ABSTRACT
A look at Miliukov's striking (ifby no means entirely original) characterization of the Russian historical process in the first volume of his widely read magnum opus, Essays on the History of Russian Culture [Ocherki po istorii russkoi kul'tury] , and at the evolution of his dialogue with his critics and with his own fonnulations about Russian history provides an interesting perspective on the relationship between history and politics in late imperial Russia. It also provides some historical perspective on the current discussion about the overall nature and direction of Russia's development in relation to "Europe," particularly in regard to the role of the state in that process.
