HistoriansoftenthinkofRussiabeforethe1860sintermsofconservativestasis,whenthe“gendarmeofEurope“securedorderbeyondthecountry’sbordersandentrenchedtheautocraticsystemathome.ThisbookoffersaprofoundlydifferentvisionofRussiaunderNicholasI.Drawingonanextensivearrayofsources,itrevealsthatmanyofmodernRussia’smostdistinctiveandoutstandingfeaturescanbetracedbacktoaninconspicuousbutexceptionalyear.Russiabecamewhatitdid,innosmallmeasure,becauseof1837.Thecatalogueoftheyear’snoteworthyoccurrencesextendsfromtherealmsofculture,religion,andideastothoseofempire,politics,andindustry.Exploringthesediverseissuesandconnectingseeminglydivergenthistoricalactors,PaulW.Werthrevealsthatthe1830sinRussiawereaperiodofstrikingdynamismandconsequence,andthat1837waspivotalforthecountry’sentryintothemodernage.FromtheromanticdeathofRussia’sgreatestpoetAlexanderPushkininJanuarytoacolossalfireattheWinterPalaceinDecember,Russiaexperiencedmuchthatwasastonishingin1837:therailwayandprovincialpressappeared,Russianoperamadeitsdebut,Orthodoxypushedwestward,thefirstRomanovvisitedSiberia--andmuchelsebesides.Thecumulativeeffectwasprofound.Thecountry’sintegrationaccelerated,andaRussiannationbegantoemerge,embodiedinnewinstitutionsandpractices,withinthelargerempire.Theresultwasaquietrevolution,afterwhichRussiawouldneverbethesame.
