Count Pyotr Aleksandrovich Valuev (alternative spelling Peter Alexandrovich Valuyev; ; September 22, 1815 - January 27, 1890), was a 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 statesman and writer.

Political career

Valuev served as Emperor Alexander II

Alexander II of Russia

Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...

's Minister of Interior between April 23, 1861 and March 9, 1868 and as Minister of State Assets from February 17, 1872 through 1877. In 1877 he was made Chairman of the Committee of Ministers

Committee of Ministers

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe or commonly the Committee of Ministers is the Council of Europe's decision-making body. It comprises the Foreign Affairs Ministers of all the member states, or their permanent diplomatic representatives in Strasbourg...

. In 1880 his influence began to decline when he was eclipsed by his opponent, Count Loris-Melikov. Valuev was sent into retirement in October 1881 by the son of the recently assassinated Alexander II, Alexander III

Alexander III of Russia

Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...

. Throughout most of his adult life, Valuev kept a diary, which was published after his death and has proved to be an important source of information on the inner circle of the Russian Empire

Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...

 in the 19th century.

Writing career

Valuev was always close to the literary world. In 1834 he was transferred from 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...

 to St. Petersburg and became acquainted with prominent Russian poets Aleksandr Pushkin

Aleksandr Pushkin

Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin was a Russian author of the Romantic era who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature....

 and Pyotr Vyazemsky

Pyotr Vyazemsky

Prince Pyotr Andreyevich Vyazemsky or Petr Andreevich Viazemsky was a leading personality of the Golden Age of Russian poetry.- Biography :...

. Valuev may have served as one of the prototypes for the protagonist of Pushkin's novel The Captain's Daughter

The Captain's Daughter (opera)

The Captain's Daughter is an opera in four acts by César Cui, composed during 1907-1909...

(1836) and the same year he married Vyazemsky's daughter.

Valuev began writing fiction in the 1870s while still serving in the government. His first novel, "Lorin", was finished in 1878 and circulated in manuscript, although it remained unpublished until 1882. Once he was retired, he concentrated on writing and published four novels, essays on history of Christianity

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

 and a devotional calendar with his poetry prior to his death in 1890 at St. Petersburg.

Novels

• Lorin, 1882.
• Cherny vor, 1887.
• U pokrova v Levshine, 1881, 1892.
• Knyazhna Tatyana (also Knyaginya Tatyana, Princess Tatyana), 1891