Pious and Heroic Contrabands

Abstract

This chapter looks at the image of the Greek, especially of the ingenious merchant, in Russian literary sources from the last few decades before the Greek Revolution. The study is based on the Russian periodical press, the memoirs of Russian diplomats, officials and travellers, works of literature and the translations of ancient and contemporary Greek texts. It is argued that, in the context of the Russian philhellenic movement, the picture of the contemporary Greek was dominated by positive features, as a reflection of the classical Greek stereotype. On the other hand, the texts written by Russians who had visited Greece are much more complex. They also reflect elements of the ancient Greek stereotype and are positively influenced by the factor of common religious faith; but there are also negative features. The same is true about the references to the genius of the contemporary Greek retailer. Though generally positive, especially in the case of diaspora Greeks, this image also has a downside connected with their conduct as businessmen.