RUDN Journal of Russian HistoryRUDN Journal of Russian History2312-86742312-8690Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University)4224Research ArticleRUSSIA AS VIEWED BY FRENCH TRAVELLERS IN XV-XVIII CENTURIESAroutyunovaJ MDepartment of Foreign Languagesjeannearout@mail.ruLinkovaE VDepartment of Russian Historye.v.linkova@yandex.ruPeoples’ Friendship University of Russia1501201615110811607092016Copyright © 2016, Aroutyunova J.M., Linkova E.V.2016The article considers the formation of Russia's image in the views of French travellers who visited Moskovia in the XV-XVIIIth centuries. In this period the French begin to “discover” for themselves the Russian lands, get acquainted with the traditions, culture, peculiarities of the state and society. The works of French travellers contain valuable information that allows modern scholars to trace the genesis and evolution of the image of the Russian state in the views of foreigners, to analyze the geography of the routes of European travellers, to detect the features of mental maps of Western Europe, the formation of which goes to the XV-XVIth centuries. The authors come to the conclusions that up to the middle of the XVIIIth century Europeans had stereotypes which had been formed in the XV-XVIth centuries from the negative assessments of Russia.RussiaFrancetravelimage of RussiaOrthodox ChristianityMoskoviaFrench travellersРоссияФранцияпутешествияобраз РоссииправославиеМосковияфранцузские путешественники