LETTERS OF JOSEPH DE MAISTRE TO ROXANA STURDZA: TOWARDS THE ISSUE OF COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES OF A SARDINIAN DIPLOMAT AT THE RUSSIAN COURT

Abstract

Joseph de Maistre, who found himself in the diplomatic service in Russia after the events of the French Revolution, used the high-society salons of St. Petersburg to established connections at court, and corresponded with the key figures of the time. The Savoy envoy earned a reputation of an advocate of Catholicism, and numerous conversions in the highest circles of the Russian society are attributed to his influence. His correspondence with Roxana Sturdza differs, however, from the messages addressed to other members of the Russian aristocracy of that time, and deserves separate consideration due to the variety of communication strategies of the Savoyard diplomat. Letters to Roxana cover almost the entire period of Joseph de Maistre’s stay in Russia, with the first one dating back to 1805 and the last one referring to 1817; apart from the personal relations of the correspondents, the letters let us trace the impact that the historical events of Alexander I’s reign made on the patterns of communication between the diplomat and the Emperor’s lady-in-waiting.