France in the Diaries and Notes of Russian Travelers from the Late 19th - Early 20th

The article describes the history of Russian tourism in France since the end of 19th century until the First World War, the period when France was the most popular destination of Russian tourism. The research is based on travel notes, diaries and memories left by the Russian visitors to France and gives us an idea of the various aspects of a Russian trip to Europe in the early 20th century. Its most part has not been published before. The Russian travelers came from the different social strata of the Russian Empire and reported in their notes about the transport conditions, material costs, theaters, museums, shops and other popular tourist facilities, as well as about the daily life of Parisians. Russian travelers often described the French mentality, French behavior, traditions and culture and compare them to Russian mentality and lifestyle. The historical sources reflect established stereotype perception of France by Russian travelers and testify the stereotype creation process in their minds. Travelers' notes record in different forms the trip conditions to France and leave us a cross-cultural picture of the French and Russian spiritual life at the turn of 19th and 20th centuries, and represent a significant source for the history of Franco-Russian alliance.