Cultural Diplomacy in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union: The Example of Belgium, 1831-1940

The relationship between Russia and Europe is usually seen in terms of (im)balance of power, resulting in endless debates, whether the European model is either beneficial or detrimental to Russia. This view has severely impacted the research on Russian-European relations, which is usually studied in terms of (cultural) transfer, the direction of which is dictated by the international standing and cultural capital of the respective parties. The present project starts from the idea that international relations are the result of a complex set of factors and that we should approach them from the perspective of (cultural) exchange and the circulation of knowledge. As the question of Russian-European relations is heavily affected by national stereotypes derived from Russia's bilateral relations with France, Germany and the UK, we want to study the case of Belgium, a minor country that in Russian eyes is definitely European, but distinct from the major European nations. The prism through which we want to look at this, is that of cultural diplomacy, the idea that international relations are multilayered (both official and unofficial circuits), reciprocal and based on both political and cultural elements. By looking at 6 domains (diplomacy, politics, economy, arts, religion, education-science) and studying Belgian as well as Russian sources, we want to built a picture of Belgian cultural diplomacy in Russia and offer an alternative model for studying Russian-European relations.