Nicholas I and Official Nationality in Russia 1825 - 1855

310 Pages·1969·10.551 MB·English

by  Nicholas V. Riasanovsky

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NICHOLAS
RIASANOVSKY
CAL
145
AND
OFFICIAL NATIONALITY
IN RUSSIA, 1825-1855
For thirty years Russia was ruled by Official Nationalfty, which de
pended on a particular interpretation of orthodoxy, autocracy, and
nationalism, the guiding principles of the reign of Nicholas/. Nicholas
has been neglected by historians, and the significance of Officiaf Na
tionality has been obscured. The present book is the first to analyze
this doctrine and its role in history.
"A study of the theory that guided state policy during the reign of
Nicholas I has long been overdue, and Professor Riasanovsky has suc
ceeded admirably in providing such a study and throwing light on it
from different angles. The thoroughness of his investigation precludes
criticism of his scholarship."-Anna/s
"This is a substantial addition to our knowledge of Russian history
in the nineteenth century. It is accurate, clear, and fair in its descrip
tion of a creed and system of government which has too long been
ignored by scholars and described in cliches in textbooks."-S/avic
and East European Journal
"Professor Riasanovsky's book is a fine piece of scholarly research
and writing and an important English-language contribution to Rus
sian historiography."-Russian Review
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Berkeley, California 94720

NICHOLAS I
AND OFFICIAL
NATIONALITY
IN RUSSIA

NICHOLAS I
AND OFFICIAL
NATIONALITY
IN RUSSIA,
1825-1855
Nicholas V. Riasanovsky
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
BERKELEY AND LOS ANGELES • 1969
University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
University of California Press, Ltd.
London, England
Cl 1959 by The Regents of the University of California
Fourth Impression, 1969
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 59-11316
Printed in lhe United States of America
TO ARLENE
viii PREFACE
Nt1tionality because I consider the general nature, manner, and tone
of their statements, not only the content, to be significant. For the
same reason I tried to preserve in transldtion the style of the origirud.
In the troublesome matter of translitertJtion, I sought to follow con
sistently t1 system btJsed essentitJJly on tluJt of the Library of Congress.
Names of Western derivation are written in the text in their proper
Latin forms.
Of the swertJl years which it took me to gather 1tl4teri4l for this
study, the most fruitful was the school year of l9)4-l9)5 which I
spent on a Fulbright research grtJnt tJt the University of Helsinki. I
want to thank all those responsible for the grant, as weU d8 officials of
tM United States Educo.tiono.l Foundation in Finlo.nd, in particu141
Mr. Sven-Erik SjOgren and Miss HilltktJ &rio. I want CJlso to express
my deep gratitude to Dr. Sulo Haltsonen, Mr. B. I. Seve, Dr. MdTid
Widn& and others of the rich Slavic department of the University of
Helsinki Library. I remember them as CJ retn4rk1Jble group of schol4tl
CJnd friends whose help to me far exceeded any claims I might have
luul on their attention. I am simiL:Jrly grtJteful to those who CJided me
in the British Museum Library, in the Biblioth~que Nationo.le ctnd,
in this country, especjo.Uy in the libraries at the State Univenity of Iowa
and the University of Califomitt in Berkeley. Further, I want to thank.
the administrations of these two uniwrsities for their help in my work,
such dB the prOYision of research assistants.
Among the reader• of my manuscript, I am, as 1l8110l, indebted par
hcuL:trly to my father, Professor V. A . .Ridsanowky. Next I must rmn
tion my friend Profuwr f. F. Gilli<lm of U.. Sbtte UniYBrsity of Iowa,
a distinguished .peci4list in ancient history whose contribution to thil
ltu4y BBTYu to underlirut the ftJet that wisdom may often be more
import4nt thtm speci4liud lmowledge. I have also profited from the
IUTching 4nd thorough ret:Jdings of my te«her Prufessor M. Karpovich
of H<ZrWJrd UniYBrsity, Profe=r Charle& Jel<Mch of the UniYersity of
Colifomia. Dr. &rbmtJ Jelavich, and Professors 0. A. M4Slenilt.w,
C. B. O'Brien, and W. Go.lenson. Other valuable comments 1t11d sug
gestions were offered by those who ret:Jd the mmJuscript in part, notably
Professors R.J. Sontag and R. Drinnon of the University of CCJlifomio.,
ProfeSBOr R. Popkin of U.. Sbtte UniYBrsity of Iowa, and ProfessOT G.
Poage of Iowa Sbtte Te«:hers Colkge. My ,.....,ch <188iriarots, Mra.
f<mice Clark Potion, Mr. S. LoluJsherich, and Mr. F. Miller, .W.d me
eagerly and weU. My wife, Arlen., acted as a redder, a resurch dllilt·
cm.t, and in gen.tral dl my main helper in thil mrire urulertdiing.
N•caous V. Rus.Novsn
Berkeley, Califomia
February 9· 19S9
CONTENTS
I. Official Nationality, the Supreme Commander
II. Official Nationality, the Men 36
III. Official Nationality, the Ideas 73
IV. Official Nationality: Home Affairs •14
v. Official Nationality: Foreign Policy 235
VI. Conclusion: Official Nationality and History >66
Bibliography '73
Index '93