Preface

Contents Foreword

Centuries have passed since the brilliant Columbus discovered and gave to mankind the continent of the New World, yet for us Russians it still remains terra incognita and we must yet await our Columbus who would rediscover America—specifically for us. Despite the fact that we call and sincerely regard Americans as our trans-Atlantic friends, we know them not at all. Our literature on this subject has produced not a single work bearing the mark of genuine study or at least careful, skillful, and thorough observation rather than superficial judgment. I had occasion to become personally convinced of this. Before embarking across the ocean, I carefully reread the existing books we have about the United States, and at every turn I had sorrowfully to confirm their inconsistency with reality. And remarkably, in these books I continually encountered outright fabrications, evidently designed for effect, while real life found in them only the palest, crude reflection. Meanwhile, the actual life of the young American people presents a multitude of the most interesting and instructive phenomena, which in their unvarnished form are immeasurably more interesting than any fiction of the poor imagination of our authors. Living across the ocean, I was struck at every turn by the intensity and peculiarity of American life and shared the results of my observations and studies with various periodicals. According to my friends’ opinion, my modest notes revealed several features of American life which until then had found no reflection in Russian literature. Seizing upon this compliment, I resolved to publish a separate book, into which went a significant portion of my letters and sketches, both those already printed and new ones. If this book were to receive even the slightest share of the sympathy with which my friends—admittedly not impartial—received my letters, this would be the best reward for the author and the best encouragement to further study the truly interesting and instructive life of the American people, among whom I am destined to live and work for some time yet.

St. Petersburg.

September 7, 1881.