The Romanovs: Their Empire, Their
Books.
The Political, Religious, Cultural, and Social Life of Russia's Imperial House
Case
7: Culture
Illustration from Gavriil
Romanovich
Derzhavin (1743–1816). Poslanie
indeiskago bramina i Gimn solntsu . . .
[Epistle of an Indian Brahmin and
Hymn to the Sun . . .].
St. Petersburg, 1803. From the library
of Tsarskoe Selo. NYPL,
Slavic and Baltic Division.
Photographic Services & Permissions
Russian imperial culture was predominantly secular
and of West European inspiration. This also determined
the schooling received by all members of the imperial
family and their subsequent literary and artistic
interests. Since the second half of the eighteenth
century, the Russian educational system for the
elite classes had included secondary schools, military
educational institutions, as well as day and boarding
schools for girls on the secondary level. Members
of the larger imperial family attended and served
as honorary patrons of many of them.
Publications related to various aspects of cultural
and school life occupied a prominent place in imperial
libraries. Yet, as some of the items displayed
indicate, the emphasis on pride in Russia's own
cultural achievements went beyond mere recognition – it
was also used as an important tool in the government's
efforts to assimilate non-Russian populations as
well.
Next Section: Case
8: Faith
