Nikolay Chernyshevsky’s interest in Brockhaus' Conversations-Lexikon first appeared when he lived in Vilyuysk. According to his biographers, he received his first book parcel on February 29, 1872. The parcel list consisted of 10 items, including 16 volumes of Brockhaus' Conversations-Lexikon in German.
The fate of Chernyshevsky’s books in Vilyuysk still remains unknown. He presented the bulk of his book collection to prosecutor Dmitry Melikov having sent him two boxes to Yakutsk in the spring of 1882. The remaining books were handed over at his request to political exile Nikolay Iordan through the governor of Yakutsk.
The Brockhaus volumes were among the books that belonged to Chernyshevsky during his life in Astrakhan and Saratov. The writer was known to have nurtured the idea of compiling a Russian encyclopedic dictionary similar to Brockhaus’ Conversations-Lexikon. After the translation of General History by Georg Weber, he was going to start compiling an encyclopedia in cooperation with famous scientists - both Russian and foreign.
In June 1886, Nikolay Reingardt visited Chernyshevsky in Astrakhan. During their conversations, Nikolay Gavrilovich expressed the conviction that creation of such a dictionary would be the most valuable contribution to the Russian scientific literature. He considered this cause “an aim for which he still needed to live.”
The future work was also mentioned by Chernyshevsky in letters. In June 1888, he wrote to his wife: “I have a plan for a huge publication that will bring a large income; I am going to recompile Brockhaus” Conversations-Lexicon for the Russian reader: those 15 large volumes that are on my bookshelves… Let my idea of publishing the Russian version of Brockhaus' dictionary remain between us for now. ’
In July 1888, Chernyshevsky wrote to Alexander Pypin a letter in which he invited the latter to ‘take up editing of the Russian part, » leaving the rest of the editorial work for himself. However, Nikolay Gavrilovich soon learned that Alexey Suvorin was already working on this publication. In August, Chernyshevsky abandoned the idea of creating a dictionary, as he informed Pypin in a letter of August 10, 1888.
The museum’s exposition presents the 4th volume of Brockhaus' Conversations-Lexicon. The flyleaf, foretitle and front page have a round stamp reading ‘Department of Public Education of the Saratov Governorate. N.G. Chernyshevsky Museum’. Also, there is an inscription in the upper right-hand corner of the flyleaf left by Mikhail Chernyshevsky: ‘N.G. Chernyshevsky’s books. Astrakhan - Saratov.’
The fate of Chernyshevsky’s books in Vilyuysk still remains unknown. He presented the bulk of his book collection to prosecutor Dmitry Melikov having sent him two boxes to Yakutsk in the spring of 1882. The remaining books were handed over at his request to political exile Nikolay Iordan through the governor of Yakutsk.
The Brockhaus volumes were among the books that belonged to Chernyshevsky during his life in Astrakhan and Saratov. The writer was known to have nurtured the idea of compiling a Russian encyclopedic dictionary similar to Brockhaus’ Conversations-Lexikon. After the translation of General History by Georg Weber, he was going to start compiling an encyclopedia in cooperation with famous scientists - both Russian and foreign.
In June 1886, Nikolay Reingardt visited Chernyshevsky in Astrakhan. During their conversations, Nikolay Gavrilovich expressed the conviction that creation of such a dictionary would be the most valuable contribution to the Russian scientific literature. He considered this cause “an aim for which he still needed to live.”
The future work was also mentioned by Chernyshevsky in letters. In June 1888, he wrote to his wife: “I have a plan for a huge publication that will bring a large income; I am going to recompile Brockhaus” Conversations-Lexicon for the Russian reader: those 15 large volumes that are on my bookshelves… Let my idea of publishing the Russian version of Brockhaus' dictionary remain between us for now. ’
In July 1888, Chernyshevsky wrote to Alexander Pypin a letter in which he invited the latter to ‘take up editing of the Russian part, » leaving the rest of the editorial work for himself. However, Nikolay Gavrilovich soon learned that Alexey Suvorin was already working on this publication. In August, Chernyshevsky abandoned the idea of creating a dictionary, as he informed Pypin in a letter of August 10, 1888.
The museum’s exposition presents the 4th volume of Brockhaus' Conversations-Lexicon. The flyleaf, foretitle and front page have a round stamp reading ‘Department of Public Education of the Saratov Governorate. N.G. Chernyshevsky Museum’. Also, there is an inscription in the upper right-hand corner of the flyleaf left by Mikhail Chernyshevsky: ‘N.G. Chernyshevsky’s books. Astrakhan - Saratov.’
