Russian Mason on the Paths of his Native Culture. The Case Study of Nicolas Novikov

"I believe in aristocracy… Not an aristocracy of power, based upon rank and influence, but an aristocracy of the sensitive, theconsiderate and the plucky. Its members are to be found in allnations and classes, and all through the ages, and there is a secretunderstanding between them when they meet. They represent thetrue human tradition, the one permanent victory of our queerrace over cruelty and chaos". E. M. Forster, Two Cheers for Democracy "The aim of this monograph is to present the profile of Nicolas Novikov and his activity against a very rich and wide scope of Russian culture in the 18th century and its previous determinants". An excerpt from the introduction