Brief biography of Sergei Yurievich Witta. “Governmental activities of S. Yu. Witte

His economic policies were far-sighted, and his diplomatic abilities gave rise to mystical rumors.

An interesting fact is that Witte was considered the antipode of Stolypin. And indeed, their relationship was quite complicated.

They had opposing views on the path of progress of the empire, but they agreed on the main thing: both Witte and Stolypin loved Russia and did everything to glorify their fatherland.

Such as these two husbands were, they are the personification of selfless service to the fatherland.

Origin of Witte

Sergei Witte was born into the family of the Courland nobleman Christoph-Heinrich-Georg-Julius and the daughter of the governor of the Saratov region, Ekaterina Andreevna. This happened in 1849.

A short biography of the father of the family contains information about high level his education (he was a mining engineer and agronomist). In the early forties, he settled in the Saratov province and held the position of manager of a large landowner farm.

History is silent about how he won the heart of Ekaterina Andreevna Fadeeva, but it is obvious that this task was not an easy one.

His future wife and mother of Sergei Yulievich came from a highly educated noble family, her grandfather was Prince Dolgorukov.

Education

Before his 16th birthday, Sergei Witte attended a gymnasium in Tiflis. Then the family lived for a short time in Chisinau. After receiving their matriculation certificate, she and her brother became students at Novorossiysk University, one of the best in the Russian Empire.

The young man patiently and persistently studied, which allowed him to later become an outstanding economist.

In South Palmyra, in 1870, he defended his dissertation. Witte was offered to stay in educational institution, but he refused, for which he received the full support of his family, who considered the destiny of a nobleman to be service to the sovereign and the fatherland.

Witte's career

A brief biography of Sergei Witte does not allow us to dwell on all the details of the formation of his personality. However key points we will celebrate his career.

Having entered the service and taken the post of official in the office of the governor of Novorossiya, he did not stay there for long and soon became a travel specialist on the recommendation of Count A.P. Bobrinsky.

Witte's biography contains information that he worked almost as a cashier, but this is not entirely true, although he actually had to travel a lot to small stations, studying the work of the railway in all its intricacies and occupy various low positions to deepen his knowledge.

Soon such persistence yielded results, and he headed the operational service of the Odessa Railway.

At that time, Sergei Witte was 25 years old.

Further growth

Witte's fate as an official could have ended before it began due to the train crash that occurred on Tiligul.

However, his active work in organizing defense cargo transportation (there was a war with Turkey) won the favor of his superiors, and he was actually forgiven (punished with two weeks in the guardhouse).

The development of the port of Odessa is also largely his achievement. So, instead of resignation, Sergei Witte receives a new impetus in his career, but in St. Petersburg.

In 1879 he became the head of five southwestern railways(Kharkov-Nikolaev, Kiev-Brest, Fastov, Brest-Grayevsk and Odessa).

Then the biography of Sergei Witte continues in Kyiv, where he works under the leadership of I. S. Bliokh, a prominent theorist-economist and banker. Fifteen years of his life will pass here.

Achievements

At the beginning of the 20th century, tectonic processes took place in the world economy, from which Witte did not remain aloof.

His biography contains information about the work he wrote, “National Economy and Friedrich List.” Soon this book is noticed by the authorities, and Sergei Witte is appointed state councilor at the railway department.

Then his career develops rapidly, and now he is appointed to the post of minister.

D.I. Mendeleev was invited by Witte to serve in the department entrusted to him.

The services of Sergei Yulievich Witte to the state are colossal. We list only the most significant:

Introduction of gold backing of the ruble. As a result, Russian currency unit becomes one of the main world currencies.
The establishment of a state monopoly on the sale of vodka, as a result of which huge amounts of money begin to flow into the budget.
A sharp increase in railway construction. During Witte's work, the length of the tracks doubled and exceeded 54 thousand miles. Such a pace did not exist even during the years of Stalin’s five-year plans.
Transfer of communication routes to state ownership. The treasury bought 70% of the shipping companies from their owners; this was of strategic importance for the country’s economy.

Personal life

Sergei Witte has always been a hit with the ladies. He met his first wife in Odessa. At that time she was in a formal marriage.

N. A. Spiridonova (née Ivanenko) was the daughter of the leader of the nobility from Chernigov. Soon they got married in Kyiv, in the Cathedral of St. Vladimir. The couple lived until the death of his wife in 1890.

Two years later, Witte married again. His chosen one, Matilda Ivanovna Lisanevich, herself raised her daughter, whom Sergei Yulievich raised as his own child.

The wife was a cross-Jew, which strained the official’s relationship with secular society. He himself did not attach any importance to prejudices.

Last years

Relations with Witte were extremely difficult, in contrast to the complete understanding that he had with Nicholas’s father, Emperor Alexander III.

On the one hand, Nicholas II valued him as an unparalleled specialist who had earned recognition during the reign of his father; on the other hand, court intrigues (of which, by the way, Sergei Yulievich himself was quite capable) greatly complicated the position of the Minister of Finance, whose post was by that time occupied by Witte.

In the end, in 1903 he lost his post, but did not remain idle for long.

As soon as some hopeless state situation occurred, Emperor Nicholas II immediately resorted to the help of Sergei Witte.

It was he who was sent to conduct peace negotiations with the Japanese government, as a result of which the Treaty was signed. He completed the task masterfully, and his reward was the title of count.

Then difficulties arose with the agricultural project, the author of which was Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin. Having met resistance from the landowners, Witte retreated and fired the author of the controversial law. However, it was impossible to maneuver between the interests of opposing factions for a long time. The inevitable resignation eventually took place in 1906.

This is where Witte’s biography ends. In February 1915 he fell ill with meningitis and died.

