The theme of Russia and the Russians in foreign fiction offers a wealth of data to be considered within the framework of humanitarian studies. Taking the works of M. P. Alexeev for a starting point, we outline the main chronological milestones in the history of shaping the idea of Russia and the Russians in the Western literatures, show the changeability and coexistence of the specific «small» Russian themes. The article traces how the perception of the Russians as presented in the international writing evolves from the stereotypes to the constantly renewed eternal types, while Russia is alternatively represented either as the «whip of the nations» or as the spiritual homeland.