Politics and Culture in Eighteenth-Century Russia : Collected Essays by Isabel De Madariaga

This is a collection of thirteen major essays on eighteenth-century Russia by one of the most distinguished Western historians. They illustrate and explore three major themes: the development of the Russian state and Russian society, in the years when Russia was changing from a minor power on the European periphery to a major actor on the continental stage; the influence of western ideas and western thought on Russian politics and culture; and the impact of the Enlightenment on Russia. This is a substantial contribution not just to the history of Russia, but to early modern Europe generally. This is a collection of thirteen major essays, four never before published, by one of the most distinguished Western historians of 18th century Russia. These are not just random pieces but a broad and readable study which challenges the conventional view of imperial Russia as a semi-barbaric outsider on the periphery of continental Europe. Themes covered include Autocracy and Sovereignty, civil rights, serfdom, penal policy, freemasonry educational reform, and Catherine the Great. This collection of essays on 18th-century Russia challenges the conventional view of imperial Russia as a semi-barbaric outsider on the periphery of continental Europe. The book also explores the way Russia absorbed and participated in the European Enlightenment.