The Image of Egypt in the Memoirs of Russian Pilgrims in the Late XIX — Early XX Century on the Pages of the Newspapers Novoye Vremya and Vozrozhdenie

The article examines the images of Egypt reflected on the pages of the newspapers Novoye Vremya and Vozrozhdenie. The focus of the research is focused on the peculiarities of the historical perception of Ancient Egypt by Russian pilgrims. For additional argumentation, the author uses unpublished archival documents from the Collections of the Russian State Historical Archive. Sharing their impressions of visiting Luxor, Giza and Aswan and getting acquainted with the history of Ancient Egypt, the authors of travel notes come to an unexpected conclusion at first glance that Russian culture, Orthodoxy, history and traditions date back to Ancient and Byzantine Egypt. In their interpretation, ancient Egypt appears to be the cradle of Russian civilization. In conclusion, the report summarizes the results and points out the importance of this perception for the formation of national identity at the end of the XIX century. Travel, pilgrimage trips and research of Ancient Egypt played an important role in shaping ideas about the origin and cultural heritage of the Russian people.