Like the British, the Russians have historically experienced problems in wholeheartedly defining themselves as European, partly for religio-cultural reasons and partly through the ambiguities of geographical position which invite conflicting affiliations with both east and west. My interest is in the way these concerns manifested themselves in the nineteenth century through the medium of Russian literature, an art form which, owing to the restraints of official censorship, traditionally bore the weight of creating and influencing public opinion.