The article is devoted to the historical origins of Russophobia in Europe, which began to form in the 15th century. The article examines the complexity of the processes of the emergence of Russophobic sentiments, reveals their roots in long-term historical contacts between Russia and Western Europe, changes in the political and religious spheres. The article reveals the specifics of Russophobia, which was formed in different Western countries. After the Mongol invasion and the period of the Horde yoke, Russia lost its ties with Western Europe, which during the “rediscovery” Russia has contributed to the formation of negative stereotypes about Russians. In addition, attention is focused on the consequences of political events such as the Union of Kreva and the relationship between Moscow and Lithuania (and later Poland), which deepened the gap between Russia and Western Europe. The complex dynastic and religious policies of Lithuania and Poland led to additional conflicts with Russia, which shaped the views of Western authors on Russia through the prism of the existential Russian-Polish confrontation. With the arrival of European travelers to Russia, negative myths about Russians began to arise, such as rudeness, drunkenness and the “slave nature” of the people. These myths were often based on the foreigners’ superficial perception of Russian culture and customs.