The Crimean War as a Test of Russia’s Imperial Durability

Russian Studies in History. 2012. Vol. 51. No. 1: The Russian Empire and the Crimean War: Conceptualizing Experience and Exploring New Approaches. P. 65–94.

Gorizontov L.

Translator: I. A. Khristophorov

The article constitutes a part of author’s studies on regions and mental geography of the Russian empire. The military actions within own territory normally produce a dramatic and long impact on the spatial imaginations. The Crimean war with its center in newly incorporated New Russia has helped to include this region to the mental maps as the Russian space. The article shows the new symbolic geography formation. It also analyses the efforts of propaganda aimed at maintaining the imperial durability. A special attention is paid to the state militia. The citizen soldiers – nobles and law classes representatives – had the unique opportunity to visit a number of regions. For the inhabitants of Central Russia the border with Little Russia was essential. The perception of Jews has demonstrated xenophobia long before pogroms. Although the authorities had enough reasons to be afraid of separatism, the final conclusion was that the imperial construction is rather healthy. As a result of such a conclusion an elaboration of this construction hasn’t become a part of common program of reforms in Russia. The author used unpublished documents, in particular those preserved in Kiev. The publication in well-known American journal with world-wide distribution has made the article accessible for many readers. 

Keywords: регионы, сепаратизм, евреи, Jews, Russian Empire, Российская империя, separatism, regions, Новороссия, Crimean War, mental maps, New Russia, Little Russia, imperial durability, program of reforms, Крымская война, ментальные карты, Малороссия, государственное единство, программа реформ