THE IMAGE OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN THE MEMOIRS OF FRANCISCO DE MIRANDA

Abstract

The article is devoted to the specificity of the linguistic characteristics of the image of Imperial Russia based on the diary of Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez de Espinoza (Francisco de Miranda). The main purpose of the article is to analyse the identity of the author’s linguistic representation, formulating the basis of his understanding of Russia during the reign of Catherine II. The article examines the image of the Russian Empire as a holistic concept, as well as linguistic descriptions of the country’s inhabitants in order to generalise the information received and compile the image of Russia in the 18th century. To understand this image, based on the diary of Francisco de Miranda, some restrictions were made: firstly, because his social circle was limited mainly to aristocrats, and secondly, because of his considerations of a future mission in the colonies. For this reason, the entries of Francisco’s diary can be divided into three thematic blocks: a) general description of Imperial Russia as a holistic image (geographical areas, architectural buildings, social concepts such as education and art, the level of economic development, social inequality, the military); b) characteristics of the Russians; c) foreigners’ attitude towards Russia, that also affected the perception of Francisco de Miranda.