The whole life of this statesman is a vivid illustration of the struggle for the prosperity of the Motherland.

Briefly about Sergei Witte we can say the following:

Outstanding Russian economist, diplomat, statesman and reformer.
Stabilized the ruble exchange rate by introducing gold backing.
Ensured the influx of foreign loans into the domestic market for the first time in Russian history.
He carried out a project to build the world's largest Trans-Siberian Railway.
The author of the manifesto that stopped the 1905 revolution on October 17, after which he was removed by Emperor Nicholas II from the post of chairman of the Council of Ministers.
He concluded a peace treaty with Japan, according to which half of the island of Sakhalin passed to Japan, while the second half, after the defeat, remained with Russia.
Thanks to his unique diplomatic abilities, he managed to conclude an alliance treaty with China, the Portsmouth Peace Treaty with Japan, and a trade agreement with Germany.

As a conclusion, it should be said that Sergei Yulievich Witte became a shining example an outstanding mind who did a lot for his beloved Russia.

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In the history of Russia at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. S.Yu. Witte occupies an extremely important place. The head of the Ministry of Railways, the long-term Minister of Finance, the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, the first head of the Council of Ministers, a member of the State Council - the official posts of this politician, who became a symbol of the possibility and at the same time of the helplessness of the state system.

In 1892, Witte took over as Minister of Finance. Witte's most important task was to encourage the development of domestic industry. He considered industry to be the locomotive of the national economy. In his activities he relied on the concept of Friedrich List - “ theory of national economy”, the essence of which was that “poor countries” need to achieve a balance of imports and exports with the help of customs protection.

Industrialization required significant capital investments from the budget, which was supposed to ensure the implementation of the developed policy. One of the directions of the reform he carried out was the introduction in 1894 of state wine monopoly, which became the main budget revenue item (365 million rubles per year). Were increased taxes, primarily indirect (they grew by 42.7% in the 90s). Was introduced, i.e. free exchange of rubles for gold.

The latter made it possible to attract foreign capital into the Russian economy, because foreign investors could now export gold rubles from Russia. customs tariff protected domestic industry from foreign competition, the government encouraged private enterprise. During the years of the economic crisis of 1900 - 1903. the government generously subsidized both government and private enterprises. Getting widespread concession system, issuing government orders to entrepreneurs for a long period at inflated prices. All this was a good stimulator for domestic industry.

However, the process of industrialization in Russia was contradictory. Capitalist methods of management (profit, cost, etc.) did not affect the public sector of the economy - the largest in the world. These were defense factories. And this created a certain imbalance in the capitalist development of the country.

In his reform activities, Witte had to experience resistance from the aristocracy and high officials, who had great influence on the reigning persons. Witte's most active opponent was the Minister of the Interior VC. Plehve. His course of social policy is opposition to reforms, advocacy conservative development principle, which invariably preserves the privileges of the nobility to power, and, consequently, the preservation of feudal remnants. This trend of confrontation between reforms and counter-reforms at the turn of the two centuries ended not in Witte’s favor.

Changes in the global economic situation at the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries. led to a crisis in industries that developed intensively in the 90s. — metallurgy, mechanical engineering, oil and coal mining industries. The minister's opponents accused him of the decline in Russian production and called his policies adventurous and destructive for Russia. Dissatisfaction with Witte's policies led to his resignation in 1903.

He returned to the political arena in the fall 1905 as head of the Council of Ministers. In August 1905, he managed to conclude the Portsmouth Peace with Japan; for this diplomatic success, Nicholas II granted him the title of count. The Russian reformer again found himself in demand in the political life of the country.

(06/29/1849 - 03/13/1915) - count, Russian statesman.

The life, political activity, and moral qualities of Sergei Yulievich Witte have always evoked contradictory, sometimes polar opposite, assessments and judgments. According to some recollections of his contemporaries, we have before us “ exceptionally gifted», « V high degree outstanding statesman», « superior in the variety of his talents, the vastness of his horizons, the ability to cope with the most difficult tasks, the brilliance and strength of his mind of all people of his time" According to others, this is “ a businessman completely inexperienced in the national economy», « suffered from amateurism and poor knowledge of Russian reality", a person with " average philistine level of development and naivety of many views", whose policies were distinguished by " helplessness, lack of system and... unprincipledness».

Characterizing Witte, some emphasized that he was “ European and liberal", others - that " Witte was never a liberal or a conservative, but sometimes he was deliberately reactionary" The following was even written about him: “ savage, provincial hero, impudent and libertine with a sunken nose».

So what kind of person was this - Sergei Yulievich Witte?

Education

He was born on June 17, 1849 in the Caucasus, in Tiflis, in the family of a provincial official. Witte's paternal ancestors came from Holland and moved to the Baltic states in the middle of the 19th century. received hereditary nobility. On his mother's side, his ancestry was traced back to the associates of Peter I - the princes Dolgoruky. Witte's father, Julius Fedorovich, a nobleman of the Pskov province, a Lutheran who converted to Orthodoxy, served as director of the department of state property in the Caucasus. Mother, Ekaterina Andreevna, was the daughter of a member of the main department of the governor of the Caucasus, former Saratov governor Andrei Mikhailovich Fadeev and Princess Elena Pavlovna Dolgorukaya. Witte himself very willingly emphasized his family ties with the Dolgoruky princes, but did not like to mention that he came from a family of little-known Russified Germans. " Actually my whole family, he wrote in his Memoirs, - was a highly monarchical family - and this side of character remained with me by inheritance».

The Witte family had five children: three sons (Alexander, Boris, Sergei) and two daughters (Olga and Sophia). Sergei spent his childhood in the family of his grandfather A. M. Fadeev, where he received the usual upbringing for noble families, and “ primary education, - recalled S. Yu. Witte, - my grandmother gave it to me... she taught me to read and write».

