Age of Russian noble culture. Middle of the XVIII - mid -XIX century

The book of the American historian D.Kh. Billington is dedicated to the culture of the Golden Age of Russian History, when Russia became, in modern language, the world superpower. But if in politics and the military sphere, especially after the victory over Napoleon, she had almost no equal, then in art, literature, education she continued to live borrowings or, at least, was far from dictating her fashion. So, in any case, the author believes focusing on foreign influences, which is understandable, since the point of view accepted by him is where these influences came from. D.Kh. Billington can be criticized for a limited look, it can be argued with his arguments, but one cannot but recognize its extensive erudition and a sincere desire to understand the phenomenon of Russian culture. This book is worth reading: it is always useful to know how your country is seen from the outside.
James Hedley Billington (1929–2018) - American historian, director of the library of the US Congress (1987–2015), Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences