The Decembrists, Karamzin, and Their Literature

These days in St. Petersburg I have been trying to keep up with the burgeoning intellectual and political climate. The Kunstkammer definitely represents quite a bit of the Westernization of Russia as far as science is concerned, but noticed that certain journals resembling English journals circulated after Alexander opened the presses, so to speak (Massie 154). Obviously, political turmoil abroad and here because of the Napoleonic wars. With the recent Decembrist uprising, the literature regarding the national identity has definitely become a deeper matter, though the new tsar, Nicholas, has placed stricter censorship on publications (Terras 169).

A Painting of the Decembrist Revolt, December 14, 1825

The late Nikolai Karamzin’s work in particular seems to contrast with much of what the young Decembrists have to say (his more politically charged works, that is). Because of his recent death and the political turmoil right now, I think contrasting the different sides here would be helpful. The nuances to the different sides are, of course, many-layered, yet I will attempt to outline some of the differences between the Decembrists’ Romantic ideas and Karamzin’s more conservative western ideals.

Nikolai Karamzin

Nikolai Karamzin had quite the literary career even before he was commissioned by Tsar Alexander to write the History of the Russian State. From the writings I have read by him, he seems conservative and talented.  Though it was a fiction, he wrote a sort of travelogue like mine called Letters of a Russian Traveler (Terras 156). Reading his history, I noticed his support of the westernization the Russian’s have taken since Peter the Great first came to power (163). This could be because a monarch from Peter’s line commissioned him to write the book, but many of his previous writings have been in support of Westernization (163). For example, Karamzin wrote an essay called “On the Love of the Fatherland and National Pride,” which asserted that the language of the upper class, with its westernized vocabulary, was the language that should be spoken to express the highest of emotions (162). Later, a man name Shishkov argued with Karamzin’s assertion about language in an essay called “Discourse on the Old and New Style of the Russian Language” (164). Shishkov took the stance that the Russian language had become corrupted by the influence of western ideals (164).

Though Karamzin might have become increasingly sympathetic to those who are considered now to be conservative, his writings influenced people to become “Westernizers” (Terras 163). These Westernizers have ideas which are opposed to some of the ideas of the Decembrists, who Romanticize the Russian past and believe literature should have a civic and national duty (171).  The Decembrists, are primarily young aristocracy and upper class men who saw or heard about the progressive politics in the West and desired to implement the same in Russia, as demonstrated by their recent uprising (168-9). Even though they primarily sympathize as slavophiles, however, they often see Karamzin’s work as relevant to their cause. Many of them have read Karamzin’s History and appreciate history for the way it instills a nationalistic feeling, but they don’t agree with the way the Russian ruler or prince is glorified (Ziolkowski 29-30).

"Pole Star", a Decembrist journal.

After examining the Decembrists general ideas in some of their current works and in their works before their revolt in "The Polar Star", they seem to like Karamzin’s writings because of the opportunity the history gave them to learn from historical figures (Terras 173; Ziolkoski 31-32). They seem to see Slavophilic ideas that support a communal way of living to be quite similar to the constitutional and democratic countries to the west, but they oppose a certain version of Westernization at the same time that would allow the monarch to stay in power (Rabow-Edling 369-70).  

The Decembrist’s quick defeat about a year ago seems to have permanently alienated that group of intellectuals from the tsar and his government, yet in some of the literary works I have read recently, I can see their ideas showing up in a subtle way (Terras 169;  171).

Works Cited

Massie, Suzanne. Land of the Firebird: The Beauty of Old Russia. Heart Tree Press, 1996.

Rabow-Edling, Susanna. "The Decembrists and the Concept of a Civic Nation." Nationalities Papers, vol. 35, no. 2, May 2007, pp. 369-391. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/00905990701254391.

Ziolkowski, Margaret. “Hagiography and History: The Saintly Prince in the Poetry of the Decembrists.” The Slavic and East European Journal, vol. 30, no. 1, 1986, pp. 29–44., www.jstor.org/stable/307276.

Terras, Victor. A History of Russian Literature. Yale University Press, 1991.

The Academy of Science

Today, my Russian hosts informed me and Ford of one of the most fascinating places in St. Petersburg: the Kunstkammer. I am always seeking to learn more of what the Russian Empire has to offer, and since my exploration of folktales had been rather exhausted, I decided to tour the intriguing museum of oddities and science. We found the museum right next to the Neva, across the river and slightly north of the great statue of Peter the Great.

