With the development of mass tourism in Russian province the process of compiling a list of regional attractions was started. From the beginning, this list comprised not only historical and cultural monuments, natural sites and museums, but also everyday life, mentality, customs and traditions of the nations and ethnic groups that lived in the region. The methods that were used to describe them in provincial guides of the second half of XIX – early XX centuries also had historical and cultural features. Taking as an example three Russian regions, Volga region, Crimea and Siberia, this article analyzes the ways, methods, forms and contradictions of transforming national specificity into tourist attractions. Particular attention is di- rected to the ratio of information and advertising, objective and subjective, tolerance and bigotry in these descriptions. A regional guide is regarded as the most important historical source able not only to transmit the empirical information about a specific area, but also act as a form of representation of ideas, norms, and stereotypes prevailing in the regional society.
guide, Russian regions, tourism, description, national characteristics, customs and mentality.
1. The Whole Volga. Saratov: Podzemsky print., 1910. 112 p. (In Russ.).
2. Golovkinskij N.A. Guide to Crimea of N.G. Golovkinskogo (formerly M. Sosnogorovoy). Simferopol: Spiro print., 1894. 552 p. (In Russ.).
3. Dem’yanov G.P. Guide to the Volga, from Tver to Astrakhan. N. Novgorod: Lithography Nizhegor. gub. pravl., 1894. 252 p. (In Russ.).
4. Dolgorukov V.A. Across the whole Siberia and Central Asian possessions of Russia: Guide with the road map. Vol. 1. Tomsk: P.I. Makushin print., 1895. 463 p. (In Russ.).
5. Karaulov G.E., Sosnogorova M.A. Guide to Crimea for travelers: With the application of the article «Crimean coast as the climatic medical area». Odessa: A. Schulze print., 1883. 516 p. (In Russ.).
6. Crimea: Guide. Ed. by K.Yu. Bumber, L.S. Vagin, N.N. Klepin etc. Simferopol: Print. Taurida Governorat. Zemstvo, 1914. 713 p. (In Russ.).
7. Monastyrskij S.I. Along the Volga: Illustrated guide. Kazan: Klyuchnikov tipo-lithography, 1884. 512 p. (In Russ.).
8. Guide to Siberia. Tomsk: L. Audze publ., 1912. (In Russ.).
9. P’jankov V.G. Traveling to Crimea. Yevpatoriya: Publisher South Russian Society of Printing, 1897. 136 p.
10. Sosnogorova M.A. Guide to Crimea for travelers: With the application of Crimean peninsula map, alpha index. Vol.1. Odessa: L. Nitsch print., 1871. 371 p. (In Russ.).
11. Shtyl’ko A.N. Illustrated guide to Astrakhan: Description of the city, its attractions and its surroundings. Astrakhan: V.L. Egorov print., 1900. (In Russ.).
