200 DISGRACE AND EXILEand he did not participate in the town's social life beyond the minimum
necessary to keep up appearances. Besides the merchant Popov, the
Bishop of Perm' was the only person with whom he had close contact
and whose friendship he valued very highly. With the Bishop, Spe-
ransky could discuss religion and philosophy, matters always close to
his heart. The Bishop also helped him in his studies of Hebrew to
which Speransky applied himself with great energy and devotion.
Toward the end of 1813 Speransky sent his daughter and mother-in-
law to St. Petersburg and remained alone in the small and forlorn
provincial town. He took this rather painful decision, because he
wanted his daughter to receive a good educatioR and grow up in a
more sophisticated environment. He also wished to use the opportunity
presented by her trip to the capital to forward directly to the Emperor
a long letter, the so-called Perm' letter, in the hope of receiving an
opportunity to rehabilitate himself. Alexander, however, did not react
to the letter at the time. But prompted by another appeal, after the
conclusion of the war against Napoleon, the Emperor finally permitted
Speransky to retire to his small estate, Velikopol'e, in the province of
Novgorod. Accompanied by the good wishes and regrets of the Permians
who had become his great admirers, Speransky left Perm' in 1814 and
withdrew to his estate.
In Velikopol'e the disgraced State Secretary spent his days very
quietly. There were no events important enough to be mentioned here.
He shunned all unnecessary contacts with neighbors and local officials
(who, incidentally, were instructed to keep him under some surveillance).
Occasionally he consented to receive or visit the Vice Governor of
Novgorod, Muraviev. On these occasions he met the Vice Governor's
young son, the future Count Muraviev-Amurskii, Governor General of
Eastern Siberia and empire builder on the Amur. The only regular
absences from Velikopol'e would be to visit the neighboring monastery
of Savva Vysherskii. He maintained the closest spiritual and intellectual
relations with some monks and the Superior of the monastery, and in
gratitude for their spiritual inspiration and guidance he contributed
to the improvement of the monastery's buildings and church. From
time to time some former colleague or friend would find his way to
the modest house at Velikopol'e, for the village was conveniently lo-
cated mid-way between Moscow and St. Petersburg. These visits kept
Speransky informed ·of the latest political and intellectual developments
in the capital. Gradually, these reminders of a more active and reward-
ing existence helped him in overcoming his earlier resolution to shun
all social and political activities completely. Speransky's understandably