View of the Kunstkammer across the Neva.

Apparently, the Kuntskammer is not only a museum of oddities established by Peter the Great over sixty years ago but also houses the Russian Academy of Science and Art (Shiryaev 225). Today, many of the most world-renown scholars study and experiment at the Kunstkammer making discoveries in every kind of science. They even have a journal they publish with their discoveries called "Acta Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae" or "The Acts of the Academy" (Shiryaev 226).

All these things were made known to me by one Semyon Kirillovich Kotel'nikov, an "academician" and a curator at the Kunstkammer (Leonov 108). Ford and I arrived at the museum and were delighted when we were informed that no entry fee was necessary (The History of Kunstkammer). When I told the staff that I was hoping to write a guide of sorts to be published in England, they gladly fetched Semyon Kirillovich to give us a personalized tour and tell us of the history and current state of the Kunstkammer.

The museum houses thousands of curiosities gathered by Tsar Peter’s command. We toured the halls seeing jars of deformed beasts and unsettling phenomena, but additionally, we saw artifacts from all over the world, scientific, cultural, and artistic. Many stuffed animals were there for study as well as a botanical garden (Kuntskamera Museum Exhibitions, Level 2; Shiryaev 225). Semyon took us to some laboratories and library collections where we saw students and teachers taking advantage of the information available. Additionally, we were able to see the observatory that had burned down and been rebuilt. We found the director of the observatory, Rumovskii, and talked with him briefly, for he was very busy (Schulze 326).

Partway through the tour, I realized I hadn’t any idea who the director of the Academy of Science was. Semyon Kirillovich informed us that Princess Dashkova had recently been appointed head (Schulze 322). I had never heard of a female being in charge of such a thing, but I knew that our Tsarina Catherine was very intelligent and must have trusted Princess Dashkova enough to guide the Academy. Semyon Kirillovich praised the Princess for her leadership and said that though she had instituted some reforms, he saw them as beneficial for the Academy (Schulze 331).

I had many questions for our guide concerning the financial state of the Kunstkammer. Luckily, Semyon Kirillovich was privy to some of the policies. Apparently, Tsar Peter had wanted to ensure that the museum was able to continually add to its own growth and allotted a stipend for the acquiring of artifacts and oddities as well as books too (Leonov 109).  

Tsar Peter was very invested in the growth of the Academy of Science and Art. He seemed to have transplanted the ideas of the German and English academies right into Russia. When Peter planned the Academy of Science and Art, he wrote the guidelines called the Project (Schulze 307). Within it, he outlined what the academicians and directors of the Academy were to do. His plans detailed the branches of study the Academy would include,  mandated diligence in gathering information from all parts of the world, and declared the Academy not only a research institution but a teaching one (307-09). He gathered scientists from all over to come to St. Petersburg and study at his facility (Shiryaev 225). However, one of the most famous scientists who studies at the Russian Academy was Russian: Lomonosov (Schulze 311). Lomonosov has since died, but he contributed greatly to the scientific inquiry of chemistry, physics, geology, mineralogy, geography and astronomy (318).

Lomonosov is not the only great scientist who has graced the Academy. Scientists from Germany, Switzerland, and Prussia have also been housed here (Shiryaev 226). We didn’t run into many of these scientists while we were there but were privileged to sit in on a lecture by a Russian chemist name Sokolov (Schulze 319).

Soon, though fascinating the tour, our feet grew weary. I decided to return another day to the Kunstkammer to peruse its oddities and scientific wonders.

Works Cited: 

Leonov, V. P., et al. Libraries in Russia : History of the Library of the Academy of Sciences from Peter the Great to Present. De Gruyter, 2005. EBSCOhost,ezproxy.uvu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=556516&site=eds-live.

Schulze, Ludmilla. “The Russification of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences and Arts in the Eighteenth Century.” The British Journal for the History of Science, vol. 18, no. 3, 1985, pp. 305–335., www.jstor.org/stable/4026383.

Shiryaev, A. N. "On the History of the Foundation of the Russian Academy of Sciences and about the First Articles on Probability Theory in Russian Publications." Theory of Probability & Its Applications, vol. 44, no. 2, June 2000, p. 225. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.uvu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cph&AN=10664715&site=eds-live.

“The History of Kunstkammer.” Kunstkamera: Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography; Russian Academy of Sciences, www.kunstkamera.ru/en/history/the_history_of_kunstkammer/.

