Katkoff

Katkoff, MICHAEL NIKIFOROVITCH, Russian journalist, was born at Moscow in 1818, studied at the universities of Moscow, Königsberg, and Berlin, and for some time filled the chair of Philosophy at Moscow. In 1861 he became editor of the Moscow Gazette, the organ of the university, and eventually made it the most influential journal in Russia. At first an advocate of parliamentary government and reform, Katkoff was converted by the Polish rising of 1863 into a leader of the Panslavist movement, and a fanatical supporter of reactionary government in Russia. He was 'the apostle of national Russian ideas' in politics, and acquired an influence in the government equal to, if not greater than, that of the ministers (except the chancellor), and is said to have been mainly instrumental in determining Alexander III. to his conservative and reactionary policy. As the champion of the idea 'Russia for the Russians,' Katkoff urged the complete Russification, by force if need be, of Poland and Lithuania, and of the Baltic provinces. He enjoyed an immense popularity as the representative of Russian Chauvinism. He died at Snamensky, near Moscow, 1st August 1887.