Mikhail Speransky was born on January 12, 1772 in the village of Cherkutino, Vladimir province.
During the reign of Alexander I, he became one of the most influential officials of the Russian Empire, but fell into disgrace and did not manage to implement his plans to transform the state into a constitutional monarchy.
Under Nicholas I, Speransky carried out the codification of Russian legislation and was the educator of the heir to the throne - the future emperor Alexander II, whom, according to historians, he could inspire reforms.
"Dizzying career"
Mikhail was born into the family of a village priest.
According to the recollections of acquaintances, even having become a powerful dignitary, in memory of his origin and childhood, every birthday he made a bed for himself in a small closet on a wooden bench.
The boy grew up physically weak, but he learned to read and write early and fell in love with reading.
According to family tradition, he was going to become a priest and even entered the Vladimir Seminary, which was later merged with the Suzdal Seminary.
However, during his studies, Mikhail became interested in mathematics.
According to Yevgeny Pchelov, associate professor of the Russian State Humanitarian University, to continue his education, Speransky, as one of the most talented students, was sent to the seminary at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg.
Studying there was very intensive, which, according to Speransky's biographers, developed his ability for intense mental work.
After completing his studies, Speransky remained at the seminary as a teacher of the disciplines of the natural science cycle and philosophy.
At the same time, Mikhail got a job as a home secretary for Prince Alexei Kurakin.
In addition, he taught the son and nephew of Kurakin (the future diplomat Boris Kurakin and the future Minister of Public Education Sergei Uvarov).
As Pchelov recalled, after Paul I came to power, Aleksey Kurakin was promoted to prosecutor general and invited Speransky to work in his office.
They did not want to let the talented teacher leave the seminary, but the emperor himself insisted on his transfer, who, according to the documents that Speransky prepared for Kurakin, saw in him the ability for public service.
“In just three years, Speransky made a dizzying career, rising to the rank of state councilor, superior in status to an army colonel.
Such a professional take-off was due to the outstanding abilities of Speransky.
As an official, he was perfectly able to grasp the thoughts of his bosses and put them on paper in an impeccable logical sequence, "said Vitaly Zakharov, professor at Moscow State Pedagogical University, in an interview with RT.
Mikhail Speransky in 1806
© Wikimedia Commons
At the same time, as historians note, unlike many of his colleagues, Speransky showed moral independence and was not inclined to servility.
In 1799, he headed the office of the Commission on the supply of the imperial residence with supplies, and a couple of years later became the secretary of state and head of the third expedition of the Permanent Council (an advisory body under the emperor).
On behalf of the emperor, Speransky began preparing projects for reforming the state structure with the aim of transforming Russia into a constitutional monarchy.
In addition, he worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, dealing with issues of state improvement.
According to historians, until 1807, the authorities saw in Speranskoye only a capable performer, but over time he was increasingly allowed to take the initiative.
“Gradually, Speransky turned into the closest associate of Alexander I, who accompanied the tsar on trips to Russia, and then to Europe,” Pchelov noted.
At the Erfurt Congress, Speransky's professional abilities were noted by Napoleon Bonaparte.
In 1808, Alexander I, retaining the previous positions of Speransky, appointed him as a companion (deputy) minister of justice.
The reform projects prepared by Speransky touched upon a variety of areas of social and political life: state structure, administrative sphere, rank-and-file production and education.
Speransky, in particular, initiated the creation of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.
According to experts, he showed amazing ability to work, working 18-19 hours a day.
Alexander I
© Wikimedia Commons
Speransky reached the highest position in the state hierarchy in 1810, when he was appointed Secretary of State of the Russian Empire.
At that time, he became one of the most influential officials and, in fact, the second person in the state.
In this position, he prepared a legislative act known as the "General Establishment of Ministries", which determined the typical structure of the executive authorities of Russia and the procedure for their activities.
According to Evgeny Pchelov, this became one of the key reforms implemented by Speransky.
