The oustanding statesman S.Yu. Witte and his reflection on the Russian elite of the late 19 th-early 20th centuries (based on "Memoirs")

The article is devoted to the study of the life path and activities of the outstanding statesman of the late XIX - early XX centuries. S.Y. Witte. He had to solve important economic, political and military issues and make difficult decisions. It is not surprising that the interest in his personality resulted in a lot of publications, which, however, were of a contradictory nature: from positive assessment to condemnation. The analysis of the difficult path, which had to follow this statesman, allows us to identify the personal qualities that modern leaders should possess, and to draw some lessons. At the same time, S.Y. Witte himself is the author of the memoirs “Memoirs”, in which he assesses the Russian elite of that period, blaming it for the events that led to the 1905 revolution.