Khariton Andreyevich Chebotaryov (russian: Харитон Андреевич Чеботарёв) (1746,
Vologda
Vologda ( rus, Вологда, p=ˈvoləɡdə) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the river Vologda (river), Vologda within the watershed of the Northern Dvina. ...
– July 26, 1815,
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
) was a
rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of the
Moscow University
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...
(1803-1805),
state counsellor, and ordinary professor of history, morality, and eloquence.
Khariton Chebotaryov was born in Vologda into a poor family. In 1755, he entered a
gymnasium under the Moscow University, becoming a university student six years later. Upon his graduation from the university in 1764, Chebotaryov was soon hired by his alma mater as a translator from
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
. In 1767, he was transferred to the gymnasium as a teacher of history and geography. In 1773, Khariton Chebotaryov was entrusted with teaching
Russian literature
Russian literature refers to the literature of Russia and its émigrés and to Russian language, Russian-language literature. The roots of Russian literature can be traced to the Middle Ages, when epics and chronicles in Old East Slavic were c ...
, simultaneously doing translations from Latin, German, and
French with his students. In 1775, he was appointed deputy librarian (суб-библиотекарь) of the university library (only a professor could hold this post) and
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
of the ''
Moskovskie Vedomosti
''Moskovskiye Vedomosti'' ( rus, Моско́вские ве́домости, p=mɐˈskofskʲɪje ˈvʲedəməsʲtʲɪ; ''Moscow News'') was Russia's largest newspaper by circulation before it was overtaken by Saint Petersburg dailies in the m ...
'' for the next three years. In 1776, Khariton Chebotaryov became an extraordinary professor at the Russian Literature Department, simultaneously remaining a philosophy and world history teacher at the gymnasium. Upon the death of Professor
Johann Gottfried Reichel, Chebotaryov delivered lectures on European history and Russian literature at the gymnasium. In 1778, Khariton Chebotaryov was made an ordinary professor and appointed librarian and
censor at the university theater. In 1778-1783, he was a secretary of the academic council (университетская конференция), inspector of the university gymnasium and
normal school
A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...
. In 1782, Khariton Chebotaryov was promoted to the rank of a
collegiate assessor
The Table of Ranks (russian: Табель о рангах, Tabel' o rangakh) was a formal list of positions and ranks in the military, government, and court of Imperial Russia. Peter the Great introduced the system in 1722 while engaged in a s ...
and then
court councilor (1786). At the behest of the
Empress
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
, he and
Anton Barsov were engaged in copying out notes from Russian chronicles, located at synodal and patriarchal libraries and
Moscow State Archive. These notes were later presented to
Catherine the Great
, en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes
, house =
, father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...
and then served as a source for her ''Notes on Russian History''. In consideration of his efforts, Khariton Chebotaryov was rewarded with 500
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
ruble
The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union.
, currencies named ''rub ...
s. After the transformation of the university charter, Chebotaryov was elected its rector (being in the rank of
collegiate councilor) and awarded with the
Order of Saint Anna
The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Hol ...
(2nd Class). Upon his resignation from this post, Chebotaryov was appointed a permanent representative of the university board, remaining as such until his death. In 1809, Khariton Chebotaryov was promoted to the rank of state councilor. During the
Patriotic War of 1812
The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...
, he lost his precious library and personal archives, which would come to him as a shock and greatly undermine his health. As a result, Chebotaryov suffered a
stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
and died on July 26, 1815. He was interred at the
Vagankovo Cemetery
Vagankovo Cemetery (russian: Ваганьковское кладбище, Vagan'kovskoye kladbishche), established in 1771, is located in the Presnya district of Moscow. It started in the aftermath of the Moscow plague riot of 1771 outside the cit ...
in Moscow.
Khariton Chebotaryov is known to have been a member of several learned societies, such as the
Free Russian Assembly (Вольное Российское Собрание),
Society of the Admirers of the Russian Language (Общество Любителей Русской Словесности; honorary member),
Society of History and Russian Antiquities (Общество Истории и Древностей Российских; chairman), and
Moscow Masonic Lodge.
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chebotaryov, Khariton
1746 births
1815 deaths
Burials at Vagankovo Cemetery
People from Vologda
Russian writers
Professorships at the Imperial Moscow University
Imperial Moscow University alumni
Rectors of Moscow State University