1. Background
At the beginning of the 19th century, members of the Russian intelligentsia (see Russia, societies in 1.6.) painted a picture of the period before the reign of Peter I (reigned 1682–1725) that implied criticism of the (Western European) Enlightenment, imposed on a large scale by the government, while emphasizing the uniqueness of Russia [11]; [15]. Precisely by emphasizing this uniqueness, Russia displayed its European character […