by (William) John Birkbeck 1859-1916 and Aleksei Stepanovitch Khomyakov 1804-1860

Through Russian Eyes

After a visit to England in 1847, Aleksey Khomyakov published his impressions of our country and our people in a Moscow magazine.

1847

Queen Victoria 1837-1901

Introduction

Russian landowner Aleksey Khomyakov (1804-1860) paid a visit to England in 1847. He subsequently sent a letter to a Moscow journal in which he relayed his impressions of England and the English, at a time when relations between the two countries were strained over Afghanistan and Turkey. In 1895, John Birkbeck summarised Khomyakov’s commentary for those who knew no Russian.

by (William) John Birkbeck 1859-1916 and Aleksei Stepanovitch Khomyakov 1804-1860

abridged

ENGLISHMEN were said to be inhospitable to foreigners, but this he [Khomyakov] had found by experience to be anything but true. It was merely that Englishmen did not go out of their way to court foreigners, and this for the reason that they could do without them, whereas some nations, not content with the traditions of their own country, ran after foreigners in order to learn from them, while the German liked foreigners because they came to him as pupils, and the Frenchman because they allowed him to show off before them.

If they were disinclined to talk on the railway, and were sometimes brusque in their manners to strangers, they were more ready than any other nation to help a foreigner if he was really in need of assistance, as he himself had once experienced in Switzerland, when he had run short of money, and an Englishman, whom he had only known for two days, had lent him enough to get back to Russia without any security except his note of hand.

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Précis

In a letter to a Moscow magazine, Aleksey Khomyakov recorded his impressions of Victorian England gathered on a visit in 1847. He acknowledged that the English could seem standoffish, but he had found them generous and helpful, and if they felt no need to venerate foreigners, unlike their Continental neighbours they also felt no wish to improve or impress them.

Sevens

Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.

Why, in Khomyakov’s opinion, do the English not court the attention of foreigners?

Suggestion

They feel no need to impress them.

Jigsaws

Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.

Khomyakov visited England in 1847. He returned to Moscow. He published his impressions in a Moscow journal.

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