Karamsin (properly Karamzin), Nikolai Mi-khailovitch, a Russian historian, born in eastern Russia in December, 1765, died in the Tauridan palace near St. Petersburg, June 3, 1826. He studied in Moscow, served for about two years in the imperial guards, travelled in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, and England during the first period of the French revolution, successively edited the "Moscow Journal," the " Aglaia," a "Poetical Almanac," a " Pantheon of Foreign Literature," and a " Pantheon of Russian Literature," and was an active contributor to the " European Messenger." His " Letters of a Russian Traveller" (1797-1801) were received with great enthusiasm, and in 1803 Alexander I. appointed him historiographer of Russia. He now produced his " History of Russia " from the earliest period down to the accession of the house of Romanoff, in 12 volumes, the last completed after his death. This publication, which occupied the last ten years of Karamsin's life, met with unprecedented success in Russia, and has been translated into several languages.

Alexander appointed him imperial councillor in 1824; and in 1825 Nicholas bestowed on him an annual pension of 50,000 rubles, revertible to his widow and children, and put an imperial frigate at his disposal to carry him to Italy for the restoration of his shattered health, of which however he was unable to avail himself.