Letters from Russia

Astolphe de Custine

If this is not the best piece of travel writing I've ever read, it sure is darn close to it. I started marking some things to make note of and finished the book with fourteen sections marked – and one I forgot to mark – too much for inclusion.

Prior to his arrival in St. Petersburg on July 10, 1839 Astolphe de Custine provides a bit of family history. His journal, in the form of letters home, begins five days before arrival, with descriptions of a number of travelers on the same ship as he, headed for a Russian adventure. He muses that such a short visit (of 2-½ months, putting some perspective on changes in travel times) he is unable to deeply explore Russia. But he underestimates himself – putting most of us postcard writers to shame, with topics ranging from the political system, social injustice, national character, historical invasions, societal customs, the court of princes, food and nearly any other topic he deems worthy of review. His insight is amazing, writing in his 11th letter:

“The more I see of Russia, the more I approve the conduct of the emperor in forbidding his subjects to travel, and in rendering his own country difficult to foreigners. The political system of Russia could not survive twenty years' free communication with the West of Europe. Listen not to the fictions of the Russians: they mistake pomp for elegance, luxury for politeness, a powerful police, and a dread of government, for the fundamental principles of society”.

In a number of places he comments on the bugs found in the inns and hotels in the country – and the solution is clean hay, and putting the legs of the bed in bowls filled with water to keep the bugs at bay. He also comments on during episode on the battle of the bugs:

“The death of one of them seemed to draw upon me the vengeance of the whole race… ‘They only want wings to make this place hell' was the exclamation that escaped me in my rage…and in my agony I fancied that I should prefer fighting an army of tigers to this small pest of beggars”

During travels between cities, de Custine points out that he has been told there are no long distances in Russia – but his observation is that there is nothing but long distances in Russia. De Custine makes his way to Moscow, giving us this reaction to his first glimpse of the Kremlin:

“I shall never forget the chilly shudder which came over me on seeing the cradle of the modern Russian Empire: the Kremlin alone is worth the journey to Moscow”