Battles for History (N.A. Polevoy Contra N.M. Karamzin): Experience of the Historical and Philosophical Comparative Studies

The article examines the concept of Russian history, which was proposed by N.A. Polevoy in a polemic with the “History of the Russian State” by N.M. Karamzin. He titled his work “The History of the Russian People”. This work should be considered in the context of the discussions that have begun around the issues of nationality. Within the framework of S.S. Uvarov’s famous formula “orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality”, this component was the most obscure and, accordingly, aroused the greatest interest. The main directions of Russian thought of that time (Slavophiles, Westernizers, supporters of the concept of “official nationality”, etc.) offered their interpreta-tions of nationality. It seems that N.A. Polevoy failed to propose a concept capable of competing with N.M. Karamzin’s concept, but his attempt to create an alternative deserves attention.