       "The First Pages in the History of the Academy of Sciences." Kunstkamera: Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography; Russian Academy of Sciences, http://www.kunstkamera.ru/en/history/encyclopedia_of_peters_kunstkammer/the_first_pages_in_the_history_of_the_academy_of_sciences/

Russian Folktales

I had a great time in Muscovy while I was there. The people were rather fond of my sandwiches, so I didn't wont for employment. Ford also seemed to enjoy taking part in constructing their unique houses. Additionally, by some stroke of mercy, I was raised from poverty for a time by a generous sum of money from my brother. Soon, I was able to wander Muscovy at my leisure and make some acquaintances with the gentry. My Russian has improved quite a bit, and I attribute that partially to the socialization I have been able to accomplish but also due to the amazing tales I became fond of--but more of that later.

A Map of St. Petersburg as I first found it.

Once I started spending time with the gentry of Muscovy, I learned that the Russian monarch, Tsar Peter, has required that all nobility relocate to his new capital in the north, St. Petersburg. The whole ordeal was rather exciting to me, but the Russian nobility were generally put out. I decided to join the nobility and continue my wanderings there, so I once again packed my things. Ford too put down his hammer and joined me again as my vassal. This time, I made sure to bring a towel in case any highwaymen decided to attack.

I secured great lodgings in St. Petersburg by coming into the good graces of a noble family here. They have allowed me to stay with them, and I rather think they believe an acquaintance with an Englishman will endear them to their western-minded monarch. Of course, I have no complaint and have been able to continue to explore what is here in this strangely built city. It seems to change every day, accelerating in growth at an unimaginable rate, making the swamp environment more bearable. Here, I have been able to resume my language studies with one of my favorite pass-times: listening to the storytellers.

While making sandwiches at the inn, I was privileged to hear the spinnings of a storyteller who would often offer me a story for a sandwich. Until recently, the storytellers have had to be rather secretive it seems (Propp 43). I  searched town high and low until I was able to find a suitable pub with one of the most talented storytellers I have heard. And, when my gracious hosts realized my fascination, they invited the storyteller to attend to them and even acquired a book for me called The Great Mirror (Propp 44).

The Great Mirror is a collection of stories that not originally come from Russia, but the book has been translated into Russian from Polish, I believe. Half of the stories have religious overtones and are rather didactic while the others are simply anecdotal (Propp 44). The book is also sometimes called the The Speculum Exemplorum "The mirror of examples" if my Latin is not incorrect.

One of the Lubok with pictures. "Mice Carrying a Cat"

While I was on one of my ramblings, I came across yet another wonderful discovery! While perusing the markets on the street one day, an exuberant vendor shoved a pamphlet of sorts under my nose, “Would the Englishman like a lubok?” he asked. Usually I would have moved on, but I decided to give it a glance. What was written on the pages seemed to be another tale of which I was so fond. I tossed the vendor a kopeck or two and managed to read the whole story before I got home (Terras 149). The Story I read was a bit crude but offered an interesting diversion. Since then, I almost always buy a new pamphlet as I walk through the market.

A picture of the Tsar Maiden.

One of my favorite stories to hear and read is called, “The Tale of the Tsar Maiden” (Propp 46). But I have heard others; "The Tale of the Seven Sages" and "The Tale of Shemyaka's Judgement" are two I have heard often (Terras). "The Tale of the Seven Sages" is one that has also appeared in other works even Chaucer and The Decameron (Terras 111). I have found it in Historia septum sapientum Romae, another compilation of folktales. Even though the story itself is not originally from Russia, the Russians have adopted and tell the story. The story allows the storyteller to tell many tells within a tale.

Some stories have a tragic twist to them, like Father Frost in which a cruel stepmother forces her husband to send his daughter away and fend for herself in the middle of the frosty winter. The sweet daughter ends well because Father Frost takes pity on her, but the cruel stepmother and the stepmother's daughter do not fare so well (Russian Folktales from the 18th Century 889-981).

Father Frost and the Snow Maiden (Дед мороз и Снегурочка)

Russian Folk Tales from the 18th Century. Volume One: The Cultural Heritage Story Book Series, Transcribed and edited by Patrick Bruskiewich, Pythagoras Publishing, 2015.

Terras, Victor. A History of Russian Literature. Yale University Press, 1991.

Propp, Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp. The Russian Folktale. Edited and Translated by Sibelan Forrester, Wayne State University Press, 2012.

