Russian Culture under the French Eyes: Stigma, Civilization and Violence

DOUGLAS CLAYTON (EDITOR DEL LIBRO), EZEQUIEL ADAMOVSKY

La Russie et le monde francophone

Université d’Ottawa

Lugar: Ottawa; Año: 2007; p. 115 - 137

This paper seeks to discuss the relevance of post-colonial perspectives and of the concept of stigma for a non-Eurocentric understanding of some aspects of Russian culture –the making of identities in particular. The weight and effects of the Western gaze (France’s in particular) in Russian culture is explored, by studying traces of it in 19th century Russian authors. It is argued that some features of Modern Russian culture are better explained as unconscious, recent reactions to that gaze, rather than as ancient or traditional elements of a solely Russian origin. The psychology of stigma provides some interesting insights as to how French opinions about Russia may have affected the making of Russian identities.