Edward Daniel Clarke’s Crimean Letters
This article discusses a poorly known source on the history of the Crimea ca. 1800. Its author is Edward Daniel Clarke, who published famous Travels to influence much the Western mind. Clarke made an important contribution to the shaping of some stereotypes on the Crimea and Russia keeping their topicality to these days. Nevertheless, his letters to his mother and best friend escaped researchers’ attention, despite their reflection of Clarke’s immediate apprehension and reflections upon Russian realities. His letters uncover that Clarke got many negative evaluations to be developed later in the travelogue immediately when in the Crimea. The first part of the article has analysed the formation of the Clarke’s worldview and his ways of thinking on uncommon realities. It has established that the Englishman’s appraisals were far from being objective, that he was prejudicial and got a loose tongue, knew nothing of Rusian, and was not ready to get accustomed to different cultural norms, viewing other countries from the position of British cultural superiority. Thes econd part presents the first Russian translation of Clarke’s letters from the Crimea.