THE ECONOMIC CONTENT OF THE INSTRUCTION

Both Catherine II and several members of the governing class looked on Russia as an underdeveloped country, and wanted to do something about changing this situation for the better. Sweden, Denmark, Prussia, most German states, Switzerland, England and France, all demonstrated economic development to such an extent that the eighteenth might be called the economic century; this is the view expressed in the foreword to the first number of the Works of the Free Economic Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture and Good Husbandry, published under imperial patronage in 1765. To help Russia catch up with the other countries, the Society was to take careful note of what went on in them, and transmit useful information to the Russian public. Some members, continued the foreword, would combine their knowledge with practical experiments, others, who knew foreign languages, would make relevant translations. Governors and other administrators in the provinces were particularly called upon to send in economic information concerning the localities under their supervision. All citizens, of whatever rank or name, were called upon to render assistance.

As in many other fields, the first citizen was prominent in this. While she carried out no practical experiment of any importance, she certainly used her knowledge of languages, incorporating in her Instruction, for example, much that she considered relevant to the Russian environment from the works of foreign writers.