15 Facts About Mikhail Speransky

Mikhail Speransky later served under Tsar Nicholas I of Russia and was Active Privy Councillor.

Mikhail Speransky studied at the religious seminaries in Vladimir and St Petersburg, where he acquired the surname of Speransky, from the Latin verb "to hope".

Mikhail Speransky's skills led him to become the secretary to Prince Kurakin and a competent imperial official.

Mikhail Speransky is buried at the Tikhvinskoe Cemetery at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery; his tombstone was designed by Alexander Brullov.

Mikhail Speransky's plan contributed to the constitutions granted by Alexander to Finland and Poland.

Mikhail Speransky replaced the earlier members of the unofficial committee and practically became the sole minister.

However, powerful though he was, Mikhail Speransky did not use his immense influence for personal means; his idealism did not permit this but in not seeking political allies, Mikhail Speransky made himself vulnerable.

Mikhail Speransky believed himself to be a potent instrument for the attainment of the ideal objective of a regenerated Russia, which was his minister's sole preoccupation.

In 1810, Mikhail Speransky was still in high favor and was the confidant of the emperor in the secret diplomacy which preceded the breach of Russia with Napoleon.

Mikhail Speransky is depicted at this period in Tolstoy's novel War and Peace.

Mikhail Speransky was surrounded by spies who reported none too accurately the minister's somewhat sharp criticisms of the emperor's acts.

Mikhail Speransky presumed to advise Alexander not to take the chief command in the coming campaign.

From 1810 to 1812, Mikhail Speransky was the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy of Turku in Finland.

In 1826, Mikhail Speransky was appointed by Nicholas I to head the Second Section of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery, a committee formed to codify Russian law.

The main sources for studying the activities of Mikhail Speransky are materials and documents that belonged to him.