Musical Offerings, Fall 2019

50 Doub ⦁ Impacts of the moguchaya kuchka became supremely important as he sought territorial gains, military improvements, and a revamp of the outdated Russian government. In many ways, the leader borrowed ideas from western culture, but his tyrannical leadership resulted in a general distaste for him among Russian citizens. Following Peter the Great’s death in 1725, the Russo- Turkish War broke out against the Ottoman Empire, followed by the infamous and costly Seven Years’ War in 1757. Because Russia’s economic state relied on agricultural success, working-class citizens became burdened with high taxes and heavy workloads. From this period, the image of the common Russian man emerged: a man weighed down by life, taxes, work, persecution, and death, yet still clinging to traditions and nationalistic pride. Despite Russia’s struggles, depressions, and history of inter-ethnic tensions, a formidable and powerful nation developed, boasting a rich culture of artistic prowess. Music, literature, folklore, and nationalistic pride became central elements of the nation. Following the spark of imperial expansion under Peter the Great’s reign, Russia progressed, conquered, fought, and strove to compete as a major world power alongside European nations. This era of modernization and westernization advanced the military, government, economy, and artistic culture leading into the mid-1800s. By the 1850s, however, the vast majority of Russia’s citizens still lived in rural villages despite the modernization and the growth of Russian cities. Exactly 100 years after the death of Peter the Great, during the reign of Tsar Nicholas I (1825– 1855), a movement known as Official Nationalism took shape, emphasizing Russian orthodoxy, autocracy, and nationalism. Ernest Gellner provides a simple and effective definition of nationalism in a broad sense: “Nationalism is essentially the transfer of the focus of man’s identity to a culture which is mediated by literacy and an extensive, formal education system.” 2 While embodying key elements of nationalism including national pride, patriotism, and devotion, Official Nationalism stood as a complex cultural identity for Russia. This unique breed of nationalism arose, in part, due to the heavy reliance upon the Russian Orthodox Church as the primary source of education and religious beliefs. All forms of nationalism rely upon the shared traits of blood, cultural cohesiveness, and common land. In nineteenth-century Russia, the citizens and working class pulled together, supported 2 Ernest Gellner, “Nationalism,” Theory and Society 10, no. 6 (1981): 757, doi: 10.1007/bf00208267 .