India in Pages of “St. Petersburg Vedomosti” in 18th Century

This article analyzes the representation of India in the first Russian periodical newspaper, the St. Petersburg Vedomosti. The study draws on issues of the newspaper published between 1728 and 1781, which have been digitized and made publicly accessible by the Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Based on this data, the author calculates the frequency of news articles about India, identifies key thematic areas, and determines the primary sources of this information. The findings indicate that during the 18th century, information about India was regularly published in the St. Petersburg Vedomosti. It is established that the main source of information regarding India was news received through Europe. For thematic analysis, nine semantic blocks were identified. The study demonstrates that during this period, Russian society may have formed general perceptions of the foreign policies of Western European powers, particularly Great Britain and France, concerning Hindustan, trade with this region, and the activities of East India Companies. The author asserts that traditions, culture, and daily life of Indians were scarcely described in the newspaper. It is emphasized that the information about India could contain errors and inaccuracies, as well as biased evaluations of events borrowed from European perspectives.

Russian Empire, image of India in Russian newspapers, St. Petersburg Vedomosti, imagology, international relations