In order to stabilize the economic situation in the country, he sought to minimize the budget deficit and advocated higher taxes on noble estates.
Opal and a new takeoff
According to Vitaly Zakharov, after Speransky's appointment as secretary of state, his influence on the emperor began to "irritate the nobility very much."
“He was considered an upstart, accused of appropriating other people's powers.
A hail of denunciations rained down on him, ”said the expert.
As Yevgeny Pchelov noted, Speransky remained an "alien element" at court.
Despite his active fight against corruption, the secretary of state himself was accused of bribery.
In addition, they tried to present him in the eyes of the emperor as a treason and a French agent.
According to Vitaly Zakharov, Speransky to a certain extent worsened his position himself, interfering in other people's affairs and reading diplomatic correspondence, to which he had nothing to do.
In addition, he allowed himself fairly familiar statements about the emperor.
In March 1812, Speransky was removed from office and, without any specific charges, was exiled first to Nizhny Novgorod and then to Perm. Rumors of his "high treason" became public domain. The persecution of his relatives began, local officials spoke to him offensively, the money he managed to take with him from St. Petersburg ran out. The former powerful dignitary had to live on debt. However, through Count Alexei Arakcheev, Speransky managed to remind the emperor of himself, and he restored the ex-secretary of state financial support, ordered him to pay off his debts and after a while allowed him to leave for the estate of Velikopolye, Novgorod province. Seeing such an attention of the emperor to Speransky, the officials, who had recently persecuted the exiled state leader, began to show him their respect.
In 1816, Alexander I returned Speransky to public service and appointed him civil governor in Penza. According to historians, the former secretary of state was disappointed, as he took it as a refusal to return him to the capital. Moreover, the emperor's letter to Speransky contained unpleasant reservations that the dignitary should whitewash his reputation. Nevertheless, he conscientiously treated his official duties, put things in order in the provincial office work and carried out work on the improvement of Penza.
Three years later, Speransky was expected to be appointed governor-general of Siberia.
The inability to return to St. Petersburg again upset him at first, but over time he became optimistic about new turns of fate.
The emperor asked him to restore order in Siberia and promised to return him to the capital after that.
During his two years as Siberian Governor-General, he carried out large-scale reforms in the management of the region, developed a system of relations with indigenous peoples, improved transport infrastructure and the supply of food to the population.
"Emperor Nicholas I rewards Speransky for drawing up a code of laws."
Painting by A. Kivshenko
© Wikimedia Commons
Returning to St. Petersburg, Speransky became a member of the State Council for the Department of Laws. According to a number of testimonies, before the uprising of the Decembrists, its participants discussed the prospect of including Speransky in the government, but there is no evidence that the official was involved in the rebellion. On the contrary, Speransky was introduced to the Supreme Criminal Court in the case of the Decembrists.
As Yevgeny Pchelov said, after becoming emperor, Nicholas I included Speransky in his inner circle and entrusted him with the codification of Russian legislation.
The former secretary of state became the compiler of the Complete Collection and the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire.
Experts call Speransky one of the founders of Russian jurisprudence and legal science, and publicist Nikolai Turgenev characterized him as one of the most advanced people in Russia and Europe of his time.
In parallel with his main duties, Speransky was engaged in teaching the heir to the throne (future Emperor Alexander II) in political and legal sciences.
According to historians, the mentor's experience could, to some extent, inspire him to carry out the famous reforms.
Code of laws of the Russian Empire
© Wikimedia Commons
In January 1839, Speransky was elevated to the rank of count, and on February 23 of the same year he died.
"The luminary of the Russian administration is extinguished," Secretary of State Modest Korf wrote on this occasion.
“Speransky was a great statesman.
Unfortunately, due to the disgrace, not all of his endeavors were brought to an end.
Perhaps, if he implemented the idea of transforming Russia into a constitutional monarchy and other projects of unrealized reforms, this would prevent Russia from sliding towards a revolutionary explosion, ”summed up Vitaly Zakharov.