Une france russophile ? : découverte, réception, impact : la diffusion de la culture russe en france de 1881 a 1914
Institution:
Université Marc Bloch (Strasbourg) (1971-2008)Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
From 1881 to 1914, a considerable russophile trend emerged and made his mark in france. This russophilia combined a dual dimension, both political and cultural. The spreading of the russian culture fit into this dynamic and was met with a favourable and overall lasting reception during the identity crisis which characterised the french society of the 1880s-1890s. There is no doubt that the use of the russian culture has been political. The formation of a russian cultural pole in france - in preparation of french public opinion for the franco-russian alliance -, contributed to the overstepping of the fragmentary and deficient picture of the russian empire which had dominated almost all the 19th century. The integration of the russian culture into the french cultural sphere is considerably indebted to the european diplomatic context. The russomania raging and overcoming france from 1886 to 1897 clearly shows that beyond the discovery of the great novelists, the stake was standing at the junction of political and cultural fields. The period 1898-1914 indicates that this ambiguous situation had been overcome. The political use of the russian culture disappeared to give way to a perception in which the work of art is grasped for itself, beyond the diplomatic context. The time of discovery - from 1881 to 1897 - was replaced by the time of acknowledgement - from 1898 to 1914. The interpretation of the russian culture in the last years was no more biased nor subjugated, but shows a diversity of judgements, a plurality of discursive reasoning. The time of acknowledgement was marked by global accessibility to the russian cultural sphere, viewed beyond a militant and proselyte use; renewing, moreover, the vision of the world which had been predominant until then, as attested by the evolution of the quarrel on nationalism and cosmopolitanism.
Abstract FR:
De 1881 a 1914, un important courant russophile s'est manifeste et exprime en france. Cette russophilie a associe une double dimension politique et culturelle. La diffusion de la culture russe s'inscrit dans cette dynamique. Elle trouve un echo favorable et surtout durable lors de la crise d'identite qui caracterise la societe francaise des annees 1880-1890. Il est indeniable que l'usage de la culture russe a ete politique. La formation d'un pole culturel russe en france, preparation de l'opinion publique francaise a l'alliance franco-russe, contribue a depasser l'image fragmentaire et lacunaire de l'empire russe qui a dominee la quasi totalite du xixe siecle. L'integration de la culture russe a l'aire culturelle francaise est largement redevable du contexte diplomatique europeen. La russomanie qui sevit et submerge la france de 1886 a 1897 indique nettement, qu'au-dela de la decouverte des grands romanciers, l'enjeu se situe au croisement des champs politique et culturel. Les annees 1898-1914 marquent le depassement de cette situation ambigue. L'usage politique de la culture russe s'efface pour ceder la place a une perception dans laquelle l'oeuvre est apprehendee en elle-meme au-dela du contexte diplomatique. Au temps de la decouverte, de 1881 a 1897, succede le temps de la reconnaissance, de 1898 a 1914. L'interpretation de la culture russe durant ces dernieres annees n'est plus partiale et assujettie, mais montre une diversite des jugements, une pluralite du discours. Le temps de la reconnaissance est marque par l'accessibilite globale a l'aire culturelle russe envisagee au-dela d'un usage militant et proselyte, renouvelant, par ailleurs, la vision du monde jusqu'alors predominante, comme l'atteste l'evolution de la querelle du nationalisme et du cosmopolitisme.