Chaadaev’s Letters to Viazemsky

Abstract

Letter-writing was once an acceptable and sometimes even honoured form of literature designed to circulate among a reading public often with little direct regard to the person to whom the letter was technically addressed. In Russia such letters meant to circulate were often copied by hand and widely distributed as one way of avoiding odious official censorship of the printed word, and the Russian government was apparently tolerant of this as long as the letter was never printed.