Nikolay Karazin
Encyclopedia
Nikolay Nikolaevich Karazin ' onMouseout='HidePop("52671")' href="/topics/Ukraine">Ukraine
-1908, Gatchina
, Russia
) was a Russian military officer, painter and writer. He is mostly known for his paintings depicting wars and exotic places.
, sometimes dubbed 'Ukrainian Lomonosov' was a Ukrainian
enlightenment
intellectual, inventor, and the founder of Kharkiv University
. His father Nikolay Vasilivech Karazin was an inventor trying to market a liquid smoke for the "instant smoking" of meats.
Nikolay graduated from the Moscow
cadet
school in 1862. In 1865-1867 he studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts
in Saint Petersburg
.
As a military officer he participated in the campaign against the January Uprising
in Poland
(1864), and the military campaigns in Turkestan
(1864-1870). In 1871 he retired from the military service but as a military correspondent and illustrator he took part in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878
with Serbia
n and Russian armies. For his military service he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir
and a gold sword. In 1874-1879 he worked with a scientific expedition exploring the Central Asia
. In 1885-1886 Karazin travels to India
together with Ivan Minaev. He also travelled to Egypt
, Italy
, Switzerland
and many other exotic places.
After his retirement from military service, Karazin wrote many adventure and ethnographic stories and novels:
The most popular was his children's book, From North to South, telling the story of a crane
migrating from the Ostashkov
swamps to the Upper Nile
. The book combined an interesting story, geographic descriptions of the places the crane flew and illustrations by the author.
Later Karazin became known mostly as a painter and illustrator. He painted many large canvases devoted to battles and especially military actions in Turkestan
. He was a prolific book illustrator and one of the most notable authors of the postcards. In 1902 he participated in the first (rejected by the government) project of the Moscow Metro
and produced many paintings showing his vision of the project. In 1904 Karazin became an academician
of the Imperial Academy of Arts
.
He died in 1908 in Gatchina
.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
-1908, Gatchina
Gatchina
Gatchina is a town and the administrative center of Gatchinsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located south of St. Petersburg by the road leading to Pskov...
, 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...
) was a Russian military officer, painter and writer. He is mostly known for his paintings depicting wars and exotic places.
Biography
Nikolay was born to a family of enlightenment scientists. His grand father Vasyl KarazinVasyl Karazin
Vasily Nazarovych Karazin was a Ukrainian Enlightenment intellectual, inventor, and scientific publisher in Ukraine. He is the founder of Kharkiv University, which now bears his name...
, sometimes dubbed 'Ukrainian Lomonosov' was a Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
intellectual, inventor, and the founder of Kharkiv University
Kharkiv University
The University of Kharkiv or officially the Vasyl Karazin Kharkiv National University is one of the major universities in Ukraine, and earlier in the Russian Empire and Soviet Union...
. His father Nikolay Vasilivech Karazin was an inventor trying to market a liquid smoke for the "instant smoking" of meats.
Nikolay graduated from the Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
school in 1862. In 1865-1867 he studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts
Imperial Academy of Arts
The Russian Academy of Arts, informally known as the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, was founded in 1757 by Ivan Shuvalov under the name Academy of the Three Noblest Arts. Catherine the Great renamed it the Imperial Academy of Arts and commissioned a new building, completed 25 years later in 1789...
in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
.
As a military officer he participated in the campaign against the January Uprising
January Uprising
The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(1864), and the military campaigns in Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
(1864-1870). In 1871 he retired from the military service but as a military correspondent and illustrator he took part in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878
Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 was a conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Eastern Orthodox coalition led by the Russian Empire and composed of numerous Balkan...
with Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n and Russian armies. For his military service he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir
Order of St. Vladimir
The Cross of Saint Vladimir was an Imperial Russian Order established in 1782 by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus....
and a gold sword. In 1874-1879 he worked with a scientific expedition exploring the Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
. In 1885-1886 Karazin travels to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
together with Ivan Minaev. He also travelled to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and many other exotic places.
After his retirement from military service, Karazin wrote many adventure and ethnographic stories and novels:
- "На далеких окрайнахъ" (1875; "In the Distant Confines," tr. Anthony W. Sariti, AuthorHouse, 2007)
- "В пороховом дыму" (In the gun-powder smoke, 1878)
- "В камышах" (In the reeds, 1879)
- "Varvara Lepko and her family" (1879);
- "Тигрица" (Tigress);
- "From OrenburgOrenburgOrenburg is a city on the Ural River and the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies southeast of Moscow, very close to the border with Kazakhstan. Population: 546,987 ; 549,361 ; Highest point: 154.4 m...
to TashkentTashkentTashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
" (1886); - "Khiva Expedition" (1882); etc.
- The Two-Legged Wolf, English translation, 1894, from Archive.org
The most popular was his children's book, From North to South, telling the story of a crane
Crane (bird)
Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
migrating from the Ostashkov
Ostashkov
Ostashkov is a town and the administrative center of Ostashkovsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located west of Tver on a peninsula at the southern shore of Lake Seliger. Population:...
swamps to the Upper Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
. The book combined an interesting story, geographic descriptions of the places the crane flew and illustrations by the author.
Later Karazin became known mostly as a painter and illustrator. He painted many large canvases devoted to battles and especially military actions in Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
. He was a prolific book illustrator and one of the most notable authors of the postcards. In 1902 he participated in the first (rejected by the government) project of the Moscow Metro
Moscow Metro
The Moscow Metro is a rapid transit system serving Moscow and the neighbouring town of Krasnogorsk. Opened in 1935 with one line and 13 stations, it was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union. As of 2011, the Moscow Metro has 182 stations and its route length is . The system is...
and produced many paintings showing his vision of the project. In 1904 Karazin became an academician
Academician
The title Academician denotes a Full Member of an art, literary, or scientific academy.In many countries, it is an honorary title. There also exists a lower-rank title, variously translated Corresponding Member or Associate Member, .-Eastern Europe and China:"Academician" may also be a functional...
of the Imperial Academy of Arts
Imperial Academy of Arts
The Russian Academy of Arts, informally known as the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, was founded in 1757 by Ivan Shuvalov under the name Academy of the Three Noblest Arts. Catherine the Great renamed it the Imperial Academy of Arts and commissioned a new building, completed 25 years later in 1789...
.
He died in 1908 in Gatchina
Gatchina
Gatchina is a town and the administrative center of Gatchinsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located south of St. Petersburg by the road leading to Pskov...
.