«The diary of Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Volkonsky» deposited in the Fund 646 «the magazine “voice of the past”» archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ARAN) and as of today only in fragments. As a rule, it was interesting to researchers as a source on the history of the Napoleonic Wars, without affecting the private, everyday life of Russian society. However, the daily records that the author kept for more than 30 years are of interest precisely as a source of the private, everyday life of a Russian aristocrat in the first third of the XIX century. The published excerpt from the «Diary of Prince D.M. Volkonsky» is dedicated to the author's trip with his son M.D. Volkonsky to his two estates – Kuzminka and Andreevskoe, with a visit to Nizhny Novgorod. The local journey from city to city, from estate to estate, is considered by the Russian aristocracy in the first third of the XIX century as something ordinary, not worthy of close attention, often not even reflected in the memories. In this vein, the diary entries, which describe in detail, along with many other events, the author's regular trips to Russia, become an invaluable source for studying various aspects of this time. The proposed description of the trip stands out among the annual summer visits to his possessions by the fact that the prince goes at once to two estates located in different Provinces – Simbirsk and Yaroslavl, and also visits the Nizhny Novgorod fair. The passage is full of events, various meetings with bishops, governors, merchants, and visits to cities, villages, monasteries, churches, etc.
Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Volkonsky; diary; travel in Russia; Salvatore Tonchi; Kuzminka estate; Andreevskoe; Nizhny Novgorod fair; everyday life of a Russian aristocrat.