The reception of England and the English by leading Russian writers, 1847-1867

Abstract

The twenty years 1847-1867 form a period when seven major Russian writers of the nineteenth century visited England, and this thesis describes their visits and what they subsequently wrote about England and the English. The period studied is particularly significant as at that time, many in Russia who hoped for reform, looked to the West for inspiration, and England, a long-standing source of ideas through its literary works, and now a leading industrial nation, could be seen as a potential model. The writers' accounts of their visits in their literary works or letters are the primary source of information, and contemporary English newspapers, as well as letters and diaries of leading figures whom the writers met in England, have also provided useful information. The visits have also been placed in the context of the writers' own lives and later works. Although the writers' visits to England ranged in length from just over a week to nearly thirteen years, a number of observations consistently recurred, as well as those which obviously reflected particular interests. Most of the writers were able to find at least some positive aspects of life in England, particularly compared to France, but acknowledged that present day England was the result of centuries of progress and development, and its institutions and traditions could not, therefore, be easily imported into Russia. Nevertheless, as the century advanced, Russia moved slowly towards democracy and the relationship between the two countries gradually improved, and so it may be that the writers' visits and the literary links thus established, played some significant part in this process.