Löb Nevakhovich

Who was Löb Nevakhovich?

Löb Nevakhovich, or Lev Nikolayevich Nevakhovich, was Jewish Russian writer and one of the first maskilim in Russia. Nevakhovich was friend and protégé of Abram Peretz. He went to St. Petersburg toward the end of Catherine II's reign, and engaged in commercial pursuits, then turned to literature. He was among the first Russian Jews to gain a mastery of the Russian language, starting with translations from German, Hebrew and Swedish. Nevakhovich was a linguist, a student of philosophy, and an ardent admirer of Moses Mendelssohn. Nevakhovich held patriotic views regarding both his Jewish heritage and the Russian Empire, expressing his gratitude for opportunities of growth. He also was optimistic in regard to the future of the Jews and assumed that they would be granted greater liberty. In 1806 Nevakhovich was baptized into the Lutheran Church. In 1817 he moved to Warsaw where he started working for the Ministry of Finance. In 1831 he returned to St. Petersburg in order to mount one of his plays on the stage, but he died before he could accomplish his purpose. Nevakhovich is interred on Volkovo Cemetery in St. Petersburg.