The Late-Eighteenth-Century European Balance of Power and Russophobia in the English Media: The Ochakov Crisis (1791)

This study intends to show how Russophobia was presented in English visual and written media through the lens of the most important political doctrine of 18 th -century foreign policy: the idea of the balance of power. Using the Ochakov crisis (1791) as a case study, it analyses the most relevant satirical prints pertinent to this issue and explains their iconography. Special emphasis is placed on the representation of Russia as a bear, as well as Catherine II's depiction in the guise of a bear or with the features of a bear. In addition to the visual sources mentioned, an interesting segment of the written media is examined to show how Russophobia surfaced in the articles of a popular magazine.