Letters from Russia by Robert Watt, published in Denmark in 1867, were born as a result of the Danish writer’s trip to Russia to cover Princess Dagmar of Denmark’s arrival in Russia and wedding with Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich in 1866. Robert Watt was a journalist, a writer, a translator, and the artistic director of Tivoli Gardens amusement park from 1866 to his death in 1894. Letters from Russia contains seventeen chapters, in which the writer describes his impressions of his trip to Russia, from the moment he said farewell to Denmark standing on the deck of “Mermaid” frigate, which was raising sails heading to Kronstadt, to the ceremonial reception of the Danish Princess. Road diaries of those who travelled across Russia have always been an important source of information about the country and the epoch, and Robert Watt’s book is no exception. Watt’s book is partly a guidebook — he describes all places of interest in Moscow and St Petersburg, but he also ponders on specific features of life in Russia and the national character. Most of his characteristics are highly positive, he doesn’t pay much attention to unsightly sides of life. The observer’s assessment depends on their personality, previous experience, the recipient (in this case the book was aimed at the Danish reader), and the political situation. We could assume that as the writer was sent to Russia to cover Princess Dagmar of Denmark’s wedding he did not intend to pay attention to the ugly sides of the Russian life. Nevertheless, Robert Watt’s book, unknown to a wide audience in Denmark and Russia, is an important cultural monument which supplements the history of relations between Denmark and Russia.
Gurova E., Krasnova E. DANISH JOURNALIST ROBERT WATT AND HIS LETTERS FROM RUSSIA