2018 Issue №4

The author examines the image of the Frenchman in Russian quality journals published between the Napoleonic and Crimean wars. In many Russian journals, the emphasis was laid on creating a positive image of some social strata of French society. The author identifies the reasons for this phenomenon. The image of a ‘good Frenchman’ reveals the attitude of Russian press towards acute political and social issues of the time.

The article describes the formation of the national territory of Lithuania during the interwar period. The author compares factors, which affected the formation of the Lithuanian statehood, analyses the country’s relations with the neighbouring states and describes the Soviet-Polish and the Soviet- German relations. A high degree of dependence on external influence and numerous internal weakness of the country influenced the establishment of the geographical borders of Lithuania.