Vasily Tatishchev is the name most likely heard by an educated person. But not everyone can clearly articulate what it is connected with and what it symbolizes. But the fact is that today the reconnaissance ship "Vasily Tatishchev" of the Russian navy plows the ocean and often gets into the media. But there is a reason why the glorious designers chose this name. And here's a no-brainer! And he was an outstanding person, and for connoisseurs of history - a real symbol. Yes, and the ship of the Baltic Fleet "Vasily Tatishchev" has no less originality.
What do we know about the ship?
The construction of the ship was made not so long ago, in the 80s of the twentieth century. And today he is not yet thirty years old, because he was launched in November 1987. On the 27th, a shipyard in the city of Gdansk launched the communication ship "SSV - 231". Almost a year later, on this ship, by order of the commander of the Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet, the flag of the USSR was raised. This was in the near future "Vasily Tatishchev". The ship did not change its purpose with the collapse of the country, but in 1998 the command of the medium reconnaissance ship concluded an agreement with the leadership of Kuibyshevazot JSC in Togliatti on patronage relations. And it was a fateful decision. Since two years later the ship was renamed into the CER "Vasily Tatishchev" due to the perseverance of the mayor of the city of Togliatti, the founder of which is considered to be this historical figure. Having such a short history, the reconnaissance ship of the Baltic Fleet "Vasily Tatishchev" still managed to visit 22 campaigns along the route across the Atlantic Ocean, the Baltic and North, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. According to public data, its "mileage" is 340,000. But the travel time is only three years in total, since the ship's displacement is 3.4 tons, they will not drive it unnecessarily. What else can surprise "Vasily Tatishchev"? The ship is one of eight ships built according to Project 864 "Meridian" back in the Soviet Union. But even today it is the crown of military shipbuilding, designed to receive any information by intercepting radio communications.
"Vasily Tatishchev" - a ship with a glorious history
In the world, there is a constant confrontation of various kinds of forces and a redistribution of spheres of influence. At all times, spies in this game provided very powerful assistance and sometimes played a decisive role. In our computer age, electronic spies have replaced people, and electronic intelligence systems have replaced embedded intelligence officers. Such systems are different - from the tiniest types of equipment to aircraft and ships. It is precisely such a system for collecting intelligence that the reconnaissance ship of the Baltic Fleet "Vasily Tatishchev" is. Recently, the ship has shown itself most clearly in support of aircraft and other reconnaissance groups of Russia in Syria. He left the Baltic Sea, his permanent place of residence, and, according to some media sources, was sent to the shores of Syria in the eastern Mediterranean. The main task of the crew was to monitor the situation on the air not only in Syria, but also in the nearest neighboring countries. Territorial waters and the free zone appear to have been no exception either. The reconnaissance ship "Vasily Tatishchev" is not the first time leaving the Baltic. There is evidence that she was also under the supervision of this scout. Therefore, one can hardly believe that such a glorious and large ship moves from the Baltic Sea over long distances simply for pleasure or general information purposes. The ship is able to make up for the absence or loss of ground bases if it is necessary to use them very actively. Such engineering structures as the Vasily Tatishchev ship will always impress. The photo below is absolutely not exclusive. But seeing him not in the Baltic latitudes, the whole world can only be wary.
Let's return to the historical personality
The bright beginning of the development of sciences back in tsarist Russia, as well as in Europe, is associated with a small number of names. But these people embodied a real genius, were interested in various areas and left behind a huge amount of invaluable material that today such a volume can be envied if not by the whole institute, then the department for sure. On a par with the well-known name of M.V. Lomonosov is also the personality of Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev. By type of activity, he was an administrative official under Peter I. By education, he was an engineer. But by the nature of his hobbies - a historian, economist, geographer, educator, champion of printing and general education of the population.
Such a keen understanding of where and in what the future of the country, already at the beginning of the 18th century, focused attention on important issues, which, unfortunately, did not begin to be resolved soon. Yes, and Vasily Tatishchev sacrificed a lot of himself. But his contemporaries could not appreciate it, could not but cause his actions to start and denunciations, could not appreciate the power and apply such advanced and ahead of time ideas. Although it is with such individuals that progress in history begins.
