커피로 본 러시아 근대사

Modern History of Russia Seen Through Coffee

Coffee was always there at the inflection points of the modern Western civilization, including the Enlightenment and the French Revolution in the 17th and 18th centuries. When the Enlightenment was spread worldwide in the 17th century claiming liberal communication of ideologies and opinions is one of the most important human rights, coffee was patronized by intellectuals as a beverage to enhance the thinking ability. Like other parts of Europe, Russia turned into a powerful nation by accepting coffee in the same period. From the reformation driven by Peter the Great to disseminating playacting and ballet by Empress Anna Ioannovna and the modernization by Catherine II, the enlightened ruler, all reforms carried out by famous Russian emperors were accompanied by coffee. The purpose of this study is to describe the origin of coffee in Russia, propagation, political and social influence of coffee on the modern history of Russia, and the ‘image’ of coffee while focusing on the modern history between the 16th and 19th centuries, the time in contemporary Russian history that had been less highlighted.