The understanding of the history of France of the 18th century in the context of public debates in Russia in the mid-19th century (Russian responses to the writing by A. de Tocqueville)

The article examines the responses of Russian public opinion and journalism in mid-19 th century to the A. de Tocqueville's book «Ancient Regime and the Revolution». The author reveals the main features of understanding of the history of 18 th century France in the context of public debates in Russia. She argues that the main reason of the relevance of Tocqueville's writings in the public life of Russia in the mid-1850s and early 1860s was an appeal to the problem of the relations between reforms and revolutions in the historical development.