JOURNAL ARTICLE

To Russia with Plutarch, or the Usefulness, Sometimes, of Going Closer In.

  • Published In: Kritika: Explorations in Russian & Eurasian History, 2026, v. 27, n. 1. P. 111 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Sunderland, Willard 3 of 3

Abstract

Some sort of closeness, a link, seems required between a historian and her subject, but how much and what does the closeness provide? Is looking for closeness good historical practice? Willard Sunderland’s essay engages these questions through the story of his retracing of John Quincy Adams’s 1809 sea voyage to St. Petersburg as America’s first ambassador to Russia. Drawing on records of the journey, Sunderland sailed after Adams in his own sailboat in 2023, following the same route and reading the same books along the way, including Plutarch’s Lives. The result, Sunderland argues, was indeed a sense of unexpected historical connection that gave him a new and meaningful view of early US–Russian relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Kritika: Explorations in Russian & Eurasian History. 2026/01, Vol. 27, Issue 1, p111
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:1531-023X
  • Accession Number:192495620
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Kritika: Explorations in Russian & Eurasian History is the property of Slavica Publishers and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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