A few lines from the biography
Tatishchev Vasily Nikitich, whose contribution to history is simply priceless, was born on April 19, 1686. Educated in Moscow, graduating from the Artillery and Engineering schools. He began his career under Peter I as a military man, participating in the Northern War at the beginning of the 18th century. Already at the end of the war, Tatishchev began to draw up geographical maps, being carried away for life by both history and geography. Continuing his career in the civil service, Tatishchev receives a referral to the Urals as a manager of state-owned factories. Then he headed the Mint for some time. In addition, he was also the head of the Kalmyk and Orenburg commissions. In total, Vasily Tatishchev served as a civil servant for 42 years, ending his career in 1745, five years before his death. Being removed from his post as governor of Astrakhan, Vasily Nikitich was exiled to the Moscow region, to the Boldino estate. Here, in a calm atmosphere, he is finishing his "History of Russia", materials for which he has been collecting all his life. But let's do it in order and in more detail.
Wherever a genius is and whatever he does, his talent and creativity will always be embodied in deeds and deeds. So, having twice headed the Ural plants, an engineer by education both times tried to reorganize the mining industry and launched large-scale projects. It was far from Moscow from here, but issues should be resolved with her. The delivery of correspondence at that time took many months, which could not satisfy the energetic and serious figure. Tatishchev developed and even began to implement a new type of mail, completely alien to Russia. And the contribution of Vasily Tatishchev to the opening of schools and the organization of education for the general population simply cannot be overestimated. He also manages to arrange fairs and almshouses. In connection with his line of work, the head of the factories could not help but influence the creation of mining laws. It is also being introduced into the development of new crafts. As a top-level administrator, Vasily Tatishchev not only performs direct duties, but takes on the functions of a voivode, a judge, and even a governor. Do you know who was the founder of Stavropol (now Tolyatti), Yekaterinburg and Perm? That's right - Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev.
The Urals in the time of Peter I began to be very actively developed. Deforestation was so barbaric, illiterate, cruel that over the next 50 years of such an attitude, not a single tree would have remained in the Urals. And it is simply impossible to restore such a forest without human help and in such a short time. It can be seen that environmental problems have always followed man and progress. Perhaps the gratitude of descendants for everything should be just such an indifferent and attentive person as Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev, who opened the eyes of officials and authorities to environmental problems already in the 18th century and developed a mining management project. In the duties of the chief, he put a clause on the need to preserve forests. Moreover, according to the issued decree, deforestation in the vicinity of the newly emerged city - Yekaterinburg, was strictly forbidden and punishable by death. It is in this city that there is a unique monument, where Peter I, the autocrat and the storm of Russian history, proudly rises hand in hand with his younger associate, Vasily Tatishchev.
Hobbies that have become science
Vasily Tatishchev did not forget about his hobbies in history and geography and directed to their development any opportunities that the life of an official and travel around the country provided him. Any historical written sources, as well as the first Russian maps of the Urals and Siberia, are collected by an outstanding historian and cartographer. And, to the best of his ability, he makes copies of such materials and distributes them in a useful direction. He sends out maps to surveyors for compiling new maps. At the same time, he organizes the search for minerals, personally collects ore samples, forcing, among other things, to describe and produce drawings of the deposits themselves. Such a wide flow of information allowed Tatishchev to collect extensive and varied scientific material. The organizer of such work was able to perpetuate and preserve countless information on Siberian geography and archeology, but at the same time on history, ethnography and even linguistics. The scientist combined every business trip with scientific research, sometimes even with scientific expeditions. He studied the language, life and customs of the local population, nature and the environment, collecting entire collections of minerals and plants. He very carefully examined the Kungur cave and was interested in mineral springs. With such a volume of work and with such organizational skills, few can compare.
Advanced thinking Tatishchev
Everyone knows that people who care about the future always think broadly and thoroughly. Such personalities are always concerned not with the problem, but with important and global issues. Vasily Tatishchev, who opened the possibility for understanding Siberia, was carried away by history and science, and first of all thought about his descendants and their future. Is it really a great wisdom to understand that, while developing science, production, construction, military affairs, specialists are needed to implement and support all this? And it is necessary to instill the necessary qualities and raise people who know their business from childhood.
Already in the first years of his management in the Urals, Tatishchev opened schools for teaching geometry and mining. Schools were public, but required literacy. this duty was assigned to the zemstvo police officers. So that they prepare a room for a school in each settlement, where the clergy could teach at least ten peasants how to read and write. Later, a mining school was opened in Yekaterinburg, which made it possible to combine theoretical training with the practical application of knowledge at the plant. This was a novelty even for Europe. But even Peter I did not fully share this scale of the educational approach with Tatishchev.
