The First Scholarly Biography of Markov the Second Review of Vozhd' chernoi reaktsii: Nikolai Evgen'evich Markov [Leader of the Black Reaction: Nikolai Evgen'evich Markov], by A.A. Ivanov (St Petersburg: Vladimir Dal', 2023)

The review considers the first-ever in historiography scholarly biography of Nikolai Evgen'evich Markov (Markov II), an outstanding conservative politician of the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. It is emphasized that the author of the biography Andrei A. Ivanov, Professor at the Institute of History of St Petersburg State University, relied on a wide range of sources, both published and discovered by him. It is shown that the author has thoroughly and objectively investigated Markov’s parentage, his formation as a public and political figure, and the role of the Black Hundred leader in the Third and Fourth State Dumas, in the monarchist movement in Russia, and in emigration. In the context of the problems raised by A. Ivanov in line with historical comparative studies, Markov’s anti-Semitism is compared with that of his contemporary American politician T.E. Watson. In addition, the behind-the-scenes history of the termination of the “ministerial strike,” which took place in May – October 1913 and was caused by Markov’s scandalous speech, is considered in terms of historical elitology. This confirms A. Ivanov’s conclusion that the “Kursk bison” played the key role not only in the Black Hundred camp but also in the Coup-of-June system.

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