At the Tiflis gymnasium, where he was then sent, Sergei studied “very poorly,” preferring to study music, fencing, and horse riding. As a result, at the age of sixteen he received a matriculation certificate with mediocre grades in science and a unit in behavior. Despite this, the future statesman went to Odessa with the intention of entering the university. But his young age (the university accepted people no younger than seventeen years old), and on top of everything, the behavioral unit denied him access there... He had to go to school again - first in Odessa, then in Chisinau. And only after intensive studies did Witte pass the exams successfully and receive a decent matriculation certificate.

In 1866, Sergei Witte entered the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Novorossiysk University in Odessa. "... I worked day and night, he recalled, and therefore, throughout my stay at the university, I was truly the best student in terms of knowledge».

This is how the first year of student life passed. In the spring, having gone on vacation, on the way home Witte received news of the death of his father (not long before this he had lost his grandfather, A. M. Fadeev). It turned out that the family was left without a livelihood: shortly before their death, the grandfather and father invested all their capital in the Chiatura mines company, which soon failed. Thus, Sergei inherited only his father’s debts and was forced to take on part of the care of his mother and little sisters. He was able to continue his studies only thanks to a scholarship paid by the Caucasian governorship.

As a student, S. Yu. Witte had little interest in social problems. He was not worried about either political radicalism or the philosophy of atheistic materialism that excited the minds of young people in the 70s. Witte was not one of those whose idols were Pisarev, Dobrolyubov, Tolstoy, Chernyshevsky, Mikhailovsky. "... I have always been against all these trends, because according to my upbringing I was an extreme monarchist... and also a religious person", S. Yu. Witte subsequently wrote. His spiritual world was formed under the influence of his relatives, especially his uncle, Rostislav Andreevich Fadeev, a general, participant in the conquest of the Caucasus, a talented military publicist, known for his Slavophile, pan-Slavist views.

Despite his monarchist beliefs, Witte was elected by students to the committee in charge of the student cash fund. This innocent idea almost ended in disaster. This so-called mutual aid fund was closed as... dangerous institution, and all members of the committee, incl. Witte, found themselves under investigation. They were threatened with exile to Siberia. And only the scandal that happened to the prosecutor in charge of the case helped S. Yu. Witte avoid the fate of a political exile. The punishment was reduced to a fine of 25 rubles.

Carier start

After graduating from the university in 1870, Sergei Witte thought about a scientific career, about a professorship. However, relatives - mother and uncle - “ looked very askance at my desire to be a professor, - recalled S. Yu. Witte. - Their main argument was that... this is not a noble affair" In addition, his scientific career was hindered by his ardent passion for the actress Sokolova, after meeting whom Witte “didn’t want to write any more dissertations.”

Choosing a career as an official, he was assigned to the office of the Odessa governor, Count Kotzebue. And two years later, the first promotion - Witte was appointed head of the department. But suddenly all his plans changed.

Railway construction was rapidly developing in Russia. This was a new and promising branch of the capitalist economy. Various private companies arose that invested in railway construction amounts that exceeded investments in large-scale industry. The atmosphere of excitement surrounding the construction of railways also captured Witte. The Minister of Railways, Count A.P. Bobrinsky, who knew his father, persuaded Sergei Yulievich to try his luck as a specialist in the operation of railways - in the purely commercial field of railway business.

In an effort to thoroughly study the practical side of the enterprise, Witte sat in the station ticket office, acted as an assistant and station manager, controller, traffic inspector, and even served as a freight service clerk and assistant driver. Six months later, he was appointed head of the traffic office of the Odessa Railway, which soon passed into the hands of a private company.

However, after a promising start, S. Yu. Witte’s career almost ended completely. At the end of 1875, a train crash occurred near Odessa, causing many casualties. The head of the Odessa Railway, Chikhachev, and Witte were put on trial and sentenced to four months in prison. However, while the investigation was dragging on, Witte, while remaining in service, managed to distinguish himself in transporting troops to the theater of military operations (the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 was underway), which attracted the attention of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, by whose order the prison for the accused was replaced by a two-week guardhouse.

In 1877, S. Yu. Witte became the head of the Odessa Railway, and after the end of the war - the head of the operational department of the Southwestern Railways. Having received this appointment, he moved from the province to St. Petersburg, where he took part in the work of Count E. T. Baranov’s commission (to study the railway business).

Service in private railway companies had an extremely strong influence on Witte: it gave him management experience, taught him a prudent, businesslike approach, a sense of the situation, and determined the range of interests of the future financier and statesman.

By the beginning of the 80s, the name of S. Yu. Witte was already quite well known among railway businessmen and in the circles of the Russian bourgeoisie. He was familiar with the largest “railroad kings” - I. S. Bliokh, P. I. Gubonin, V. A. Kokorev, S. S. Polyakov, and knew closely the future Minister of Finance I. A. Vyshnegradsky. Already in these years, the versatility of Witte’s energetic nature was evident: the qualities of an excellent administrator, a sober, practical businessman combined well with the abilities of a scientist-analyst. In 1883 S. Yu. Witte published “Principles of railway tariffs for the transportation of goods”, brought him fame among specialists. This was, by the way, not the first and far from the last work that came out from his pen.

In 1880, S. Yu. Witte was appointed manager of the South-Western roads and settled in Kyiv. A successful career brought him material well-being. As a manager, Witte received more than any minister - over 50 thousand rubles a year.

