Through Curious and Foreign Eyes: Grigorii Machtet Chronicles the Kansas Frontier, 1872-1873

Abstract

This project delves into the fascinating account of Grigorii Machtet, a Russian writer who chronicled his experiences during his year-long residence in Kansas from 1872 to 1873. Machtet's writings, which spanned a range of genres including autobiographical descriptions, novels, short stories, and morality lessons, offer a unique perspective on the American frontier. His eyewitness account of a Russian subject's death by gunshot near Seneca, Kansas, in November 1872, provides a captivating window into the tumultuous era of Kansas settlement. Machtet's observations of the people he met and the landscapes he encountered provide valuable insights into the cultural and social dynamics of the American West during this period. This project sheds light on Machtet's remarkable chronicles, which were later compiled into twelve volumes in Russian, and offers a fresh perspective on the Kansas frontier through the eyes of a curious and foreign observer.