Relations between Tatishchev and Peter I
Vasily Nikitich was a very emotional and unusual person. He thought outside the box and quite broadly. The autocrat listened to the original thoughts of his associate, but sometimes the scientist's judgments went beyond what was allowed. Painfully, they were free, and the servant of the king himself was not afraid to enter into an argument with the lord.
Knowing the character of Peter I, it is unlikely that he was to his liking. So Vasily Tatishchev insisted, for example, that the opening of simple schools should be a priority in education. After all, it is simply necessary to prepare students of the first stage first, so that later they will have the opportunity and human resources to master science already at the academy. Because otherwise, there will simply be no one to teach when professors from Germany and Sweden come at the invitation of the tsar. Then science will come to Russia to deal with itself, but there will simply be no one to teach. Unfortunately, Peter I did not listen to Tatishchev's advice, and the situation in the future turned out to be just that. The biography of Vasily Tatishchev, among other things, is also replete with ill-wishers. There were many of them around the court. They successfully whispered to the tsar about the misdeeds of a distant Ural outstanding official, which the culprit himself could not suspect at all. The latter's breadth of thought, idealism and adherence to principles have always frightened opponents. And how could one not be afraid of such sky-high fantasies, and even with such an influence on the sovereign? This explains the constant accusations, harassment and litigation. And although all this ended with Tatishchev's justification, it did not allow him to live and work in peace, constantly distracting him from business and taking up time. But be that as it may, but Peter I still supported and encouraged the affairs of Tatishchev.
Tatishchev in Europe
The death of Peter I found Vasily Tatishchev in Sweden, where an executive officer was carrying out the instructions of the king. But after the change of power, our hero was left completely without support and without money, so that he even had something to return to his homeland. But Vasily Tatishchev was not particularly upset because of this. He got acquainted with the scientific elite of Sweden, proofread and corrected all the articles about Russia in Gibner's dictionary "Lexicon ...". Scientific work did not stop with him for a minute. wrote in Latin and published in Sweden an article about mammoth bones found in the Kungur cave. He closely communicated with academicians, was especially interested in the Swedish economy. His interest was practical, so that in the future this knowledge could be used in Russia. It was thanks to Tatishchev that the Swedish poetess Sofya Brenner wrote a poem about Peter I based on a brief description of the great deeds of the tsar compiled by Tatishchev.
End of career and last years of life
Returning home, Vasily Tatishchev was no longer able to regain his former position and influence. The Empress moves him all the time from place to place, each time moving away from the capital. But in each new place, Tatishchev successfully mastered and even began to implement the reforms of the sphere subject to him. So, for example, in the Moscow Coin Office, he proposed a reform of the then Russian monetary system. Later, he was thrown into settling conflicts with the Kazakh tribes, Kalmyks, and even sent to the Bashkir rebellion. But denunciations continue to fly to the capital, and at the insistence of the Senate in 1745, the Empress issues a decree on the release of Tatishchev from his post, and also imposes a ban on him to come to St. Petersburg and leave his villages. So Tatishchev, already weakened by illness, falls under house arrest and settles in his estate near Moscow. But a real genius never calms down and does not despair. Boldino becomes like a branch of the Academy of Sciences. Until the last, Tatishchev Vasily Nikitich remained active and incorrigible. The main works and achievements of this period were identified in the publication of the "History of the Russian", his own writing, as well as in preparation for the publication of the book "Sudebnik Ivan the Terrible" with Tatishchev's comments.
In addition, the scientist's notes on the eclipse of the Sun and Moon, a proposal for publishing an alphabet with figures and inscriptions, as well as comments for correcting the Russian alphabet were submitted to the academy. The scientist continues to think about religious tolerance, which often angered the highest circles of power. Also, the thinker analyzes and makes his proposals for improving the legislation of Russia, guided mainly by the conviction that people most tend to take care only of themselves, not remembering others. And the common good is not at all worth worrying about for ordinary people. Also, proposals and projects were made for the reformation of the economy.
Despite the vicissitudes of fate, Vasily Tatishchev never parted with optimism and vigorous activity. Receiving nothing in return, he gives twice as much as was even required. Never tired or complaining about anything. But after all, the career was never successful, there was no family life as such, there were very few friends, and enemies were a dime a dozen. Like any other genius, Tatishchev was ahead of his time. But he did not dutifully wait, but acted as the instigator and passionate servant of everything that was completely not accepted by his contemporaries, but as a result became a reality. Although Tatishchev himself did not see the fruits of his labors, but without him these accomplishments would have come to Russia even more late. There would be more such people now and less spokes in their wheels.
