Memoirs of the German Poet E. M. Arndt about His Stay in Russia in 1812

Abstract

The present article and published memoirs of the German poet E. M. Arndt present the position of a European who was an eyewitness to the events taking place in Russia during the Patriotic War of 1812. These memoirs are extremely important for understanding the mechanisms of the formation of Russian anti-Napoleonic discourse because the poet came to Russia at the personal invitation of Alexander I and, along with admiral A. S. Shishkov and the Prussian minister von Stein, participated in the creation of the Russian-German Legion, the Committee for German Affairs and the organization of anti-Napoleonic propaganda in Russia.