Orientalism and the Russian Geopolitical Ambitions - The Middle East and Central Asia (18th - 19th centuries)

St. Petersburg Annual of Asian and African Studies. 2014. No. 2. P. 13–25.

Evgenii I. Zelenev

The article is devoted to the genesis of oriental studies in Russia and the genesis of the Russian state and, later, the Empire. The startup of oriental studies in Russia was given by political, economic and cultural contacts of the Tzar Court with the countries of the East. The emergence of oriental studies in Russia coincided with the periods of increasing activity in Russian foreign policy in particular regions of Asia. The so-called academic stage of the oriental studies in Russia was closely connected with academic contribution made by German scholars in the service of Russian Tsars.

Keywords: Центральная Азия, внешняя политика, foreign policy, Central Asia, Османская империя, Crimean War, Крымская война, Ottoman Empire

Publication based on the results of: "Minority" vs "Majority" in the Historical and Cultural Continuum of Asia and Africa (2014)