Denis Ivanovitch Fonvizin is considered to be a pioneer in an original Russian satirical comedy. His plays [Le Brigadier] The Brigadier-General (1769) and [Le Choix d’un gouverneur] The Selection of a Tutor (1789) mock the obsession with France among Russian nobles of the 18th century. These comedies were published during the peak of the influence that the French civilisation had in Russia and, thus, they constitute a mine to tap into to measure the reaction to this phenomenon. In my study, I explore the sociohistorical context of the close contact between France and Russia that has eventually led to Gallomania under the reign of Catherine the Great. I focus particularly on gallophobic attitudes in two plays by Fonvizin, conveyed both by satirical commentaries and the exsessive use of French by some of the characters. My study reveals Fonvizin’s views concerning the negative impact of Gallomania on different aspects of Russian life, such as education, language, patriotism. A multitude of studies have touched on different aspects of the Franco-Russian relations; however, none of them have yet carried out a detailed study of the gallophobic attitudes expressed in 18th century plays, which is crucial given the fact that satirical comedies of that era are intimately related to the political and social life. / Graduate