BRITISH TRAVELERS’ IMPRESSIONS OF THE RUSSIANS DURING THE REIGN OF ALEXANDER II
Journal Title: Studia Litterarum - Year 2016, Vol 1, Issue 1
Abstract
This article examines the image of Russia and its people in the travelogues of British travelers during the rule of Alexander II (1855–1881). In reality, hardly anybody from Britain visited the country of the tsars, and very few could speak its language. The upper classes, mostly nobility, surprised English visitors with their Western European looks, good manners, and elegance. However, generalizations about Russians as a nation were based on the observations of lower classes, mostly coachmen. Russians in the opinion of the travelers were faithless, servile, and lazy. Slavonic passivity made them perfectly ft for the absolutist rule. Russia was perceived as a semi-barbaric and despotic country. Over the period of 25 years, there were no substantial changes in the travelers’ descriptions of the country.
Authors and Affiliations
Sakowicz I
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP26087
- DOI 10.22455/ 2500-4247-2016-1-1-2-211-218
- Views 720
- Downloads 25
The Lower Depths on the German Stage
This article examines the stage history of M. Gorky’s play The Lower Depths in Germany. The author discusses German stage history of Gorky’s work against the social background and in the context of major artistic tendenc...
THE MOTIF OF THE STAGE PLAY IN THE 19th CENTURY AUSTRIAN FICTION
The article discusses the evolution of the stage play motif in the Austrian fction during the 19th Century. Occupying a special place in the Austrian culture, theater becomes a peculiar form of conceptualizing the most...
Illustrations in Biographical Studies: Sharing Experience of Preparing The Chronicle of Life and Work of Sergey Esenin
The article discusses the function of illustrations in biographical studies. In particular, it examines a section “Appendix” in the 5-volume Chronicle of Life and Work of Sergey Esenin that includes documentary and visua...
Antsyferov and his Contemporaries. Notes of a Literary Prospector
No Abstract
LITERARY TRENDS: FOR THE PROJECT DICTIONARY OF LITERARY TRENDS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY EUROPE AND AMERICA
The article is the outcome of the theoretical research prepared for the encyclopedia in progress entitled Dictionary of Literary Trends in the Twentieth Century Europe and America. This is the frst such encyclopedia kn...