of the glories of Alexanders reign, and issaid to have revealed Russia to itself. His father was anarmy oflicer of Tartar descent and wished his son to fol-low in that profession, but the latter was drawn into liter-ature at St. Petersburg and AIoscow. His visit to Franceand England gave occasion for his Letters of a RussianTraveler
The history and progress of the world . is vastEmpire. French influence, which during the reign ofCatharine II, had prevailed in literature, was supplantedby an effort at a truly national literature. The historian, Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin (1765-1826) was one of the glories of Alexanders reign, and issaid to have revealed Russia to itself. His father was anarmy oflicer of Tartar descent and wished his son to fol-low in that profession, but the latter was drawn into liter-ature at St. Petersburg and AIoscow. His visit to Franceand England gave occasion for his Letters of a RussianTraveler (1801), but most of his writings were miscel-laneous and sentimental tales, until he took up in earnesthis History of the Russian Empire. To accomplish thishe had gone to live in retirement, but the Czar, Alexander,learning the fact, invited him to St. Petersburg, and gavehim every facility for work. In 1825 his health began tofail, and a year later he died. His History was broughtdown to the year 1613. It was founded on original 3S8 ^. RUSSIAN 359 research ajid is written in elegant style, modeled uponAddison. It has been censured for the romantic air castover the barbarism and cruelty of olden times, and hasbeen called an epic of despotism. It traced the originof Russian greatness to Ivan the Terrible and even to hisgrandfather, instead of limiting it to Peter the Great, asprevious writers under French influence had done. In Russia Ivan Kriloff (1768-1844) holds the sameplace as La Fontaine in France. He is the nationalfabulist, and lines from his homely verses are stock quota-tions among the people. He resembled the French fabu-list not only in the style of his writing but in the carelessunpractical mode of his life. Born at Moscow, the sonof an army officer who died in 1779, he was taken to by his mother, who hoped in vain to get apension. Kriloffs earliest writings were for the stage,chiefly translations and imitations, and it was not until1809 that his first
Size: 1302px × 1919px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, booksubj, booksubjectstatesmen, booksubjectwomen
