France and Frenchness in Aleksandr N. Ostrovskii’s drama

The question of the Western European tradition in relation to A. N. Ostrovskii’s drama is quite legitimate and has been discussed for a long time, at least since the beginning of the 20th century. However, the researches rarely focus on the problem «Ostrovskii and French culture». The article touches on several aspects of the problem: French language as a means of characterizing the characters, the myth of France in Ostrovskii’s plays and the author’s use of one of the traditional techniques of French vaudeville. The creator of the Russian national repertoire pays tribute to the stereotypical perception of France and French culture in Russia. In his plays French language is a sign of caste aristocratic culture, Paris is a place of pilgrimage, a fashion center and the world of frivolous, but highly professional theater, whose tricks can favorably decorate comedy.