Witte did not take an active part in political life during these years, although he collaborated with the Odessa Slavic Benevolent Society, was well acquainted with the famous Slavophile I. S. Aksakov, and even published several articles in his newspaper “Rus”. The young entrepreneur preferred the “society of actresses” to serious politics. "... I knew all the more or less prominent actresses who were in Odessa“, he later recalled.

Beginning of government activities

The murder of Alexander II by the Narodnaya Volya dramatically changed S. Yu. Witte’s attitude towards politics. After March 1, he actively became involved in the big political game. Having learned about the death of the emperor, Witte wrote a letter to his uncle R. A. Fadeev, in which he presented the idea of creating a noble secret organization to protect the new sovereign and fight the revolutionaries using their own methods. R. A. Fadeev picked up this idea and, with the help of Adjutant General I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov, created the so-called “Sacred Squad” in St. Petersburg. In mid-March 1881, S. Yu. Witte was solemnly initiated into the squad and soon received his first task - to organize an attempt on the life of the famous revolutionary populist L. N. Hartmann in Paris. Fortunately, the “Holy Squad” soon compromised itself with inept espionage and provocateur activities and, after existing for just over a year, was liquidated. It must be said that Witte’s stay in this organization did not at all embellish his biography, although it gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his ardent loyal feelings. After the death of R. A. Fadeev in the second half of the 80s, S. Yu. Witte moved away from the people of his circle and moved closer to the Pobedonostsev-Katkov group, which controlled state ideology.

By the mid-80s, the scale of the Southwestern Railways ceased to satisfy Witte's ebullient nature. The ambitious and power-hungry railway entrepreneur persistently and patiently began to prepare his further advancement. This was greatly facilitated by the fact that the authority of S. Yu. Witte as a theorist and practitioner of the railway industry attracted the attention of the Minister of Finance I. A. Vyshnegradsky. And besides, chance helped.

On October 17, 1888, the Tsar's train crashed in Borki. The reason for this was a violation elementary rules train movements: the heavy train of the royal train with two freight locomotives was traveling above the established speed. S. Yu. Witte previously warned the Minister of Railways about possible consequences. With his characteristic rudeness, he once said in the presence of Alexander III that the emperor’s neck would be broken if the royal trains were driven at an illegal speed. After the crash in Borki (from which, however, neither the emperor nor his family members suffered), Alexander III remembered this warning and expressed a desire that S. Yu. Witte be appointed to the newly approved post of director of the department of railway affairs in the Ministry of Finance.

And although this meant a three-fold reduction in salary, Sergei Yulievich did not hesitate to part with a profitable place and the position of a successful businessman for the sake of the government career that beckoned him. Simultaneously with his appointment to the position of director of the department, he was promoted from titular to full state councilor (i.e., received the rank of general). It was a dizzying leap up the bureaucratic ladder. Witte is one of I. A. Vyshnegradsky’s closest collaborators.

The department entrusted to Witte immediately becomes exemplary. The new director manages to prove in practice the constructiveness of his ideas about state regulation of railway tariffs, demonstrate a breadth of interests, remarkable administrative talent, strength of mind and character.

Ministry of Finance

In February 1892, having successfully used the conflict between two departments - transport and financial, S. Yu. Witte sought appointment to the post of manager of the Ministry of Railways. However, he did not remain in this post for long. Also in 1892, I. A. Vyshnegradsky became seriously ill. In government circles, a behind-the-scenes struggle began for the influential post of Minister of Finance, in which Witte took an active part. Not too scrupulous and not particularly picky about the means to achieve the goal, using both intrigue and gossip about the mental disorder of his patron I. A. Vyshnegradsky (who had no intention of leaving his post), in August 1892 Witte achieved the position of manager Ministry of Finance. And on January 1, 1893, Alexander III appointed him Minister of Finance and at the same time promoted him to Privy Councilor. The career of 43-year-old Witte has reached its shining peak.

True, the path to this peak was noticeably complicated by the marriage of S. Yu. Witte to Matilda Ivanovna Lisanevich (nee Nurok). This was not his first marriage. Witte's first wife was N.A. Spiridonova (née Ivanenko), the daughter of the Chernigov leader of the nobility. She was married, but was not happy in her marriage. Witte met her back in Odessa and, having fallen in love, obtained a divorce.

S. Yu. Witte and N. A. Spiridonova got married (apparently in 1878). However, they did not live long. In the fall of 1890, Witte's wife died suddenly.

About a year after her death, Sergei Yulievich met a lady (also married) at the theater who made an indelible impression on him. Slender, with gray-green sad eyes, a mysterious smile, a bewitching voice, she seemed to him the embodiment of charm. Having met the lady, Witte began to woo her, convincing her to end the marriage and marry him. To get a divorce from her intractable husband, Witte had to pay compensation and even resort to threats of administrative measures.

In 1892, he married the woman he loved dearly and adopted her child (he did not have any children of his own).

The new marriage brought Witte family happiness, but put him in an extremely delicate situation. social status. A high-ranking dignitary turned out to be married to a divorced Jewish woman, and even as a result of a scandalous story. Sergei Yulievich was even ready to “give up” his career. However, Alexander III, having delved into all the details, said that this marriage only increased his respect for Witte. Nevertheless, Matilda Witte was not accepted either at court or in high society.

It should be noted that the relationship between Witte himself and high society were far from simple. High-society Petersburg looked askance at the “provincial upstart.” He was offended by Witte's harshness, angularity, non-aristocratic manners, southern accent, bad French pronunciation. Sergei Yulievich became a favorite character in metropolitan jokes for a long time. His rapid advancement aroused open envy and hostility on the part of officials.

