M. A. KORF’S “THE LIFE OF COUNT SPERANSKY” IN THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC SENTIMENT IN RUSSIA OF THE 1860S

The article, using both previously known materials and new archival sources, considers the reaction of representatives of various social groups to the two-volume book by M. A. Korf “The Life of Count Speransky”. Published in the “honeymoon” of Russian liberalism in August 1861, the book, unlike many scientific works, caused a heated discussion on the pages of newspapers and magazines of various trends. Numerous reviews and correspondence between a wide range of people and the author of M. M. Speransky’s biography became the subject of heated debates about the significance of the reformer’s personality and work for Russia. The reviewers, speculating on the book and even more on Speransky himself, examined the reformer’s government activities, various aspects of his projects, both implemented and remaining in the plans. This was reflected in the assessment of the author’s personality and his role in history. Liberal publications praised the book, while “conservatives” and “democrats” like M. N. Katkov and N. G. Chernyshevsky, in solidarity, but from different positions, found M. M. Speransky’s activities premature and harmful. While criticizing M. M. Speransky’s projects, they implicitly criticized the half-hearted reforms planned by the government. This was well understood by the contemporaries, which gave relevance to the discussion and caused such a wide response to the book. When discussing M. M. Speransky as portrayed by M. A. Korf, the reviewers and readers thought about the prospects of the upcoming reforms.