No abstract

No abstract

The article analyzes the foreigners' assessments of official abuse in Muscovite state in the XVI-XVII centuries. The main authors who wrote about Russian corruption are identified, the specific features of foreigners' notes are revealed, the stages in a foreign narrative are highlighted. The first stage (the beginningthe first half of the XVI century) is characterized by a small number of foreigners' writings, as well as a slight interest in corruption. At the second stage (the second half of the XVI century-the beginning of the XVII century), there is a noticeable increase in the descriptions of Russia by foreigners, and we can find travelers, diplomats, merchants, and even adventurers among the authors. The publication of some notes was preceded by many years of experience in living in Russia, which affected the nature and depth of apperception of the corruption realities. For the third stage (from the 20s-30s to the end of the XVII century), we note not only an increase in the number of foreign authors, but also an expansion of the geographical boundaries of the descriptions of the "mysterious" Muscovy. Some of foreigners' notes acquire "academic monumentality", which is connected with their belonging to the scientific community (A. Olearius). All in all, according to the authors, all these writings were characterized by Orientalism, which was the cause of the moralizing and arrogant nature of the narrative.

No abstract