Along with this, Emperor Alexander III clearly favored him. "... He treated me especially favorably“,” wrote Witte, “ loved it very much», « believed me until the last day of his life" Alexander III was impressed by Witte's directness, his courage, independence of judgment, even the harshness of his expressions, and the complete absence of servility. And for Witte, Alexander III remained the ideal autocrat until the end of his life. " True Christian», « faithful son Orthodox Church », « simple, firm and honest person», « eminent emperor», « a man of his word», « royally noble», « with royal lofty thoughts“- this is how Witte characterizes Alexander III.

Having taken the chair of the Minister of Finance, S. Yu. Witte received great power: the department of railway affairs, trade, industry was now subordinate to him, and he could put pressure on the decisions of the most important issues. And Sergei Yulievich really showed himself to be a sober, prudent, flexible politician. Yesterday's Pan-Slavist, Slavophile, convinced supporter of the original path of development of Russia in a short time turned into an industrializer of the European model and declared his readiness within short term bring Russia into the category of advanced industrial powers.

As Minister of Finance

By the beginning of the 20th century. Witte’s economic platform has acquired quite complete outlines: within about ten years, to catch up with the more industrially developed countries of Europe, take a strong position in the markets of the East, ensure accelerated industrial development of Russia by attracting foreign capital, accumulating internal resources, customs protection of industry from competitors and encouragement export A special role in Witte's program was assigned to foreign capital; the Minister of Finance advocated their unlimited involvement in Russian industry and railways, calling them a cure against poverty. He considered unlimited government intervention to be the second most important mechanism.

And this was not a simple declaration. In 1894-1895 S. Yu. Witte achieved stabilization of the ruble, and in 1897 he did what his predecessors had failed to do: he introduced gold currency circulation, providing the country with hard currency and an influx of foreign capital until the First World War. In addition, Witte sharply increased taxation, especially indirect, and introduced a wine monopoly, which soon became one of the main sources of the government budget. Another major event carried out by Witte at the beginning of his activity was the conclusion of a customs agreement with Germany (1894), after which S. Yu. Witte even became interested in O. Bismarck himself. This extremely flattered the young minister’s vanity. "... Bismarck... turned on me Special attention , he later wrote, and several times through acquaintances he expressed the highest opinion of my personality».

During the economic boom of the 90s, the Witte system worked excellently: an unprecedented number of railways were built in the country; by 1900, Russia took first place in the world in oil production; Russian government bonds were highly rated abroad. The authority of S. Yu. Witte grew immeasurably. The Russian Finance Minister became a popular figure among Western entrepreneurs and attracted favorable attention from the foreign press. The domestic press sharply criticized Witte. Former like-minded people accused him of implanting “state socialism”, adherents of the reforms of the 60s criticized him for using state intervention, Russian liberals perceived Witte’s program as “a grandiose sabotage of the autocracy, diverting public attention from socio-economic and cultural-political reforms.” " Not a single Russian statesman has been the subject of such varied and contradictory, but persistent and passionate attacks as my... husband, Matilda Witte later wrote. - At court he was accused of republicanism; in radical circles he was credited with a desire to curtail the rights of the people in favor of the monarch. Landowners reproached him for seeking to ruin them in favor of the peasants, and radical parties for seeking to deceive the peasantry in favor of the landowners" He was even accused of being friends with A. Zhelyabov, of trying to lead to the decline of Russian agriculture in order to bring benefits to Germany.

In reality, the entire policy of S. Yu. Witte was subordinated to a single goal: to implement industrialization, to achieve successful development of the Russian economy, without affecting political system, without changing anything in public administration. Witte was an ardent supporter of autocracy. He considered an unlimited monarchy " best form board"for Russia, and everything that they did was done in order to strengthen and preserve the autocracy.

For the same purpose, Witte begins to develop the peasant question, trying to achieve a revision of agrarian policy. He realized that it was possible to expand the purchasing power of the domestic market only through capitalization peasant farm, due to the transition from communal to private land ownership. S. Yu. Witte was a staunch supporter of private peasant ownership of land and strenuously sought the government's transition to bourgeois agrarian policy. In 1899, with his participation, the government developed and adopted laws abolishing mutual responsibility in the peasant community. In 1902, Witte achieved the creation of a special commission on the peasant question (“Special Meeting on the Needs of the Agricultural Industry”), which set the goal of “ establish personal property in the village».

However, Witte’s longtime opponent V.K. Plehve, appointed Minister of Internal Affairs, stood in Witte’s way. The agrarian question turned out to be an arena of confrontation between two influential ministers. Witte never succeeded in realizing his ideas. However, it was S. Yu. Witte who initiated the government’s transition to bourgeois agrarian policy. As for P. A. Stolypin, Witte subsequently repeatedly emphasized that he “ robbed» him, used ideas of which he himself and Witte were a staunch supporter. That is why Sergei Yulievich could not remember P. A. Stolypin without a feeling of bitterness. "... Stolypin, he wrote, had an extremely superficial mind and almost complete absence state culture and education. By education and intelligence... Stolypin was a type of bayonet cadet».

Resignation

Events of the beginning of the 20th century. called into question all of Witte's grandiose undertakings. The global economic crisis sharply slowed down the development of industry in Russia, the influx of foreign capital decreased, and the budgetary balance was disrupted. Economic expansion in the East aggravated Russian-British contradictions and brought the war with Japan closer.

Witte's economic “system” was clearly shaken. This made it possible for his opponents (Plehve, Bezobrazov, etc.) to gradually push the Minister of Finance out of power. Nicholas II willingly supported the campaign against Witte. It should be noted that quite complex relations were established between S. Yu. Witte and Nicholas II, who ascended the Russian throne in 1894: on Witte’s side there was distrust and contempt, on Nicholas’s side - distrust and hatred. Witte crowded the restrained, outwardly correct and well-mannered tsar, constantly insulting him, without noticing it, with his harshness, impatience, self-confidence, and inability to hide his disrespect and contempt. And there was one more circumstance that turned simple dislike for Witte into hatred: after all, it was impossible to do without Witte. Always, when great intelligence and resourcefulness were really required, Nicholas II, albeit with gnashing of teeth, turned to him.

