Penguin Classics: Letters From Russia

'A ruler can be popular in Russia without attaching great value to the lives of Russians.'

In 1839, fascinated by the vast, mysterious land that was opening up to the West, the French aristocrat Marquis de Custine set out to explore Russia. This rich selection from his book, which became a bestseller on publication, offers a unique portrait of a country ruled by despotism and 'intoxicated with slavery'. Custine describes the Court of Tsar Nicholas and his fragile wife, the streets of St Petersburg, the songs of Cossacks, a moonlit Moscow walk beneath the terrible beauty of the Kremlin. But the Letters also portray Custine himself: his nerves, fears and anxieties, and how his attitudes towards power and tyranny were transformed by what he saw.

Translated by Robin Buss with an introduction by Catherine Merridale