CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1

The Russian Language--Early folk literature: Folklore--Songs--Sagas--_Lay of Igor’s Raid_--Annals--Mongolian Invasion; its consequences--Correspondence between John IV. and Kúrbskiy--Religious splitting--Avvakúm’s _Memoirs_--The eighteenth century--Peter I. and his contemporaries: Tretiakóvskiy--Lomonósoff--Sumarókoff--The times of Catherine II: Derzhávin--Von Wízin--The Freemasons: Nóvikoff--Radíscheff--Early nineteenth century: Karamzin and Zhukóvskiy--The Decembrists--Ryléeff.