Tatishchev Vasily Nikitich - (1686-1750), Russian historian and statesman. Born April 19, 1686 in Pskov in a noble noble family. Seven years old, he was granted a stewardship and taken to the court of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich, with whose wife Praskovya Fedorovna (nee Saltykova) the Tatishchevs were related.
Court "service" continued until the death in 1696 of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich, after which Tatishchev left the court. The documents do not contain evidence of Tatishchev's studies at school. In 1704, the young man was enrolled in the Azov Dragoon Regiment and served in the army for 16 years, leaving it on the eve of the end of the Northern War with the Swedes. Participated in the capture of Narva, in the Battle of Poltava, the Prut campaign of Peter I against the Turks.
History is a Greek word, meaning the same as our events or deeds; and although some believe that since events or deeds are always acts committed by people, therefore, natural or supernatural adventures should not be considered, but, having carefully examined, everyone will understand that there can be no adventure that could not be called an act, for nothing itself cannot happen by itself and without a cause or an external action. The reasons for every adventure are different, both from God and from man, but enough about that, I will not interpret more extensively.
Tatishchev Vasily Nikitich
At the end of 1712, Tatishchev was sent to Germany, where he stayed intermittently for 2.5 years, studying fortification and artillery, optics, geometry and geology. In the spring of 1716 he returned to Russia and was transferred to an artillery regiment, carried out special assignments for the chief of artillery of the Russian army Ya.V. Bryus and Peter I himself.
In 1720 he was sent to the Urals, where he organized the mining industry. The names of Tatishchev and the prominent metallurgical engineer V.I. Genin are associated with the foundation of Yekaterinburg and the Yagoshikha plant, which marked the beginning of the city of Perm, the geological and geographical study of the Urals. In 1724-1726 he was in Sweden, where he supervised the training of Russian youths in mining and studied economics and finance. Upon his return, Tatishchev was appointed a member, then head of the Mint (1727-1733), which minted gold, silver and copper money (paper money - banknotes appeared in Russia in 1769).
In his notes and presentations addressed to Empress Catherine I, he advocated the introduction of a decimal system of measures and weights in Russia, for streamlining monetary circulation, increasing treasury revenues through the development of industry, foreign trade, and growth in exports, rather than excessive exploitation of monetary regalia. Then he wrote a socio-political and philosophical work A conversation between two friends about the benefits of science and schools (1733). In 1734-1737 he was sent for the second time to manage the metallurgical industry of the Urals, started the construction of new ironworks and copper smelters, setting the goal of increasing iron production by one third. In Yekaterinburg, he began work on the General Geographical Description of All Siberia, which, due to the lack of materials, he left unfinished, writing only 13 chapters and a plan for the book. The conflict with Biron's henchmen and the dissatisfaction of local influential people who used individual abuses of power by Tatishchev led to his recall, and then to trial.
In the last years of his life, Tatishchev was the head of the Orenburg and Kalmyk commissions, the Astrakhan governor. In 1745, due to financial violations revealed by the audit in his previous work, he was removed from the post of governor and exiled to his estate - the village of Boldino, Dmitrovsky district, Moscow province, where he was under house arrest until his death.
The Boldin period of Tatishchev's life is the most scientifically fruitful. Here he managed to finish the first Russian encyclopedic dictionary Russian Historical, Geographical and Political Lexicon, to a large extent complete Russian History, which he began to work on when he was the head of the Coin Office (published according to the manuscript by G.F. Miller in the 1760-1780s ). Working on Russian History, Tatishchev opened for science such documentary monuments as Russian Truth, the Sudebnik of Ivan the Terrible, the Book of the Big Drawing, collected the richest chronicle materials.
V.N. Tatishchev. Russian history.
Adaptation from Late Slavic - O. Kolesnikov (2000-2002)
PART ONE
Forewarning about the history of the general and proper Russian
I. What is history. History is a Greek word meaning the same as ours. events or deeds; and although some believe that since events or deeds are always acts committed by people, therefore, natural or supernatural adventures should not be considered, but, having carefully examined, everyone will understand that there can be no adventure that could not be called an act, for nothing itself cannot happen by itself and without a cause or an external action. The reasons for every adventure are different, both from God and from man, but enough about that, I will not interpret more extensively. Whoever is interested in the explanation of this, I advise you to familiarize yourself with the "Physics" and "Morals" of Mr. Wolff.
