"Serf's memoirs" and their hero peasant Savva Purlevskiy
In this article the analyzing of facts authenticity related to the life of Yaroslavl peasant Savva Purlevskiy, which was a prototype of hero in composition “Serf's memoirs” written by N. V. Shcherban is made. Unfounded inferences that the sole author in 20th century of version “Serf's memoirs” was there hero - peasant Savva Purlevskiy is discovered. Based on document analysis of the S. S. Yakovlev's heirs' fond (RGHA. F. 51 “Association of Alapaevsk mining plants of the heirs of S. S. Yakovlev”; GAYaR. F. 230 “Yaroslavl theological consistory”; F. 73 “Secretariat of Yaroslavl governor”; F. 549 “Department of public schools of Yaroslavl province”, and others) the author shows, that biography of S. D. Purlevskiy was misrepresented significantly in “Serf's memoirs”. The text of “Serf's memoirs” contains mistakes and overstatement, inserted by Savva Purlevskiy into the first variant of his notes, but it also has essential additional made by N. V. Shcherban, who wanted to make the hero of “Serf's memoirs” closer to ideals of Russian populists of the 19th century. The obvious signs of the work of two different authors on the text make it unjustifiable that the “Serf's memoirs” be attributed to memoirs, and cast doubt on the justification for using this literary work as a historical source, which has repeatedly occurred in the 20th century.