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Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History 4.4 (2003) 982-984



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E. N. Marasinova, Psikhologiia elity rossiiskogo dvorianstva poslednei treti XVIII veka (Po materialiam perepiski) [The Psychology of the Russian Gentry Elite in the Last Third of the 18th Century (Based on Correspondence)] (Moscow: Rosspen, 1999). 300 pp. [16 ill.]. ISBN 5-8243-0015-1 (hardcover).

Marasinova's study, Psikhologiia elity rossiiskogo dvorianstva poslednei treti XVIII veka, attempts to explore the attitudes and values of the Russian elite through an analysis of personal correspondence between members of this group. Using 1,800 letters from 45 different authorsincluding Aleksandr Vasil'evich Suvorov, Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin, Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, Petr Aleksandrovich Rumiantsev, and Aleksei Grigor'evich Orlov (complete list on 38)Marasinova focuses on the last third of the 18th century, a period that she believes was a unique, transitional period in the evolution of the consciousness of Russia's highest social class.

Marasinova begins her study with an explanation of her choice of sources. She argues that epistolary sources are extraordinarily useful in understanding the social psychology of the nobility because, among other things, the primary function of letters is to convey the opinion of the author and his relationship to the people and events being described. In theory, Marasinova explains, individuals may write more freely and honestly in letters, clearly revealing their feelings, emotions, and opinions. Moreover, letters are a synchronous source, reflecting the author's immediate feelings about an event. Finally, the author argues that letters are a useful source because they reveal the character of interpersonal relations within the noble class. Thus, she admits, although her study cannot analyze members of the nobility on an individual basiseven those whose letters have been subjected to content analysisit does reveal much about the general social class of the authors and the internal structure of the nobility of this period.

The body of this work attempts to define the social psychology of the noble class by identifying certain traits and topics of concern contained within the examined epistolary sources. Marasinova touches on many different concerns and issues, including noble attitudes toward state service and the monarchy in general, as well as toward the ruler specifically. She cites epistolary evidence, for example, that underscores a well-known fact: that despite their newly-gained freedom, many nobles in the last third of the 18th century still [End Page 982] viewed service to the state, in its various forms, as one of their greatest concerns and continued to view themselves as subjects of the monarch. Even after the end of compulsory service, rank continued to be central to noble identity. 1 In the understanding of many of the authors, Marasinova finds that bureaucratic hierarchy coincided with a moral/ethical evaluation of the individual. The place of a noble in the system of ranks became a dominant and universally accepted determinant of his place and success in interpersonal relations.

The relationship between nobility and monarch, however, was a complex one. Marasinova concludes that the traditional relationship between monarch and nobility was regulated not by laws but by feelings. 2 Scouring her sources to determine attitudes or emotional reactions to the monarch, the monarchy, and autocracy in general, Marasinova found the following emotions or assessments: respect, admiration, esteem, submissiveness to the monarch's power, and fear. Moreover, nobles often complained about the monarch, both in direct and indirect ways. Marasinova defined three forms of negative evaluations of the actions and personality of the monarch. First, nobles often made narrow, specific complaints about certain concrete decisions of the monarch. Second, nobles sometimes expressed their criticisms indirectly, using the passive voice and commenting more generally on the monarch's actions or position on certain questions. Finally, Marasinova found that nobles frequently expressed their discontent in the most general terms, criticizing higher politics, the bureaucratic apparatus and the governmental system of Russia. Favoritism was a particular concern. Favorites were seen as ruining the treasury and impinging on the relationship between nobility and monarch. Many authors, however, distinguished...

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