This paper attempts to follow the cultural channels and actual steps taken by Peter the Great and his successors to cultivate Western European tastes in Russia and to direct the Russian Empire to a Western path of development. It investigates the historic role of St. Petersburg as Russia’s “window on Europe”, and features the great masterworks of Western European art (namely, Dutch) assembled and prized in the Hermitage by the Romanov dynasty, by Peter the Great and by his spiritual follower and enlightener - Catherine the Great, in particular.
Over the course of centuries, Russian tsars continuously borrowed ideas and concepts from their Western neighbors. St. Petersburg was to mark the way for Russia to become modern by creating an environment that could be maintained only by broader and deeper contact with the West. However, Peter Rietbergen in his essay on “Russia between West and East” stresses “the inherent duality in Russian culture, and in the national character, as half-Asian, half-European”. This issue is to be discussed and evaluated in the paper. A chronological overview of the main acquisitions of Dutch paintings to the Hermitage in the course of the XVIII century is included in the paper. It is hoped that the paper will add to the understanding of the described epoch of the Russian Empire and will expose the role it played in defining its path of historical development.
The thesis statement investigated in the paper is as follows: “Has the borrowing of cultural values from Western Europe contributed to the Europeanization of Russia in the XVIII century?” Under the term “cultural values” artefacts, objects of art, enlightening ideas and books, as well as progressive reforms, European fashion and lifestyle, etc are implied. One of the aims of the research is to demonstrate that art which has been broadly studied from divergent viewpoints of style, content, iconography, philosophy, and the social sciences, can also be approached as a function of economic and socio-political motives. A method of comparative analysis of the Westernizing cultural policies by Peter I and later, by Catherine II is used.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter One
Beginning of Westernization and reformation of Russia in the 18th century by Peter the Great. Saint Petersburg as a “window on the West”
Chapter Two
Catherine the Second, a spiritual successor of Peter the Great and the creation of the Dutch art collection in the Hermitage in the 18th century
Conclusion
Bibliography
Research Objectives and Focus
This paper examines how the cultural policies of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, specifically the acquisition of Dutch art, served as a catalyst for the Westernization and Europeanization of the Russian Empire during the 18th century.
- The historic role of St. Petersburg as a "window on the West."
- The cultural impact of borrowing Western values, lifestyles, and art.
- The evolution of the Hermitage art collection under the Romanov dynasty.
- Comparative analysis of Westernizing policies by Peter I and Catherine II.
- Art as a function of economic, socio-political, and personal ambition.
Excerpt from the Book
Chapter Two
Catherine reigned for thirty-four years (1762-1796). Being the best known Russian ruler in the West after Peter, she was also pronounced the Great. Since the beginning of her ruling, Catherine the Second stressed that her reforms were a continuation and an adaptation of the ones started by Peter. Catherine insisted that Russia must be Western in culture and destiny, and she set out to make her adopted country the equal of Europe in ways that even Peter the Great had never foreseen. Her goal was to close the gap that still divided Russia from Europe and to erase the differences between them.
Catherine was an enlightened monarch. The European Enlightenment had an absolutely profound effect upon Russian society, culture, and politics. The educational sphere has improved considerably under the reign of Catherine the Great who was interested in delivering popular education to the middle class. It was during her reign that Russia realized Peter’s Dream and became a truly great European state, a rich and powerful land of which the capital, court, army and art collections amazed foreign visitors. Since Russia imitated Europe in order to be recognized as part of it, Catherine politics were based on a close alliance of art and power. It was she who first initiated gathering of the European art and acquired main Dutch and Flemish collections of paintings to the museum.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the research focus on the cultural channels used by Russian tsars to integrate Western values and art into the Russian Empire.
Chapter One: Discusses the founding of St. Petersburg and Peter the Great's initial reforms aimed at modernizing Russia through Western knowledge and cultural borrowing.
Chapter Two: Details how Catherine the Great continued these policies by aggressively building the Hermitage art collection to establish Russia's status as a European power.
Conclusion: Evaluates the complex legacy of Westernization and the ongoing internal debate regarding Russia's cultural identity between East and West.
Keywords
Westernization, Russia, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Hermitage, Dutch art, St. Petersburg, Europeanization, Cultural History, Romanov dynasty, Enlightenment, Modernization, Art collection, Identity, 18th century
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the cultural channels through which Peter the Great and his successors introduced Western European tastes and values into Russia, specifically through the collection of Dutch art.
What are the main thematic areas covered?
Key themes include the modernization of Russia, the symbolic importance of St. Petersburg, the role of art as a political tool, and the tension between Russian and Western cultural identities.
What is the central research question?
The paper asks whether the intentional borrowing of cultural values from Western Europe significantly contributed to the Europeanization of Russia during the 18th century.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a comparative analysis of the Westernizing cultural policies implemented by Peter I and later adapted and expanded by Catherine II.
What content is addressed in the main chapters?
The main chapters provide a chronological overview of how Peter the Great established the foundations for modernization and how Catherine the Great subsequently used art acquisitions to consolidate Russia's position as a modern European state.
Which keywords best describe this study?
The study is characterized by terms such as Westernization, Hermitage, Dutch Art, Europeanization, and the cultural influence of the Romanov dynasty.
How did Peter the Great interpret the act of art collecting?
For Peter the Great, collecting art was primarily an educational tool designed to enlighten his subjects and bring Western knowledge and 'know-how' to his people.
In what way did Catherine the Great's approach to art differ from Peter's?
Catherine the Great utilized art as an instrument of passionate rivalry among European elites, making her collecting habits deeply personal as well as a powerful statement of political status.
- Arbeit zitieren
- M.A. Arts Nadia Ptashchenko (Autor:in), 2008, Creation of the Dutch art collection in the Hermitage in the 18th century and the role it played in the westernization of Russia, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/133203
