America’s Reconstruction Of The Russian Symbolic Image From1881to1904

Both America and Russia regard themselves as "the holy Chosen People" and "the rescuer of dark world". What would happen when these two countries encounter with each other in America and Asia? Would they become enemies, rivals or friends? According to constructive approach to the international system which is held by Alexzander Wendt, there are three kinds of culture under anarchy:the Hobbesian culture, the Lockean culture and the Kntian culture. Before1881, the historic friendship between America and Russia is based on the second collective knowledge of the Kntian culture which the friendship is treated as a tool to gain selfish interests.Nevertheless, the dominant opinions of America about the tsarist government, Russians and the Orthodox Church has going from "the spearhead of Christianity" to "heresy needed rescues by American" since1881. The reasons are as follows. Firstly, the shocking assassination of Tsar Alexander Ⅱ stirred widespread outrage against tsarist autocracy and Populist brutality. Secondly, news of the Jewish pogrom sparked protest meetings throughout the United States. Thirdly, many Americans were alerted to Marxism and the labor movement in Russia as well as in America. Fourthly, the tsarist empire has become a competitor of the United States in China and Korean Peninsula.However, the national power, interest and international institutions which are insisted by realists, liberals and neoliberals just can explain the reasons and results of the remaking of the Russian symbolic image rather than the process of changing. Fortunately, constructive approach to the international system and language constructivism are applicable to this issue. On account of constructivism in international relations we can get conclusions as follows.To start with, changes in identity of the United States determined how American constructed the Russian symbolic image. Moreover, culture as common and collective knowledge constructed identity and symbolic image of America and Russia. Last but not least, lingual symbols and graphic symbols are the tools of culture as common and collective knowledge constructed.