What did the Oriental expansion mean for the Tsarist state? How did it affect state ideology and government practices? How did contemporaries framed the proximity to Asia in different historical moments? The course theme assumes that the very notions of East or West, Europe or Asia are evolving historical constructs that take different meanings in different historical contexts. The very definition of “Asiatic Russia”, which emerged only at a later stage, will be critically examined.
- Teacher: Alberto Masoero