Moscow and the West in the XVI-XVII centuries. Platonov S.

The classic work of Sergei Platonov “Moscow and the West in the XVI - XVII centuries” was first printed in 1925, but did not lose relevance. Having set the task of highlighting the nodal moments of the Europeanization of Russia, the author proves that the connection of Moscow Rus' with Western Europe began before it is usually customary to think, and explains why this happened, drawing the reader's attention to the earliest contacts, which already presented mutual interests. The West, who discovered a powerful state on the site of a small Moscow principality, reimbursed about the inclusion of it in its orbit - at the expense of the union of the Orthodox Church with the Catholic, and Moscow, which acutely needed western technical achievements, did everything to attract the necessary specialists. Immediately, the first conflict was discovered related to the unwillingness of Europe to honestly share with Russian income from mutual trade - a conflict that has not found the final permission so far.

Sergey Platonov (1860-1933) - a historian, a full member Russian Academy of Sciences.