Divine. Church. Civil. Natural. What history contains in itself, it is impossible to briefly say about this, because the circumstances and intentions of writers are different in this respect. So, it happens according to circumstances: 1) History is sacred or holy, but it is better to say divine; 2) Ecclesiastics, or church; 3) Politics or civil, but we are more accustomed to naming secular; 4) Sciences and scientists. And some others, not so well known. Of these, the first represents the works of God, as Moses and other prophets and apostles have described. Adjacent to it is the natural or natural history, about the actions produced by the forces invested during creation from God. The natural one describes everything that happens in the elements, that is, fire, air, water and earth, as well as on earth - in animals, plants and underground. In the church - about dogmas, statutes, orders, the application of any circumstances in the church, as well as about heresies, debates, assertions of rightness in faith and refutation of wrong heretical or schismatic opinions and arguments, and besides, church rites and orders in worship. A lot of things are included in secularism, but, mainly, all human deeds, good and praiseworthy or vicious and evil. In the fourth, about the beginning and origin of various scientific names, sciences and learned people, as well as the books published by them and other such things from which the benefit of the general comes.
II. The benefits of history. There is no need to talk about the usefulness of history, which everyone can see and feel. However, since some people are in the habit of examining and reasoning about things clearly and in detail, repeatedly, from damaging their meaning, putting useful to harmful, and putting harmful to useful, and therefore sinning in actions and deeds, then I don’t hear such reasoning about the uselessness of history without regret. happened, and therefore I reasoned that it would be useful to explain briefly about it.
First, let us consider that history is nothing more than a recollection of former deeds and adventures, good and evil, because everything that we, before a long or recent time, through hearing, seeing or feeling, recognized and recalled, is the real story that we or from of his own, or from other people's deeds, he teaches about the good to diligently, and to beware of evil. For example, when I remember that yesterday I saw a fisherman catching fish and acquiring considerable profit for himself, then, of course, I have in my mind a certain compulsion to diligently apply in the same way about the same acquisition; or as I saw yesterday a thief or other villain condemned to a severe punishment or death, then, of course, fear from such a deed, subjecting to death, will restrain me. In the same way, all the stories and ancient events we read are sometimes so sensitively imagined to us, as if we ourselves saw and felt it.
Therefore, it can be briefly said that no person, not a single settlement, industry, science, or any government, and even more so, one person by himself, without knowledge of it, cannot be perfect, wise and useful. For example, taking about the sciences.
Theology needs history. The first and highest is theology, that is, the knowledge of God, his wisdom, omnipotence, which alone leads us to future blessedness, etc. But no theologian can be called wise if he does not know the ancient works of God, announced to us in holy writing , as well as when, with whom, about what the debate was in dogma or confession, by whom what was approved or refuted, for which the ancient church applied some charters or orders, set aside and new ones were introduced. Consequently, divine and ecclesiastical history, and, moreover, civic history are simply necessary for them, as Huetius2, the glorious French theologian, has sufficiently shown.
Lawyer uses history. The second science is jurisprudence, which teaches good manners and duties of each before God, before himself and others, and consequently, the acquisition of peace of mind and body. But no lawyer can be called wise if he does not know the previous interpretations and debates about natural and civil laws. And how can a judge rightly judge a case if he does not know the ancient and new laws and the reasons for their applications? To do this, he needs to know the history of laws.
The third is medicine or medicine, which consists in preserving the health of a person, and returning the lost, or at least preventing developmental diseases. This science depends entirely on history, for it must receive from the ancients knowledge of what kind of disease happens, what medicines and how it is treated, what kind of medicine has what strength and effect, which no one could have known by his own testing and inquiry for even a hundred years, and doing experiments on the sick is such a danger that it can destroy his soul and body, although this often happens with some ignoramuses. I do not mention many other parts of philosophy, but briefly it can be said that all philosophy is based on history and supported by it, for everything that we have among the ancients, right or wrong and vicious opinions, we find the essence of history to our knowledge and reasons for correction.
political part. Janus. Politics, on the other hand, consists of three different parts: internal management, or economy, external reasoning, and military actions. All these three require no less than history and cannot be perfect without it, because in economic management it is necessary to know what harms happened from what before, in what way they were averted or reduced, what benefits and through what were acquired and preserved, according to which about the present and future wisely reasoning is possible. Because of this wisdom, the ancient Latins depicted their king Janus with two faces, because he knew in detail about the past and wisely reasoned about the future from examples.
