I.S. Ulyanov was a Don general, public figure and writer of the first half of the XIX century. He was one of the most educated Don Cossacks of his time, and at the pre-revolutionary period the historical and near-historical works of I.S. Ulyanova enjoyed certain recognition. However, modern researchers mainly study the political and social activities of the general, while his literary and historical works remain outside their field of vision. Meanwhile, the archive of I.S. Ulyanov provides a unique opportunity to look into the “creative laboratory” of the Don writer of 1820-1830, occasionally referring to historical themes. Referring to this archive, as well as «Notes of I.S. Ulyanov», we found that the Cossack officer at this time was interested in the history of the Cossacks not so often, as a rule, in connection with contacts with Poles and Russian officers, allegedly negatively related to Cossacks. I.S. Ulyanov wrote quotes from foreign authors and N.M. Karamzin, proving the greatness of the Cossacks. For the same purpose, he wrote “An excerpt from NN memorandums”, his work of 1820-1830, the most saturated with historical reminiscences. Nevertheless, despite such bias and naivety, the texts of I. S. Ulyanov anticipate some important trends in the don historiography of the second half of the XIX century.
Source: Peretyatko A. (2018). "Cossacks Seemed to Us to be the Knights of Homer": Materials of I.S. Ulyanov About the Cossacks of 1820-1830. East European History. 4(1): 3-18
Source web-site: http://ejournal49.com/journals_n/1547713703.pdf
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