Nikolay Novikov
born April 27 [May 8, New Style],
1744, Bronnitsky, near Moscow, Russia
died July 31 [Aug. 12], 1818, Bronnitsky
Russian writer, philanthropist, and
Freemason whose activities were intended
to raise the educational and cultural
level of the Russian people and included
the production of social satires as well
as the founding of schools and
libraries. Influenced by Freemasonry,
Novikov converted his journals and his
ambitious publishing enterprise into
vehicles of freethinking and even
criticized Empress Catherine II the
Great. She suspended publication of his
journals and had him arrested in 1792.
He was released by Emperor Paul in 1796
but was forbidden to resume his
journalistic activities.
Nikolay Ivanovich Novikov
(Russian: Никола́й Ива́нович Новико́в)
(8 May [O.S. 27 April] 1744 - 12 August
[O.S. 31 July] 1818) was a Russian
writer and philanthropist most
representative of his country's
Enlightenment. Frequently considered to
be the first Russian journalist, he
aimed at advancing the cultural and
educational level of the Russian public.
Together with Johann Georg Schwartz,
Ivan Vladimirovich Lopukhin, and Semion
Ivanovich Gamaleya he brought martinism
and rosicrucianism to Russia.
Novikov belonged to the first
generation of Russians that benefited
from the creation of the Moscow
University in 1755. He took an active
part in the Legislative Assembly of
1767, which sought to produce a new code
of laws. Inspired by this kind of
freethinking activity, he took over
editing the Moscow Gazette and launched
satirical journals, patterned after The
Tatler and The Spectator. His attacks on
the existing social customs prompted
jocund retorts from Catherine the Great,
who even set her own journal called
Vsyakaya vsyachina to comment on
Novikov's articles.
By the 1780s, Novikov rose to the
highest positions in Russian
Freemasonry, which liberally funded his
ambitious book-publishing ventures.
Novikov's press produced a third part of
contemporary Russian books and several
newspapers. Novikov used his influence
for various noble purposes, such as a
large-scale project of promoting
Shakespeare to Russian public.
When the French Revolution started,
Catherine changed her attitude towards
the likes of Novikov. His printing-house
was confiscated. Three years later,
without a formal trial, he was
incarcerated in the Shlisselburg
Fortress for 15 years. Much of his
printed material was pulped, including
1,000 copies of Edward Young's The Last
Day (1713). Emperor Paul set Novikov
free, but the latter was too scared and
broken-hearted to resume his
journalistic activities.
