Moscow University
Dmitry Alexandrovich Valuev was born on September 26, 1820, in Malaya Kopyshivka village, Karsun County, Simbirsk Governorate (now Simbirsk, Ul'yanovsk, Russian Federation). He came from the Simbirsk branch of the small noble family of the Valuevs. His father was a naval officer Alexander Dmitrievich Valuev. Valuev’s mother, nee Alexandra Mikhailovna Yazykova, was the sister of the poet Nikolai Yazykov.
In 1832-1835 Dmitry Alexandrovich studied in Moscow, in the boarding school of professor M.G. Pavlov. In 1835 he settled in the house of Shevyrev, under whose guidance he entered the historical and philological department of the philosophical faculty of Moscow University in 1836. He graduated from the university in 1841.
From July 1843 to January 1844 Dmitry Alexandrovich traveled to Slavic lands, collected a lot of information on the history and literature of the southern and western Slavs, studied in the library of the British Museum. In 1843 he founded the journal Library for Education (1843-1846) and headed the department of children's reading. He translated and partially remade Christmas Carol in Prose by C. Dickens for children.
Historical sources collected in the Simbirsk Governorate constituted the main content of the Simbirsk Collection published by Dmitry Alexandrovich. The Razriadnaya Kniga published in it (records of orders of the Russian government in 1559-1605) was preceded by an extensive introduction by Dmitry Alexandrovich, which was a valuable contribution to historical science.
Aiming at the scientific and historical foundation of the Slavophil teachings, he prepared A Collection of Historical and Statistical Information about Russia and the Peoples of the same religion and tribe (1845), consisting of the works of Khomyakov, Kavelin, Granovsky, Solovyov, Snegireva, and others. His other works include John D'Arc (historical and biographical essay), Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow, Valuev’s Letter to I.V. Kireevsky on November 21, 1835 (a large letter with the characteristics of V. S. Pecherin, V. G. Benediktov, N. I. Nadezhdin, S. P. Shevyrev).
Dmitry Alexandrovich died of consumption, from which he suffered for several years.
In the memoirs and letters of his contemporaries, Dmitry Alexandrovich is described as a morally pure and tirelessly active youth.
