Yes, but I'd say it was also this period since the western psyche had held the image of ‘dangerous hordes of savage’ Russians (and other Slavs, albeit to somewhat lesser degree) for much, much longer.

It is a peculiar kind of phenomenon that all the great art and literature coming from those regions has always been tainted or at least looked through the same ‘savage’ lens, while the opposite was never the case. All the great western writers and artists, irrespective of the period in which they created, are greatly admired and celebrated amongst Slavs.