Sergey Uvarov

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Uvarov's portrait by Orest Kiprensky, 1815.

Count Sergey Semionovich Uvarov (Russian: Серге́й Семёнович Ува́ров) (August 25 (September 5), 1786, Moscow–September 4 (16), 1855, Moscow) was a Russian classical scholar best remembered as an influential imperial statesman.

Uvarov, connected through marriage with the powerful Razumovsky family, was a godchild of Catherine the Great. He took a great interest and published a number of works on Ancient Greek literature and archaeology, which brought him European renown. A confirmed conservative, he was on friendly terms with Alexander Humboldt, Madame de Stael, Goethe, Prince de Ligne, Nikolay Karamzin, and Vasily Zhukovsky. From 1811 to 1822, he curated the Petersburg educational district.

During the reign of Nicholas I, he became one of the pillars of the reactionary regime. In 1832, Uvarov was appointed Deputy Minister of Public Education. In 1833–1849, he succeeded his father-in-law Count Razumovsky as the Minister. He was elected Honorable Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1811 and was the President of that venerable institution from 1818 until his death.

Uvarov was the one who had come up with the formula "Autocracy, Orthodoxy, and National Character," which would be the basis of his activities regarding public education. He stood for impeding access to education for the people of the non-noble origin and strengthening governmental control over the universities and gymnasiums.

Despite the reactionary measures, Uvarov is also responsible for laying the foundations of high-quality education in Russia and reinstating the practice of sending the Russian scientists abroad. Uvarovite, the rarest of garnets, is named after him. His son Aleksey Uvarov co-founded the Russian Archaeological Society and the State Historical Museum in Moscow.