Authors

Discussion

The development of mass tourism initiated by Thomas Cook in the mid-19th century resulted in a significant increase in the number of travellers and a change in their social composition. There was a marked increase in the middle class among British tourists. Travel was no longer just the privilege of well-born aristocrats, but it still required funds unavailable to the majority of British society in the 19th century.

Travelers from the British Isles in the 19th century avoided Eastern Europe. Thomas Cook organized tours of almost the entire continent. Tourists traveling with his office as early as 1855 to the International Exhibition in Paris visited Brussels, Cologne, Heidelberg, Baden-Baden and Strasbourg in addition to the French capital. Beginning in 1863, Cook's tourists began visiting other European countries, but did not reach Russia. Thus the travellers going to Russia were few and only some of them reached Ukrainian land.

By Ukrainian land I understand territories of Russian Empire which were inhabited by Ukrainians - governorates of Chernigov, Yekaterinoslav, Kiev, Kharkov, Kherson, Podolia, Poltava, Volhynia and Kholm.

It would be interesting to see who visited Ukrainian lands on their way to/from Moscow and why, and what their reactions were. What were their sources of information about the region? Did they notice the cultural distinctiveness of Ukraine?

The preliminary analysis of British travel guides and published travel books confirms a profound lack of knowledge about the region, which really was far removed from major tourist centres. Those few who visited Ukraine were not particularly impressed. They were usually in a hurry and did not spend enough time exploring. The charms of Ukraine were lost to them.