For his part, Witte gives a very sharp and bold characterization of Nikolai in “Memoirs”. Listing the numerous advantages of Alexander III, he always makes it clear that his son in no way possessed them. About the sovereign himself he writes: “... Emperor Nicholas II... was a kind man, far from stupid, but shallow, weak-willed... His main qualities were courtesy when he wanted it... cunning and complete spinelessness and weak-willedness" Here he adds “ self-loving character" and rare " rancor" In S. Yu. Witte’s “Memoirs,” the empress also received a lot of unflattering words. The author calls it " strange special" With " narrow and stubborn character», « with a dull egoistic character and a narrow worldview».

In August 1903, the campaign against Witte was successful: he was removed from the post of Minister of Finance and appointed to the post of Chairman of the Committee of Ministers. Despite the loud name, it was an “honorable resignation”, since the new post was disproportionately less influential. At the same time, Nicholas II did not intend to completely remove Witte, because the Empress Mother Maria Feodorovna and the Tsar’s brother, Grand Duke Mikhail, clearly sympathized with him. In addition, just in case, Nicholas II himself wanted to have such an experienced, intelligent, energetic dignitary at hand.

New victories

Having been defeated in the political struggle, Witte did not return to private enterprise. He set himself the goal of regaining lost positions. Remaining in the shadows, he tried not to completely lose the favor of the tsar, more often attract the “highest attention” to himself, strengthened and established connections in government circles. Begin active struggle the return to power was made possible by preparations for war with Japan. However, Witte's hopes that with the beginning of the war Nicholas II would call him were not justified.

In the summer of 1904, Socialist-Revolutionary E. S. Sozonov killed Witte’s longtime enemy, Minister of Internal Affairs Plehve. The disgraced dignitary made every effort to take the vacant seat, but failure awaited him here too. Despite the fact that Sergei Yulievich successfully completed the mission entrusted to him - he concluded a new agreement with Germany - Nicholas II appointed Prince Svyatopolk-Mirsky as Minister of Internal Affairs.

Trying to attract attention, Witte takes an active part in meetings with the tsar on the issue of attracting elected representatives from the population to participate in legislation, and tries to expand the competence of the Committee of Ministers. He even uses the events of “Bloody Sunday” to prove to the Tsar that he, Witte, could not do without him, that if the Committee of Ministers under his chairmanship had been endowed with real power, then such a turn of events would have been impossible.

Finally, on January 17, 1905, Nicholas II, despite all his hostility, nevertheless turns to Witte and instructs him to organize a meeting of ministers on “measures necessary to calm the country” and possible reforms. Sergei Yulievich clearly hoped that he would be able to transform this meeting into a government of the “Western European model” and become its head. However, in April of the same year, new royal disfavor followed: Nicholas II closed the meeting. Witte again found himself out of work.

True, this time the fall did not last long. At the end of May 1905, at the next military meeting, the need for an early end to the war with Japan was finally clarified. Witte was entrusted with difficult peace negotiations, who repeatedly and very successfully acted as a diplomat (negotiated with China on the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway, with Japan - on a joint protectorate over Korea, with Korea - on Russian military instruction and Russian financial management, with Germany - on concluding a trade agreement, etc.), while showing remarkable abilities.

Nicholas II accepted Witte's appointment as Ambassador Extraordinary with great reluctance. Witte had long pushed the Tsar to begin peace negotiations with Japan in order to “ at least reassure Russia a little" In a letter to him dated February 28, 1905, he indicated: “ The continuation of the war is more than dangerous: the country, given the current state of mind, will not endure further sacrifices without terrible disasters ...". He generally considered the war disastrous for the autocracy.

On August 23, 1905, the Portsmouth Peace was signed. It was a brilliant victory for Witte, confirming his outstanding diplomatic abilities. The talented diplomat managed to emerge from a hopelessly lost war with minimal losses, while achieving for Russia “ almost decent world" Despite his reluctance, the tsar appreciated Witte’s merits: for the Peace of Portsmouth he was awarded the title of count (by the way, Witte was immediately mockingly nicknamed “Count of Polosakhalinsky,” thereby accusing him of ceding the southern part of Sakhalin to Japan).

Manifesto October 17, 1905

Returning to St. Petersburg, Witte plunged headlong into politics: he took part in Selsky’s “Special Meeting,” where projects for further government reforms were developed. As the revolutionary events intensify, Witte more and more persistently demonstrates the need for a “strong government” and convinces the Tsar that it is he, Witte, who can play the role of “the savior of Russia.” At the beginning of October, he addresses the Tsar with a note in which he sets out a whole program of liberal reforms. In critical days for the autocracy, Witte inspired Nicholas II that he had no choice but to either establish a dictatorship in Russia, or Witte’s premiership and take a number of liberal steps in the constitutional direction.

Finally, after painful hesitation, the tsar signed the document drawn up by Witte, which went down in history as the Manifesto of October 17, 1905. On October 19, the tsar signed a decree on reforming the Council of Ministers, at the head of which Witte was placed. In his career, Sergei Yulievich reached the top. During the critical days of the revolution, he became the head of the Russian government.