The Clothing and Appearance of Russians

Having spent a delightful time in Novgorod, I began to become anxious to experience another city’s attractions. Ford decided he too had had enough of Novgorod, so we departed on horse with all the belongings we could.

We met some….complications.

Not forty-two miles from Muscovy, as we were taking a brief rest at noon-day, some horsemen bore down on us. Any mercy we might have hoped for was lost when we saw them appraise our foreign-ness and pull weapons out of their sleeves as bandits are wont to do here (Olearius 128).

The skirmish was brief: Ford surprised us all by pulling out the first thing he grabbed and--brandishing the towel-- managed to disarm a bandit before we were both restrained. What happened next was humiliating to say the least, but suffice it to say, we had our belongings stolen and naught but our dressing gowns and slippers left. They seemed to think those items of clothing looked too much like normal Russian clothes to be valuable. You see, I later found out that all foreigners in Moscow were required to wear clothing from their native countries so as to reduce confusion on the part of the Russians. Consequently, foreign clothing was at a premium since foreigners had altogether adopted the Russian way of dress (Olearius 129-30).

I did not see the sense in stealing clothes from myself and Ford simply because our clothes were from an entirely different time of English fashion, but I suspect the bandits did not allow such a thing to cross their minds.

Luckily, while I was bemoaning my fate and expecting to die in a strange land at the hand of brutal marauders, a passing hunting party dispersed the fiends. Ford and I were offered company on remaining leg of our journey and even given a kopeck or two out of pity.

On our eventual arrival to Moscow, we were overcome by the grandeur but felt urgently that we must find a way to survive. I resolved to try my hand at sandwich making again, and Ford found work building the extraordinary houses they have here in Moscow (Massie). With the money we had begged, I decided to write my brother for money out of desperation.

It is here I wish to describe the daily dress of the Russian gentlemen in this new place and time I have found myself, for I continue to be forced to wear my dressing gown and slippers here. I am by no means blending in completely, but it would be far worse in England.

The Russian men have a very distinct way of dress. Just as in England, the quality and extravagance of apparel correlates with the status of the wearer. A Russian man will generally wear something of a shirt, which looks like a Greek shirt, but not as long as the Greeks. “The collar is flat and smooth without pleats; and the back, from the shoulder down, is covered with a triangular [piece of cloth] and sewn with red silk” (Olearius 127). Often the collar is clasped with a string or two large pearls. Beneath, they wear trousers of the same light material. Over all this, they may place the kaftan, which can look something like a dressing gown.

A kaftan is something like a coat that buttons or clasps in the front and falls as low as the knees. The sleeves are large (as evidenced from the bandits who cleverly stored weapons in them) and the collars stand tall behind and around the neck (Barbarous 243).

A thin--often gold--girdle is finally tied around the waist with the tassels falling to the ankles. Herein lies a most curious habit of the Russians: they store knives and spoons in their belts for convenience (Barbarous 243). When I first saw this, I thought it was absurd, but I have since mended my ways and store my own sandwich-making tools within my own belt!

Russian men almost always wear a hat. Boyars wear tall, intimidating hats while the common man wears a simple felt or velvet triangular hat. The hats are often made of fox fur, sable, or velvet if the wearer is wealthy. As boyars and other wealthy men pass in the street, I find I gasp at the grand ornamentation of clothes. Boyars especially include vast amounts of gold, jewels, and pearls in their attire.

The boots the Russians wear are created from leather and are pointed at the toe. Heavy winters demand that winter boots be lined with fur. Boots can also be painted.  The Russians experience harsh winters and find comfort and warmth in furs with which they line almost every item of clothing. Even the women add fur to their ensembles frequently (Olearius 128).

In physical appearance, the Russian men have wide bellies and long, thick beards. The hair on their head they keep short, unless, as my friend Ivan told me, they fall out of favor with the tsar.


Works Cited

Cherniavsky, Michael. “Ivan the Terrible as Renaissance Prince.” Slavic Review, vol. 27, no. 2, 1968, pp. 195–211. www.jstor.org/stable/2493710.

Rude and Barbarous Kingdom: Russia in the Accounts of Sixteenth-Century English Voyagers. Edited by Lloyd E. Berry and Robert O. Crummey, The University of Wisconsin Press, 1968.

Olearius, Adam. Travels of Olearius in Seventeenth-Century Russia. Translated and Edited by Samuel H. Baron, Stanford University Press, 1967.

Massie, Suzanne. Land of the Firebird: The Beauty of Old Russia. Heart Tree Press, 1996.