Vasily Nikititsch Tatishchev
Vasily Tatishchev ( Russian Василий Никитич Татищев , scientific transliteration. Vasilij Nikitič Tatiščev * April 19 . Jul / 29. April 1686 greg. In Pskov , † July 15 jul. / 26. July 1750 greg. In Boldino ) was a Russian statesman , historian , geographer and ethnographer , best known as the author of the first comprehensive work on the history of Russia . Throughout this work he advocates the idea that autocracy is the best form of government for Russia.
Life
Tatishchev was born in his father's estate near Pskow to a noble family who traced their origins back to Rurik . After graduating from engineering school, he took part in the Great Northern War against Sweden . In the service of Peter I , he got an influential position in the Office of Foreign Affairs, which he later used to oppose the policy of the Supreme Privy Council and to support Tsarina Anna's accession to the throne in 1730. As a thank you, Anna entrusted him with a lucrative office of managing the Ural factories and mines. In this post he founded the cities of Perm and Yekaterinburg , which have since become important centers of the Urals. A monument in his honor was opened in Perm in 2003. The city of Stavropol-Wolschskij (today Togliatti ) also owes its foundation to Tatishchev. Tatishchev ended his career as governor of the Astrakhan governorate between 1741 and 1745. For this task he was appointed by Empress Anna to end the unrest among the Kalmyks in the governorate. He hoped, but in vain, to be released from this post after Empress Elisabeth took office; he was finally released in July 1745 because of differences of opinion. Tatishchev died in his Boldino estate near Moscow on July 15, 1750. In 1991 the asteroid (4235) Tatishchev was named after him.
Works
After retiring from the civil service, the elderly statesman devoted his life to scientific work. Feeling that Russian historiography had been neglected to date, he began researching this area. He discovered and published several monumental historical works of law of Russia, including the 11th century Russkaya Pravda and the 1550 Sudebnik. His magnum opus was the first outline of Russian history, entitled Russian History from the Ancient Times, and was published in five Volumes published after his death. He also created the first encyclopedic dictionary of the Russian language . The scientific value of Tatishchev's work did not remain undisputed, as some historians accused him of having worked with unreliable sources. More recently, however, many of the dubious sources have been confirmed as credible.
literature
- N. Popov: Tatischev and His Time . Moscow 1861.
- GM Deutch: Vasily Nikitich Tatischev . Sverdlovsk 1962.
- SL Peshtich: Russian historiography of the 18th century . 2 volumes, Leningrad 1961 and 1965.
- Conrad Grau : The economic organizer, statesman and scientist Vasilij N. Tatiščev (1686-1750) , Berlin: Akademie-Verlag 1963 (series of sources and studies on the history of Eastern Europe, volume 13).
Web links
- Article Wassili Nikititsch Tatishchev in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (BSE) , 3rd edition 1969–1978 (Russian)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Tatishchev, Wassili Nikititsch |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Татищев, Василий Никитич (Russian); Tatiščev, Vasilij Nikitič (scientific transliteration) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Russian statesman, historian, geographer and ethnographer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 29, 1686 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | at Pskov |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 26, 1750 |
| Place of death | Boldino |