Obviously, there is some kind of life-giving, blessed power in the picturesque corner of the Moscow region, the village of Boldino, which gave shelter to many Russian men in the days of disgrace. Among them Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev is a Russian statesman, historian, geographer, economist, industrialist. Although most of all his name is known as the author of the first monumental work on the history of Russia.
Biography of Tatishchev briefly
Vasily Nikitich was born on April 19, 1686 in the Pskov district, on his father's estate. The Tatishchev family was descended from the younger branch of the Smolensk princes, they were considered, although seedy, but Rurikovich. Starting from the age of seven, he served as a steward at the court of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich, co-ruler of Tsar Peter I. After being enrolled in military service with the rank of lieutenant, he took part in the battle of Poltava.
From 1712 to 1716 he went to Germany to improve his education and study engineering. Thanks to a trusting relationship with Jacob Bruce, he fulfills his personal assignments and falls into the circle of nobles close to Peter I. After the end of the Northern War, he serves in St. Petersburg under the command of Bruce. In 1714, Tatishchev married Avdotya Vasilievna Andreevskaya.
Tatishchev - industrialist and economist
Tatishchev dreams of doing cartography of Russian lands, but instead he is sent to the Siberian provinces to find convenient places for the construction of ore processing plants. Vasily Nikitich approached the appointment thoroughly and conscientiously. Thanks to him, the cities of Yekaterinburg and Perm were founded, a post office was organized between Vyatka and Kungur.
At the factories, he opened schools for literacy and mining, drew up instructions for protecting forests, and laid a new road from the factory to the pier on Chusovaya. In his activities, he acted as a zealous statesman, which caused displeasure of the owners of Siberia - the Demidovs.
In 1724, Peter sent Tatishchev to Sweden. For two years he has been studying mining novelties, looking for a cutting master, researching the work of the Stockholm port, the monetary system, and making friends with many scientists. Tatishchev returned to Russia with an extensive baggage of scientific and practical materials. In 1827 he was appointed a member of the monetary commission.
Tatishchev historian
But in addition to the main activity in the civil service, Tatishchev begins to do what his descendants will honor and remember him for. He begins to write a grandiose historical work "Russian History". It was the first experience of writing national history. This idea prompted him to engage in geographical research. Tatishchev led a very active life.
He had to visit many territories during his public service, he had a mindset that was not only inquisitive, but also scientific. He was always inclined to understand the task at hand thoroughly. Obviously, close relations with Bruce, an associate of Tsar Peter, prompted him to the idea of systematizing the available information about the history of Russia.
His work was first published already during the reign of Catherine II. "History of Russia" in the form of presentation of the material, resembles a chronicle. A strict chronology of events is observed from ancient times to 1577. For the first time, a system of division by periods is used. The main idea of the author runs like a red thread, that for the good of Russian society, for economic and political prosperity, Russia needs autocracy. The author draws this conclusion by analyzing historical materials. Economic flourishing has always coincided with autocracy.
- The merit of Tatishchev is that he discovered for domestic science, describing in his work, such documentary evidence as “Russian Truth”, “Sudebnik” of Ivan the Terrible, “The Book of the Big Drawing”.
- Due to misunderstandings with Biron, he was deprived of his rank and awards. Literally before his death, the courier brought him to Boldino a decree on his forgiveness and the Order of Alexander Nevsky, which Tatishchev returned, saying that he was dying. The next day, July 15, 1750, Tatishchev passed away.
Prince without a title
The creation of a powerful Russian state is usually associated with the names of the rulers and their immediate associates. But the solution to this problem would have been impossible without the "sovereign people" - those who put the grandiose plans for building an empire into reality.
One of these people was Vasily Nikolayevich Tatishchev, who managed to succeed both in strengthening the economic potential of the country and in studying and describing the history of Russia from ancient times.
Reproduction of an engraving by A. Osipov depicting the Russian statesman Vasily Tatishchev
Vasily Tatishchev was born in April 1686 in the Pskov district, on the estate of his father Nikita Tatishchev.
The Tatishchev clan traced its history back to the Rurikovichs, but then began to lose influence and even lost its princely title. Nikita Tatishchev, Vasily's father, did not even have his own estate and acquired it only after the death of one of his relatives.
However, in 1693, seven-year-old Vasily and his ten-year-old elder brother Ivan were accepted into the service as royal stewards. True, it was not about Tsar Peter, but about his brother and co-ruler Ivan, who had no real power.
