Exploration of the outlook and the views of renowned political figures constitutes one of the most thriving fields of historical research. This article focuses on such an understudied topic as a concept of race developed by Otto von Bismarck, the “Iron Chancellor”. To examine the interrelation between Bismarck’s views on a certain nation’s “racial” features and his policy towards this country, the article offers a case study of Bismarck’s attitude to Russia and the Russians and its influence on German-Russian relations. This case study relies on a wide range of sources, which completely reveal Bismarck’s ‘racial’ understanding of Russia.