The history of Russian-British relations is rather thorny. For several centuries, Russia and Britain were perceived as the main rivals on the world scene. True, it never came to direct military clashes, except for the Crimean War in the mid-19th century. Yet the rivalry between the Lion (Britain's symbol) and the Bear, overt or covert, was always felt despite the two nations being allies. Today, some Russian politicians are ready to declare that London is in a way "a historical enemy of Moscow."

For students of Russian-British relations, Russia and Britain: 16th-19 Centuries is an invaluable book, as it reproduces the authentic documents of the past. British Ambassador to Moscow Anthony Brenton, speaking at last week's presentation of the book at the Diplomatic Academy, had good reason to quote Socrates: "He who does not remember his history is doomed to repeat it."

Russian-British relations, whose 450th anniversary has already been commemorated, were initially de­scribed as excellent. Sympto­matically, British envoy Richard Chancelor sailed into the mouth of Severnaya Dvina (near Arkhan­gelsk) in 1554 in a ship called Edward Good Venture. Tsar Ivan Grozny tried to woo (in vain, though) the niece of English Queen Elizabeth I (the British Ambassador aptly remarked on that score that his mission today is incomparably simpler than the mission of the British Ambassador at the Russian court, who was compelled to announce this rather unpleasant news). The Russian tsar, fearing the boyars' conspiracies, received London's promise to grant him "political asylum."

Quite a few Englishmen and Scotsmen served in the Russian Army, helping Russia "in the eternal dispute of the Slavs between themselves" (meaning the wars with Poland); they participated in forming Russian regiments from foreigners. One of those Scots, a defender of Moscow named George (or Yury) Lermont, was an ancestor of the great Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov. Under Tsar Boris Godunov, Russian students attended educational institutions in Winchester, Hamp­shire, England. In 1715, King George I signed with Russia the Greifswald Pact, under which he guaranteed to Peter the Great (Peter I) the acquisition of Ingria, Karelia and Islandia with Revel (today's Tallinn). The book cites numerous other examples of Russian-British cooperation that took place in the history of the two countries.

Let us congratulate the authors on having put out such an invaluable book. They have used historically and diplomatically significant documents to illustrate the importance of relations between the two powers. Let us wait for the second volume, which will deal with a period in history closer to us. 

By Dmitry Klimov