Prince M. M. Shcherbatov — a Russian Statesman of the 18th Century and More. Review of: Kalinina, S. G. (2023). Kniaz’ M. M. Shcherbatov. Podrobnaia illiustrirovannaia biografiia [Prince M. M. Shcherbatov. A Detailed Illustrated Biography]. Moscow: Blok-Print. 376 p., il.

Abstract

This review analyses the biography of the celebrated Russian figure of the eighteenth century, historian, journalist, translator and statesman Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Scherbatov, written by S. G. Kalinina with the utilisation of a substantial source base, and published in 2023. The book provides a comprehensive account of both Shcherbatov’s public and private life. Conversely, it is observed that the reconstruction of Shcherbatov’s intellectual activity, while offering intriguing insights and findings, also encompasses contentious elements. Consequently, it enables us to address the challenge of writing a biography of a figure who occupied both an official and an intellectual role. In addition to recounting his public service, it is necessary to reconstruct the history of his ideas and worldview.

Keywords

• м. м. щербатов
• российская империя
• интеллектуальная история