Tsar Ivan died in 1696, and the Tatishchev brothers returned to their father's estate, where they stayed for the next 10 years.
Intelligent officer
Again, they were not eager to serve, but during the time of Peter I it was mandatory for the nobles, and in 1706 the Tatishchevs were drafted into the Azov Dragoon Regiment.
The next six years were spent in battles and battles. Vasily Tatishchev participated in the capture of Narva, in the legendary battle with the Swedes near Poltava, in the Prut campaign, which was unsuccessful for the Russian army.
In 1712, far from being young, especially by the standards of the 18th century, Vasily Tatishchev was sent abroad to study engineering and artillery. In addition, he becomes a confidant of Feldzeugmeister General Yakov Vilimovich Bruce, carrying out his instructions abroad.
The patronage of Bruce, a man who was among the close associates of Peter I, brings Tatishchev's career to a new level. In May 1716, he passed the exam and was promoted to lieutenant engineer of artillery. In this capacity, he was engaged in streamlining the artillery economy in the army.
In the autumn of 1717, Tatishchev attracted the attention of Peter - the magistrate of Danzig, in payment of the indemnity imposed on the city, offered the painting "The Last Judgment". The burgomaster assured that it was written by the educator of the Slavs Methodius and costs 100 thousand rubles.
Peter I, who loved rarities, but was not prone to squandering, estimated the painting at 50 thousand. But here Tatishchev intervened, saying that the authorship of Methodius was more than doubtful, and the burgomaster was simply trying to “cheat” the tsar. The deal fell through, and Peter remembered an intelligent officer.
History with geography
In 1718, Tatishchev, as an associate of Jacob Bruce, participated in the organization of the Åland Congress - negotiations between Russia and Sweden, which were supposed to put an end to the Northern War. Expectations from the negotiations did not come true, the war dragged on for another couple of years, but Tatishchev himself again showed himself perfectly as an executor of important state orders.
In the same 1718, Jacob Bruce was appointed head of the Berg Collegium, a kind of ministry of industry and minerals of the Petrine era. The new head of the collegium, starting work, considered it necessary to draw up a detailed geographical map of Russia, without which the development of industry and the exploration of minerals were very difficult.
A large-scale task was entrusted to Tatishchev, who, having immersed himself in the topic, decided that geographical research should be based on historical material. He took up the study of the history of Russia from ancient times. This work will be the beginning of the creation of the first fundamental work on Russian history, which Tatishchev will write until his death.
The main enemy of the Demidov clan
In the time of Peter the Great, the number of tasks facing the country was enormous, and the number of people capable of effectively solving them was small. Therefore, Vasily Tatishchev in 1720 was torn off from geography and sent "to the Siberian province on Kungur and in other places where convenient places are searched, to build factories and smelt silver and copper from ores."
These places were harsh, the central authority was recognized here very conditionally, but Tatishchev was a man of a tense intimidation. Taking up the organization of state-owned factories, he created the Siberian Higher Mining Administration - the main governing body of state-owned enterprises in the region.
Tatishchev's measures to transfer old factories and lay new ones became the reason for the founding of two cities - Yekaterinburg and Perm.
View of the monument to the founders of the city of Yekaterinburg Vasily Tatishchev and Wilhelm de Genin on Labor Square in Yekaterinburg
Tatishchev was also actively involved in infrastructure issues - he established the functioning of the post office, was engaged in the construction of schools (both primary and for teaching mining), built roads and strengthened the rule of law.
Very quickly, he made terrible enemies in the person of the father and son of the Demidovs, entrepreneurs who until that moment had been monopolists in the mining business in the Urals and Siberia. The Demidovs saw state factories as a threat to their business. Vasily Tatishchev, in turn, believed that the Demidovs were mired in abuse and were acting to the detriment of the state.
The Demidovs, using their connections, tried to remove Tatishchev. It came to an investigative check, which fully justified the head of state-owned factories.
Tatishchev's political plan
At the same time, the Demidov clan nevertheless achieved its goal - Vasily Tatishchev was transferred to St. Petersburg, from where he was then sent to Sweden for the needs of mining and for the execution of diplomatic missions. Tatishchev stayed there from December 1724 to April 1726, inspected factories and mines, collected many drawings and plans, hired a lapidary master, who set in motion a lapidary business in Yekaterinburg, collected information about the trade of the Stockholm port and the Swedish monetary system, got acquainted with many local scientists.
Upon his return to Russia, he was appointed a member of the mint office, which was in charge of the mints of the empire.
