The Image of the Enemy: Poles and Lithuanians in Russian Literary and Chancery Sources of the Late 16th and Early 17th Centuries

Abstract

The paper inte nds to highlight what the learned Muscovite perception of Russia’s Western neighbour, Poland Lithuania was in an era of intensive conflict represented by the Livonian War (1558 1583) and the Time of Troubles (1598 1613). The sources analysed convey the mes sage that the wars waged by Russia were religious wars. The paper gives the outlines of the emergence of the anti Latin attitude in Russia from the 13 th century on and explores the appearance of the stereotype, the “Polish Lithuanian people” common in the sources of early 17 th century Muscovy.