Nikolay Gretsch
Encyclopedia
Nikolay Ivanovich Gretsch (Russian
: Николай Иванович Греч; 1787-1867) was a leading Russia
n grammarian of the 19th century. Although he was primarily interested in philology
, it is as a journalist
that he is primarily remembered.
Gretsch came from a noble Baltic German
family. Peter Clodt von Jürgensburg
was his wife's nephew. He attended the Imperial School of Jurisprudence
and travelled widely in Europe, producing no less than five volumes of travel writings as well as several novels. His memoirs were published in 1886.
At the time of Napoleon's invasion of Russia Gretsch started publishing The Son of the Fatherland, a periodical that expressed liberal views that had much in common with those of the Decembrists. During Nicholas I
's reactionary reign he crossed over to the conservative camp and joined forces with Faddei Bulgarin
in feuding with Pushkin's circle.
Gretch and Bulgarin were the editors of Northern Bee
, a popular political and literary newspaper that championed the Official Nationality theory. According to Nicholas V. Riasanovsky
, the newspaper "strikes a modern reader as deficient in interpretation, weak intellectually, and devoted almost entirely to factual, quasi-official summaries of events".
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Николай Иванович Греч; 1787-1867) was a leading Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n grammarian of the 19th century. Although he was primarily interested in philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
, it is as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
that he is primarily remembered.
Gretsch came from a noble Baltic German
Baltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
family. Peter Clodt von Jürgensburg
Peter Clodt von Jürgensburg
Baron Peter Clodt von Jürgensburg, known in Russian as Pyotr Karlovich Klodt , was a favourite sculptor of Nicholas I of Russia.Stemming from a distinguished family of Baltic Germans, Clodt von Jürgensburg, Klodt started his career as a professional artillery officer and amateur sculptor...
was his wife's nephew. He attended the Imperial School of Jurisprudence
Imperial School of Jurisprudence
The Imperial School of Jurisprudence was, along with the Page Corps, the most prestigious school for noble boys in Saint Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire....
and travelled widely in Europe, producing no less than five volumes of travel writings as well as several novels. His memoirs were published in 1886.
At the time of Napoleon's invasion of Russia Gretsch started publishing The Son of the Fatherland, a periodical that expressed liberal views that had much in common with those of the Decembrists. During Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
's reactionary reign he crossed over to the conservative camp and joined forces with Faddei Bulgarin
Faddei Bulgarin
Faddey Venediktovich Bulgarin , was a Polish-born Russian writer and journalist whose self-imposed mission was to popularize the authoritarian policies of Alexander I and Nicholas I.-Life and career:...
in feuding with Pushkin's circle.
Gretch and Bulgarin were the editors of Northern Bee
Northern Bee
Northern Bee was a semi-official Russian political and literary newspaper published in St. Petersburg from 1825 to 1864. It was an unofficial organ of Section Three - the secret police....
, a popular political and literary newspaper that championed the Official Nationality theory. According to Nicholas V. Riasanovsky
Nicholas V. Riasanovsky
Nicholas Valentine Riasanovsky was a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and the author of numerous books on Russian history. He was born in Harbin, China to lawyer Valentin A. Riasanovskii and Antonia Riasanovskii, a novelist...
, the newspaper "strikes a modern reader as deficient in interpretation, weak intellectually, and devoted almost entirely to factual, quasi-official summaries of events".