French-language literature in the personal libraries of the Russian noble aristocracy of the first quarter of the 18th century. On the issue of Russian-French book relations

the purpose of the article is to consider the peculiarities of the distribution of French-language literature in the territory of the Russian Empire in the first quarter of the XVIII century. The role of Peter I himself and his associates in organizing the transfer of literature from European countries is determined. The order of business trips of nobles to Europe is described, the place of purchase of foreign literature in their official activities is shown. The article considers the growing popularity of the French language in the country, which was strongly influenced by the cross-border travels of Russian nobles, including the visit of Peter the Great to Paris in 1717. A special role is assigned to the replenishment of the library of the Academy of Sciences, to which Peter the Great paid great attention. The transfer of private book collections to her, including the Mitava library of the Duke of Courland, is considered, in which humanitarian publications printed in the XVI-XVII centuries should be highlighted. The role of the personal collections of A.A. Vinius, P.P. Shafirov, A.P. Hannibal and A.F. Khrushchev in the expansion of the library of the Academy of Sciences is determined. Based on the reviewed material, it is concluded that Western literature contributed to the development of advanced European ideas and their reception in the context of Peter the Great's modernization.

reading, libraries, the Russian Empire, cultural transfer, nobles, Enlightenment, French literature