Лучшие эссе студентов МАХУ – победителей международного конкурса (для параллельного чтения на двух языках) - страница 7

The English exported cloth into the Russian Tsardom and produced their own heavy cables here. Then, the English navy relied almost exclusively on Russian cordage supplied by the Muscovy Company. English merchants brought cargoes of wax, flax, tallow and ship timber from Russia. Thus, Russian resources became the main raw material for the creation of a powerful British fleet, thanks to which England was called the “mistress of the seas”.

However, in the 16th century, the difference between the goals, pursued by Britain and Russia, got clearly visible. The Queen’s interests were limited to trade, while Russian tsar persistently sought a political alliance against Poland and the Livonian order, implying aid in money and military actions, as well as dynastic ties. The wedding policy of the Russian Tsar, who proposed to the Queen’s niece, Mary Hastings, caused confusion at the English court.

Misunderstanding about the form of government, ethics and morality (evident in the works of Giles Fletcher, Jerome Horsey and other foreigners, who wrote about Russia) were not solely on the part of the British. Being abroad, the Russian tsar’s envoys wanted to be honored in accordance with their nobility and the position at court. Once an ambassador interrupted his visit being offended that the queen decided to meet him in the garden. Elizabeth I, on the contrary, gave such a reception as a sign of her special favour. After the death of Ivan the Terrible, Russian-British ties weakened and revived somewhat only under Boris Godunov, whose reign was characterized by an imperial scope of plans and active involvement of foreign masters, doctors and other specialists. For the purpose of creating a University, Godunov made an attempt to invite scientists from different countries to Russia and sent eighteen young men to study abroad (one century before Peter’s pensioners’ trips).

Relations between Russia and Britain became livelier in the middle of the 17th century when knowledge of each other’s customs accumulated. Londoners showed interest and sympathy for the events of the Russian “troubles” which were vividly described in street newspapers. In the mid-17th century, Russian ambassadors, in their turn, witnessed the state upheavals in Britain. When Charles I was beheaded, the diplomatic relations were ruptured. On the first of June 1649, Alexei Mikhailovich (to whom the execution of the monarch was an absolutely unacceptable thought) issued a decree expelling all British merchants. At the same time in Britain the Puritans closed all the theaters which since Shakespeare’s time served as a means of disseminating information about “Muscovy”. Soon after the restoration of the monarchy in England, count Carlyle (who had arrived to bridge the diplomatic gap) gave a performance at the Embassy house in Moscow on Pokrovka. This performance came at the time of the formation of the Russian theater.

As historical examples prove, economic interests can be a mighty vehicle for peace-building if fear and prejudice are not the underlying basis of nations’ protective identity. In 1698 Peter I visited England. According to V. O. Klyuchevsky’s opinion, first and foremost in the West, Peter was looking for technology. The tsar brought home 800 foreign specialists: officers, engineers, doctors … The Kingdom impressed him with its order and moderation so much, though, that the English influence can be traced in the creation and construction of the Navy, industrial manufactories, banks and other spheres of life. It was Peter the Great who actually laid the foundations of the modern trade and political relations with England.