While Tatishchev worked for the good of the Fatherland, political passions raged around. When in 1730 the question arose of inviting Anna Ioannovna to the kingdom, whose power the Supreme Privy Council tried to limit, Tatishchev proposed his own draft state structure.
He argued that Russia, as a vast country, most of all corresponds to monarchical government, and the idea of "supreme leaders" should be rejected. But all the same, “to help” the empress should have established a senate of 21 members and an assembly of 100 members under her, and elected to the highest places by ballot. Various measures were also proposed here to alleviate the situation of different classes of the population.
Tatishchev's plan was not put into practice, but Anna Ioannovna, who took over the "supervisors", appreciated the help in this struggle.
Conflict with Biron
True, the favor did not last long. A year later, Tatishchev had a major quarrel with the favorite of the Empress Biron, a great specialist in putting his hand into the state treasury. The vengeful Biron quickly concocted a bribe case, and Tatishchev was under investigation.
Only in 1734 were the charges against Tatishchev removed, again sent to the Urals for the construction of new state-owned factories.
Over the next few years, Vasily Tatishchev brought the number of factories to 40, drew up a plan to double their number, was involved in compiling the first instructions for surveyors, devoted a lot of time to mineral exploration and the search for new mines.
Tatishchev insisted that private factories rob the treasury, their owners violate the laws, acting to the detriment of the state. He used his right to interfere in the activities of state-owned enterprises widely.
Private traders began to write complaints to St. Petersburg. And, since they shared part of their income with the highest dignitaries of the empire, Tatishchev started having problems again. In 1737 he was sent to the Orenburg expedition for the final pacification of Bashkiria and the control of the Bashkirs.
Resignation
Having coped with the task, he returned to St. Petersburg in 1739. Here he was awaited by a new trial on charges of abuse. Behind these processes was Biron, who this time achieved his goal - Vasily Tatishchev was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, depriving him of all ranks.
Soon Biron fell, and Tatishchev was released. This time he was appointed head of the Astrakhan province, where he was ordered to restore order.
Vasily Tatishchev understood that this task was not for him, that knowledge and experience would be much more useful in the Urals.
But even the accession of the daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth Petrovna, did not change the fate of Tatishchev - he was left to serve in the Astrakhan province.
In 1745, Vasily Tatishchev was dismissed. He arrived in his village of Boldino near Moscow, where he began to devote all his time to writing a historical work.
"Russian History"
The first public readings of his book, on which he worked for almost two decades, Tatishchev held in St. Petersburg in 1739. He was one of the first to study primary sources, chronicles and other materials related to the ancient history of Russia, analyzing and systematizing them.
Tatishchev did not have a special education, but in his historical works, a vital attitude to the issues of science and the breadth of outlook associated with this are valuable. He was the first to discover and publish "Russian Truth" - a collection of legal norms of the Old Russian state from the time of Yaroslav the Wise, he was also the first to publish the "Sudebnik of Ivan the Terrible".
The work "History of Russia", or "History of Russia from the most ancient times, with vigilant labors thirty years later collected and described by the late Privy Councilor and Astrakhan Governor Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev", consisted of four parts. Only the first and second parts, covering the period from pre-Rurik times to 1238, Tatishchev managed to finish. The third and fourth parts, describing Russian history up to 1558, as well as fragmentarily the period of the Time of Troubles, remained unfinished.
In addition, Tatishchev wrote the first edition of the Russian History in a language stylized as the Old Russian language of chronicles. Then, convinced that such a style was rather inconvenient for readers, he set about writing an edition in the language familiar to the 18th century.
The first edition of The History of Russia began only in 1768, almost two decades after the death of the author. The manuscript of the last, fourth part, was found and published in the 1840s.
The complete academic edition of The History of Russia by Vasily Tatishchev, which included the first edition, which had not been published before, was published in 1962-1968.
Tatishchev even organized his own funeral
Organizational skills remained with Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev until the very last days. In the summer of 1750, the 64-year-old Tatishchev felt very ill and realized that he had very little time left to live. One day, going to the church, he ordered the artisans with shovels to come there. After the service, he, also taking the priest with him, went to the cemetery, indicating where and how to dig a grave for him. After making sure that everything was done correctly, he asked the priest to come to his house the next day to perform all the death rites.
On the same day, a messenger from St. Petersburg arrived to him, informing him of his call to the capital and the awarding of the order. Tatishchev sent the order back, asking him to convey that he was dying.
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