In this post, Witte demonstrated amazing flexibility and ability to maneuver, acting in the emergency conditions of the revolution either as a firm, ruthless guardian or as a skilled peacemaker. Under the chairmanship of Witte, the government dealt with a wide variety of issues: reorganized peasant land ownership, introduced a state of exception in various regions, resorted to the use of military courts, the death penalty and other repressions, prepared for the convening of the Duma, drafted the Basic Laws, and implemented the freedoms proclaimed on October 17 .

However, the Council of Ministers headed by S. Yu. Witte never became similar to the European cabinet, and Sergei Yulievich himself served as chairman for only six months. The increasingly intensifying conflict with the tsar forced him to resign. This happened at the end of April 1906. S. Yu. Witte was in full confidence, which fulfilled its main task - ensuring the political stability of the regime. The resignation essentially marked the end of his career, although Witte did not retire from political activities. He was still a member of the State Council and often appeared in print.

It should be noted that Sergei Yulievich was expecting a new appointment and tried to bring it closer; he waged a fierce struggle, first against Stolypin, who took the post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers, then against V.N. Kokovtsov. Witte hoped that the departure of his influential opponents from the state stage would allow him to return to active political activity. He did not lose hope until the last day of his life and was even ready to resort to the help of Rasputin.

At the beginning of the First World War, predicting that it would end in collapse for the autocracy, S. Yu. Witte declared his readiness to take on a peacekeeping mission and try to enter into negotiations with the Germans. But he was already mortally ill.

Death of the "Great Reformer"

S. Yu. Witte died on February 28, 1915, just shy of 65 years old. He was buried modestly, “in the third category.” There were no official ceremonies. Moreover, the deceased’s office was sealed, papers were confiscated, and a thorough search was carried out at the villa in Biarritz.

Witte's death caused quite a wide resonance in Russian society. Newspapers were full of headlines like: “In memory big man», « Great Reformer", "Giant of Thought". Many of those who knew Sergei Yulievich closely spoke with their memories.

After Witte's death, his political activities were assessed extremely controversially. Some sincerely believed that Witte had rendered his homeland " great service", others argued that " Count Witte did not live up to the expectations placed on him", What " he did not bring any real benefit to the country", and even, on the contrary, his activities " should rather be considered harmful».

The political activities of Sergei Yulievich Witte were indeed extremely contradictory. At times it combined the incompatible: the desire for unlimited attraction of foreign capital and the fight against the international political consequences of this attraction; commitment to unlimited autocracy and understanding of the need for reforms that undermined its traditional foundations; The October 17 manifesto and subsequent measures that reduced it to almost zero, etc. But no matter how the results of Witte’s policy are assessed, one thing is certain: the meaning of his entire life, all his activities was service “ great Russia" And both his like-minded people and his opponents could not help but admit this.

Article: "History of Russia in portraits." In 2 vols. T.1. p.285-308

Sergei Yulievich Witte(1849-1915) - an outstanding statesman of Russia. His economic policies were far-sighted, and his diplomatic abilities gave rise to mystical rumors.

An interesting fact is that Witte was considered the antipode of Stolypin. And indeed, their relationship was quite complicated.

They had opposing views on the path of progress of the empire, but they agreed on the main thing: both Witte and Stolypin loved Russia and did everything to glorify their fatherland.

Biographies of great people, such as these two men, are the personification of selfless service to the fatherland.

Origin of Witte

Sergei Witte was born into the family of the Courland nobleman Christoph-Heinrich-Georg-Julius and the daughter of the governor of the Saratov region Ekaterina Andreevna in 1849.

A brief biography of the father of the family contains information about the high level of his education (he was a mining engineer and agronomist). In the early forties, he settled in the Saratov province and held the position of manager of a large landowner farm.

History is silent about how he won the heart of Ekaterina Andreevna Fadeeva, but it is obvious that this task was not an easy one.

His future wife and mother of Sergei Yulievich came from a highly educated noble family, her grandfather was Prince Dolgorukov.

Education

The young man patiently and persistently studied mathematics, which allowed him to later become an outstanding economist.

In South Palmyra, in 1870, he defended his dissertation. Witte was offered to stay at the educational institution, but he refused, for which he received the full support of his family, who considered the destiny of a nobleman to serve the sovereign and the fatherland.

Witte's career

A brief biography of Sergei Witte does not allow us to dwell on all the details of the formation of his personality. However, we will note the key moments of his career.

Soon such persistence yielded results, and he headed the operational service of the Odessa Railway.

At that time, Sergei Witte was 25 years old.

Further growth

Witte's fate as an official could have ended before it began due to the train crash that occurred on Tiligul.

The development of the port of Odessa is also largely his achievement. So, instead of resignation, Sergei Witte receives a new impetus in his career, but in St. Petersburg.

In 1879, he became the head of five southwestern railways (Kharkov-Nikolaev, Kiev-Brest, Fastov, Brest-Grayevsk and Odessa).

Then the biography of Sergei Witte continues in Kyiv, where he works under the leadership of I. S. Bliokh, a prominent theorist-economist and banker. Fifteen years of his life will pass here.

Achievements

At the beginning of the 20th century, tectonic processes took place in the world economy, from which Witte did not remain aloof.

Then his career develops rapidly, and now he is appointed to the post of minister.

D.I. Mendeleev was invited by Witte to serve in the department entrusted to him.

The services of Sergei Yulievich Witte to the state are colossal. We list only the most significant:

Introduction of gold backing of the ruble. As a result, the Russian monetary unit becomes one of the main world currencies.
The establishment of a state monopoly on the sale of vodka, as a result of which huge amounts of money begin to flow into the budget.
A sharp increase in railway construction. During Witte's work, the length of the tracks doubled and exceeded 54 thousand miles. Such a pace did not exist even during the years of Stalin’s five-year plans.
Transfer of communication routes to state ownership. The treasury bought 70% of the shipping companies from their owners; this was of strategic importance for the country’s economy.

