Valishevsky turned out to be one of the first Russian historians to break out of seventy years of “imprisonment.” While state publishing houses held their last defense, trying with all their remaining strength to prevent Karamzin, Solovyov and Klyuchevsky from joining our wolves, a private publishing house within one year published ten main works of the historian, which, as one would expect, sold out instantly, and today, what to expect as well it follows that the “lotshniki” would give three skins for them. The choice of enterprising publishers was, of course, not accidental. The accessibility of the presentation, its sometimes purely fictional form, and the emphasis on the eventful and everyday side of history made—and continues to make—Waliszewski’s books particularly attractive to a wide readership. However, his literary heritage of “small forms”—essays and articles that appeared on the pages of the vast Russian periodicals of the early 20th century—has not yet been collected, or rather, not found. It seems that it was “Smena” that took the first step here, publishing in issues 2-3 last year Walishevsky’s historical essay “The Rebellion of Stenka Razin”. Today we offer our readers another of his works, dedicated to the key figure of Russian history - Patriarch Nikon, about whom V. O. Klyuchevsky wrote: “Of the Russian people of the 17th century. I don’t know a larger and more unique person than Nikon.” Valishevsky also pays due tribute to these qualities, without, however, passing over others characteristic of him in silence.

Published in the magazine “Smena” No. 5 for 1993.