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This article has analysed the portrayal of eastern countries as «another» culture by English travellers. The endeavour was to show what were early modern English perceptions of «Eastern» power. The «backwardness» of the «others» was portrayed in the English travel writings through critical remarks concerning the political system of the eastern countries. English traveller had the same view and thought that eastern cities were rich but they needed a good government.

In the present papers there is analysis of different views presented in the English travel writings. The purpose was to show what early modern English perceptions of ‘Eastern’ cities and their inhabitants as ‘another’ culture were. The author analyzes the constants making an image of east Eastern city, and reveals the mechanism of designing of ‘another’ space by the English travellers. In the article the common and specific things in their perception of different countries is emphasized.

In the reign of Peter I the Great diplomats were not only representatives of Russian interests in the world but were also media of national cultural values dissemination. A vivid example of such experience is Prince B. I. Kurakin. Being in Rome he tried to understand the essence of political and economic arrangements of the society, peculiarities of social development. As the description of Rome was one of the first B. I. Kurakin’s impressions of the West, it was a bit naïve.