63 - ASIA - OUKHTOMSKY (PRINCE ESPER-ESPEROVICH)

ASIA - OUKHTOMSKY (PRINCE ESPER-ESPEROVICH) Journey to the East: Greece, Egypt, India, 1890–1891, by His Imperial Highness the Tsarevich. Translated by Louis LEGER. Preface by A. LEROY-BEAULIEU. Illustrated with 178 drawings by N.-N. KARAZINE. Paris, Delagrave, 1893. Large quarto, Bradel-style cardboard binding in green percaline with the publisher’s gilded decoration and title. Numerous illustrations within and outside the text, including a portrait of the tsar as a frontispiece and a color map at the end. Edges stitched; otherwise a very fine copy. Esper Esperovich Ukhtomsky (Russian: Эспер Эсперович Ухтомский, 1861–1921) was a Russian poet, publisher, and Orientalist. He served as director of the *St. Petersburg News*, director of the Russo-Chinese Bank, and chief engineer of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In 1890–1891, he accompanied the young Tsarevich Nicholas II on his Grand Tour of Asia, which resulted in this work, published in 1897 under the direction of Nicholas II before being translated into English, French, German, and Chinese. A true awakening to Russia’s connection with Asia and the obligations that stem from it, the text is forward-looking and envisions Russia’s role in the East at the dawn of the 20th century, while condemning Westernization and the opponents of expansionism. His essay is saturated with symbols brought together for the first time to highlight the connections with the Iranian, Turkish, and Indian worlds, as well as the myth of the White Tsar inherited from Asian conquerors—a myth that served as a justification for Russian colonization. After visiting numerous Lamaist monasteries during his journey, however, he defended the Buddhist hierarchy and condemned Russification.