Pinsk and the Pinsk region in the eyes of Fyodor Glinka and Józef Ignacy Kraszewski. A comparative study on Russian and Polish travel literature in the first half of the 19th century

Abstract

The article compares the chapter 'The town of Pinsk' from 'Letters of a Russian officer' (part 6, 1815) by Fyodor Glinka and the sketch 'Pinsk and the Pinsk region' ('Tygodnik Petersburski' – 'St. Petersburg Weekly', 1837) by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski. Both texts present an image of Pinsk and its surroundings (historically and in modern times, the city’s topography, nature, trade) and demonstrate the attitude of the authors toward travel literature ('A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy' by L. Sterne and 'Letters of a Russian traveller' by N. Karamzin). F. Glinka and J.I. Kraszewski write about the potential of Pinsk as a centre of grain and salt trade.