Personal life

Sergei Witte has always been a hit with the ladies. He met his first wife in Odessa. At that time she was in a formal marriage.

Two years later, Witte married again. His chosen one, Matilda Ivanovna Lisanevich, herself raised her daughter, whom Sergei Yulievich raised as his own child.

The wife was a cross-Jew, which strained the official’s relationship with secular society. He himself did not attach any importance to prejudices.

Last years

Witte’s relationship with Emperor Nicholas II was extremely difficult, in contrast to the complete understanding that he had with Nicholas’s father, Emperor Alexander III.

On the one hand, Nicholas II valued him as an unparalleled specialist who had earned recognition during the reign of his father; on the other hand, court intrigues (of which, by the way, Sergei Yulievich himself was very capable) greatly complicated the position of the Minister of Finance, whose post was by that time occupied by Witte.

In the end, in 1903 he lost his post, but did not remain idle for long.

As soon as some hopeless state situation occurred, Emperor Nicholas II immediately resorted to the help of Sergei Witte.

It was he who was sent to conduct peace negotiations with the Japanese government, as a result of which the Portsmouth Peace Treaty was signed. He completed the task masterfully, and his reward was the title of count.

This is where Witte’s biography ends. In February 1915 he fell ill with meningitis and died.

The whole life of this statesman is a vivid illustration of the struggle for the prosperity of the Motherland.

Briefly about Sergei Witte we can say the following:

An outstanding Russian economist, diplomat, statesman and reformer.
Stabilized the ruble exchange rate by introducing gold backing.
Ensured the influx of foreign loans into the domestic market for the first time in Russian history.
He carried out a project to build the world's largest Trans-Siberian Railway.
The author of the manifesto that stopped the 1905 revolution on October 17, after which he was removed by Emperor Nicholas II from the post of chairman of the Council of Ministers.
He concluded a peace treaty with Japan, according to which half of the island of Sakhalin passed to Japan, while the second half, after the defeat, remained with Russia.
Thanks to his unique diplomatic abilities, he managed to conclude an alliance treaty with China, the Portsmouth Peace Treaty with Japan, and a trade agreement with Germany.

As a conclusion, it should be said that Sergei Yulievich Witte became a shining example of an outstanding mind who did a lot for his beloved Russia.

The article is devoted to a brief biography of Sergei Yulievich Witte, one of the most significant political figures of Tsarist Russia.

Biography of Witte: ascent through career ladder

S. Yu. Witte was born in 1849. He received a good education at home, on the basis of which he entered Novorossiysk University. Having successfully completed his studies, the young talented man abandoned the scientific field and decided to enter the public service, getting a job in the Odessa office.
Government work did not attract Witte and he began working in institutions involved in railways. Thanks to his diligence and great knowledge, he quickly climbed the career ladder. Witte achieved the position of manager of one of the railway communities, increasing his income several times, helped by the knowledge acquired during his studies.

In 1889, Witte headed the work of the railway department and immediately showed his best side. Witte was a skilled administrator and for a short time was able to assemble a professional team of specialists, achieving enormous efficiency in the department.

In 1892 he became Minister of Railways. Witte considered it a priority to complete the creation of the Trans-Siberian Railway as soon as possible. The minister predicted correctly great value this transport artery in the development of Russia, especially its Far Eastern region.

Witte was the initiator of the construction of the CER, which became sharp stone stumbling blocks international politics and one of the reasons for the Russo-Japanese War.

Biography of Witte: at the peak of his career
After some time, he was appointed Minister of Finance. In this position, Witte was able to demonstrate his abilities to the greatest extent. The Russian economy experienced a huge shortage of funds. Witte managed to obtain significant foreign loans, which he used to develop domestic industry. Realizing that this was not enough, the minister implemented a major reform financial system. The rapid development of industry was accompanied by an increase in taxes, which began to generate serious income. In order to further growth, Witte introduced a new customs tariff. It has become more profitable to buy domestically produced goods.

Patronizing policy towards Russian industry led to Western companies becoming more willing to invest money in its development.
A huge item in Russian trade was the sale of vodka. Witte introduced a state monopoly on the trade in alcohol, which accounted for a significant part of the budget. Monetary reform strengthened the position of the Russian ruble, which became the hardest currency in Europe.

At the end of the 19th century. Witte draws the emperor's attention to the situation of the peasantry. He argues that normal development Agriculture The presence of a traditional community is greatly hampered. The minister's proposals were subsequently used by Stolypin when carrying out agricultural reform.
At the beginning of the 20th century. Witte is appointed chairman of the Committee of Ministers.

Biography of Witte: recent achievements and decline of his career

Witte's important achievement was the signing of a peace treaty with Japan. As a result of the shameful war, Russia's position on Far East were significantly undermined. Japan could dictate its terms to a defeated enemy. The task of the Russian delegation was to weaken Japanese demands as much as possible in Russian interests. As a result, the terms of the agreement were greatly relaxed, which was the direct merit of Witte. The concessions included the payment of indemnity to Japan and the transfer of the southern part of Sakhalin; Korea was recognized as a sphere of Japanese interests. Taking into account the heavy defeat and the beginning of revolutionary events in Russia, these were acceptable and fairly moderate conditions. Public opinion, however, did not recognize Witte’s efforts, and he was given the nickname Count of Polus-Sakhalinsky.

Soon, due to political contradictions, Witte retired and devoted the rest of his life to working on his memoirs. Subsequently, they were published first abroad, and then in the USSR.
Count Witte died in 1915. His activities and significance were assessed differently by conservative and liberal public circles. There is no doubt that he was a figure of great importance who had a great influence on the development of Russia in various fields.