N.V. Ustryalov’s College Years: Formation of the Politician, Publicist and Thinker (Onthe 130th Anniversary of his Birth)

Abstract

The article considers the formation of N.V. Ustryalov’s personality, his spiritual, intellectual and professional development during his studies at Moscow University. In addition, the paper reveals the circumstances and factors that had a great influence on N.V. Ustryalov during his student years, such as university lectures, seminars and communication with professors-teachers, participation in the student cadet faction and public life of the university, mastering the scientific and philosophical heritage, attending sessions of philosophical associations in Moscow, creative collaboration with outstanding figures of culture, scientific and public thought in Russia. The article emphasizes the role of Moscow University professors, such as E.N. Trubetzkoy, S.A. Kotlyarevsky, P.I. Novgorodtsev, in N. Ustryalov’s spiritual and professional development. Moreover, the paper highlights the great influence of the liberal-conservative ideas of P.B. Struve, a famous politician and publicist, the collection «Vekhi» («Landmarks») and the creative heritage of outstanding repre- sentatives of European and domestic thought (Heraclitus, Machiavelli, Hegel, Danilevsky, V. Solovyov, etc.) on the formation of his political views and worldview. The article gives the examples of socio-political activity and conflict situations between the law enforcement agencies and the student N. Ustryalov during his university years. It mentions his participation in the student delegation at the funeral of L.N. Tolstoy. The paper analyzes the topic and the content the student Ustryalov’s first articles published in the periodicals in Moscow and St. Petersburg, it emphasizes the accumulation of some experience in the publicist’s journalism. The article focuses on N.V. Ustryalov’sthesis, its content and scientific provisions that reflect important personality traits of the young scientist, his views and ideas about the surrounding world, the ways and methods of his cognition. In the end, the author of the article formulates the conclusion that the student years spent at Moscow University became an important stage in Nikolay Ustryalov’s personal development, his formation as a politician, publicist, scientist and thinker.