Osokin Mikhail Yurievich – Candidate in Philology, independent scholar, Sattahip (Thailand)
Among useful aspects of the work are chapters on V. Izmaylov, P. Makarov, P. Shalikov, whose texts are not extensively explored; the author fills this gap simply by referring to them. The drawbacks include contentious and questionable interpretations of sources and debated topics, as well as a theoretically underdeveloped section that is supposed to unify this collection of articles. Reading becomes truly tedious as the researcher persistently focuses on what he is worst at – interpreting and generalizing. A. Yu. Solovyov simplifies the texts into the categories of “disappointed travelers” (Fonvizin’s Letters from France, Kantemir’s letters) and “naive travelers” (travelogues by Karamzin and Dostoevsky), neglecting strategies and texts that go beyond these straightforward definitions.
travelogues; sources; Denis Fonvizin; Antiokh Kantemir; Francesco Locatelli; Nikolay Karamzin; Pidansat de Mairobert