Sweden and the “Republican Experience” of Prince B. I. Kurakin (1676–1727)

Abstract

The article examines the political views of the famous diplomat of the Petrine era, prince B. I. Kurakin (1676–1727), and his opinion about a republican form of government. 'Republic' was the opposite of a 'monarchy' for the prince. The transition from the latter to the former can be realized by limiting the power of the ruler. This could be seen in the example of Sweden in the late 1710s and early 1720s, where royal power was limited after the death of Charles XII. Through an extensive system of secret agents organized by Russian government, the use of European news networks, reading historical works, the prince had a true representation of the past and present of Sweden. B. I. Kurakin
А. А. Рогожин
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offered us an image of Sweden in his notes and letters. The “ancient Republic” was restored, but the prince didn’t give preference to a new form of government in this image. The prince's observations themselves become a valuable resource that allows one to more accurately understand exactly how the limitation of power in Sweden was interpreted by representatives of the Russian ruling elite in the first third of the 18th century.