Tolochko O. 'Russian History' by Vasilii Tatishchev: Sources and Accounts.

Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev (1688 - 1750) was one of those remarkable personalities of the early 18th century, whose very appearance was made possible by the new intellectual atmosphere brought about by the turbulent age of Peter the Great's reforms and resulting profound Westernization of Russia. Through the course of his long career, Tatishchev managed to be an army officer, an engineer, a celebrated civil administrator, a corrupt official, and a conspirator against the highest authorities. Yet, what he is most remembered for and what earned him the lasting fame and respect of future generations, was not his day jobs, however distinguished, but his side interest in history. Since the early 1720s, Tatishchev started to entertain the idea of writing a systematic Russian history, and he began to collect materials necessary for this project. His labors produced the first draft of "History" sometime before 1739, followed by a second version in 1746, and finally the last one finished by 1750, shortly beforehis death. "Russian History", which was published for the first time long after the historian's death, was considered a formidable achievement, and made a strong impression on many writers of history in the 18th century. Tatishchev's work has long since lost its appeal as a work of scholarship, remaining an important but hopelessly dated synthesis, by far superseded by brilliant narratives of the 19th century. What still ensures Tatishchev an exceptional place in Russian history-writing, are not his credentials as a historian (although those are important for the history of Russian historiography), but his alleged achievements as a collector of sources.