Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - I. The evolution of the state and social organisations of Russia
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE STATE ii
ii
nation—consists at present of people two-thirds of whom
speak the Russian language and belong to the Greek
Orthodox faith or to religious sects akin to it, the remaining third
being composed of various other races. The Great Russians,
who are the centre and kernel around which the Empire
crystallised, are Slavs. In appearance they are tall and
of powerful build, with regular features, fair complexions,
and blue eyes. The type is best preserved in some parts
of the previously free State of Novgorod and in the forest
regions of the north, while in the centre and east of Russia
the population has somewhat changed its original type by
the assimilation of Finnish-Mongolian tribes, with
pronounced cheek-bones, round noses, and irregular facial
contours. The Little Russian, in the south of Russia,
possesses all the features of the Southern races, being dark,
vivacious, endowed with a rich imagination, and devoted
to music and poetry.
The language of the Great and Little Russians is sonorous.
It is rich in vocabulary and inflexions of the verb, and
presents one of the most perfect mediums for expressing
the deepest thoughts and the most subtle emotions of the
soul. It is very adaptable to the description of all the
varied circumstances of life. It is the surest guarantee of
the future of the Russian nation, being in itself a monument
of greatness and of intellectual wealth and strength. I have
met Englishmen in Russia who, without having lost touch
with their English nationality, had become quite
enthusiastic about the beauty of the Russian language. It is
probably also due to this superiority of the language that
among the leading theorists of Slavophilism and Panslavism
in Russia, not only Russian, but also German names are
found, such as Miiller, Freygang, Hilferding, Ostaken, Dahl,
Grot, and others. The genius of such literary giants as
Pushkin, Lermontoff, Gogol, Alexis and Leo Tolstoy,
Turge-nieff, Dostoievsky, and others would have been of little
effect had they not had at their command the Russian
language, in which the Russian soul has found its most
perfect expression.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
