Michael Speransky. Statesman of Imperial Russia, 1772–1839 - Marc Raeff

LAST YEARS - CONCWSION 367

change in atmosphere which occurred during his own lifetime is shown
by the fact that his social isolation contributed to his downfall in 1812.

but did..not affect his position in the reign of Nicholas I. The creation

of a bureaucratic machine that had to be operated by skilled tech-
nicians, only continued and sharpened this situation. As one of the
most important figures in the creation of such a bureaucratic machine,
Speransky contributed to the growing isolation of the administration
from the intellectual and spiritual elite of the nation. Again one of
the paradoxical, contradictory results of h~s ways of working.
An evaluation of the role and significance of Speransky's life and
work leads directly to a characterization and assessment of the bureau-
cratic regime of Imperial Russia. This can still be only tentative, (or
much more detailed study has to be done before a satisfactory synthesis
can be achieved. But any careful investigation finds traces of Speransky's
work and influence at the origin of most administrative institutions
and policies of 19th century Russia. His ideological eclecticism, his
cautious progressive conservatism, his timidity in the face of fundamen-
tal social problems, and his reliance on the benevolent action of the
autocratic sovereign to promote economic, spiritual, and moral progress,
make of Speransky not only the best representative of his own times,
but also the Wegweiser for later generations of imperial officials. In this
sense, he was the most influential "statesman" of modem Imperial
Russia.

SOURCES

A n a c c 0 u n t 0 f the m a i n eve n t sin S per a n sky's Ii f e a ft e r

1826 is to be found primarily in M. A. Korf Zhizn' grata M. M. Speranskogo, Vol.

II. For Speransky's plans !lnd proposals during his last years the reader is referred

to the bibliography of Speransky's writings at the end of the volume.

Addi ti on al in forma ti on can be 'gleaned from:

"11; zapisok barona M. A. Korfa," Russkaia Starina, 99 (July 1899), pp. 3-30; K.

N. Lebedev, "Iz zapisok senatora K. N. Lebedeva," Russkii Arkhiv, (1910), No.7,

pp. 333-408; No.8, pp. 465-524; No. 10, pp. 183-253; No. 11, pp. 353-376; No. 12,

pp. 542-582; F. P. Lubianovskii, "Vospominaniia F. P. Lubianovskogo," Russkii

Arkhiv, (1872), pp. 98-185 and 448-533; A. S. Pushkin, "Dnevniki," in Vol. 8 of

Polnoe Sobranie Sochinenii, (Moscow-Leningrad 1949); A. I. Turgenev, Pis'ma A.

Turgeneva Bulgakovym, Moscow 1939; N. P. Barsukov, Zhizn' i trudy M. P. Pogodina.

13 vols., St. Pbg. 1888-1899; N. Gastfreind, Tovaris.hchi Pushkina po imperatorskomu

Tsarskosel'skomu Litseiu, 3 vols., St. Pbg., 1912-1913; M. A. Korf, "Iz bumag 0

grafe Speranskom v dopolnenii k ego 'zhimi' izdannoi v 1861 g.," Russkii Arkhiv,

V (1867), pp. 432-455; M. A. Korf, "Smert' grafa Speranskogo," Russkaia Starina,

(1893), No. 11, p. 317. M. Aronson and S. Reiser, Literatumye kruzhki i salony

(Leningrad 1929) and N. L. Brodskii (ed.), Literatumye salany i kruzhki - pervaia

polovina XIX v., (Moscow, 1930) are only two of a very large list of titles relating

to the history of the intellectual elite in Russia ca 1820-1839; they proved most

helpful in tracing specific 'social contacts of Speransky in that period.