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.13His view that Russia was divinely chosen for a special mission reflected hisdiscussions with Ivan Kireevsky and others who later became Slavophils.JosephFrank has written that Chaadaev provided Russian Messianism with aphilosophical foundation 14 with his theory of the advantages of backwardness.Chaadaev s sharp differences with the Slavophils were not related only to hispro-Catholic sympathies.While Chaadaev s unique version of Russianmessianism was rooted in support for Peter, the Slavophil version looked toRussian traditions which Peter had disrupted; and whereas Chaadaev looked tothe elite as the main agency of Russia s development, the Slavophils looked tothe common people.15Pushkin and GogolTwo writers of creative literature who made contributions to official narodnostmerit special attention: Aleksandr S.Pushkin (1799 1837) and Nikolai V.Gogol(1809 52).One constant in Pushkin s views was a strong Russian nationalism.16In 1831, when the tsarist army crushed the Polish uprising, this was bitterlyopposed by public opinion in Europe and by progressive thinkers in Russia; butPushkin wrote To the Slanderers of Russia in which he told the West to mindits own business.The Polish revolt was just a quarrel of Slavs amongourselves ; Russia had spilt blood protecting Europe from the Mongol hordes.17This theme of Russia as suffering to protect others was an important componentof Russian messianism.Gogol s image in Dead Souls (1842) of Russia as a troika travelling into anunknown future has become famous.His Selected Passages fromCorrespondence with Friends (1847) are animated not only by support for thepolitical and social systems existing in Russia, but also by a deep religiousfeeling (or desire for faith).18 The Church can solve all the problems of the world;and by the Church Gogol means the Russian Orthodox Church, for he believed inthe particular religious calling of the Russian people and the uniqueness of the Russian soul . In our land before any other, the bright resurrection of Christwill be celebrated. Gogol believed that Russia was called upon to create a newChristian culture, which would be a prelude to the end of the world.19 Why doesRussia alone act as a prophet? Because she feels more keenly than others thehand of God in everything that comes to pass within her, and senses the approachof another kingdom. 20 Gogol was at pains to distance himself from jingoism. We are no better than anyone else, and our life is more unsettled and disorderly 22 SLAVOPHILS AND MESSIANISM UNDER NICHOLAS Ithan all of theirs. 21 But nevertheless: The great task which is impossible forany other peoples, is possible only for the Russian people. 22Slavophilism and the SlavophilsIt is not possible to point to a body of doctrine and say that that was what theSlavophils believed.They did not form an organized, disciplined group; they haddifferences among themselves; and in some cases their views changed over time,with the result that people who had become known as Slavophils came tosupport ideas which were not shared by the original Slavophils.The very termSlavophil was subject to different meanings.Peter K.Christoff says thatSlavophilism as such did not exist, only a number of individual Slavophils.23Marc Raeff maintains that Slavophilism was not a coherent system, but amood.24The golden age of Slavophilism ran from the mid-1840s and through the1850s.The leading Slavophils came from a common background: they were fromold, traditional, gentry families, although most opposed serfdom; they were allwell-educated, and most were related by blood and marriage.All spent at leastsome of their formative years in Moscow; and Khomiakov, the Kireevskybrothers and the Aksakov brothers all attended the University of Moscow.It isoften forgotten that around half the population of Moscow at this time were OldBelievers, the traditional opponents of Westernization.25 It would be wrong tosay that anti-Western feeling was basic to the original Slavophils; they were noteven in agreement over their attitude to Peter I.Zenkovsky is right to note that theessential difference between the Slavophils and the Westernizers was theSlavophil view of Orthodoxy as the foundation of Russian national originality(samobytnost ).26 Indeed this was perhaps the central element of Slavophilism.The adherents of official narodnost also claimed to proceed from this view, buttheir usually servile attitude to the regime marked them off from the Slavophils.Rather than creating an ideal type of Slavophilism that no real person actuallybelieved in, it seems appropriate to outline the views of the most influentialSlavophils insofar as they are relevant to the subject of this study.KhomiakovKhomiakov was steeped in Orthodoxy all his life.Beginning in 1829, his view ofRussia s world mission and her role as leader of the Slavs appeared in his poetry,and he developed Slavophilism from the late 1830s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.13His view that Russia was divinely chosen for a special mission reflected hisdiscussions with Ivan Kireevsky and others who later became Slavophils.JosephFrank has written that Chaadaev provided Russian Messianism with aphilosophical foundation 14 with his theory of the advantages of backwardness.Chaadaev s sharp differences with the Slavophils were not related only to hispro-Catholic sympathies.While Chaadaev s unique version of Russianmessianism was rooted in support for Peter, the Slavophil version looked toRussian traditions which Peter had disrupted; and whereas Chaadaev looked tothe elite as the main agency of Russia s development, the Slavophils looked tothe common people.15Pushkin and GogolTwo writers of creative literature who made contributions to official narodnostmerit special attention: Aleksandr S.Pushkin (1799 1837) and Nikolai V.Gogol(1809 52).One constant in Pushkin s views was a strong Russian nationalism.16In 1831, when the tsarist army crushed the Polish uprising, this was bitterlyopposed by public opinion in Europe and by progressive thinkers in Russia; butPushkin wrote To the Slanderers of Russia in which he told the West to mindits own business.The Polish revolt was just a quarrel of Slavs amongourselves ; Russia had spilt blood protecting Europe from the Mongol hordes.17This theme of Russia as suffering to protect others was an important componentof Russian messianism.Gogol s image in Dead Souls (1842) of Russia as a troika travelling into anunknown future has become famous.His Selected Passages fromCorrespondence with Friends (1847) are animated not only by support for thepolitical and social systems existing in Russia, but also by a deep religiousfeeling (or desire for faith).18 The Church can solve all the problems of the world;and by the Church Gogol means the Russian Orthodox Church, for he believed inthe particular religious calling of the Russian people and the uniqueness of the Russian soul . In our land before any other, the bright resurrection of Christwill be celebrated. Gogol believed that Russia was called upon to create a newChristian culture, which would be a prelude to the end of the world.19 Why doesRussia alone act as a prophet? Because she feels more keenly than others thehand of God in everything that comes to pass within her, and senses the approachof another kingdom. 20 Gogol was at pains to distance himself from jingoism. We are no better than anyone else, and our life is more unsettled and disorderly 22 SLAVOPHILS AND MESSIANISM UNDER NICHOLAS Ithan all of theirs. 21 But nevertheless: The great task which is impossible forany other peoples, is possible only for the Russian people. 22Slavophilism and the SlavophilsIt is not possible to point to a body of doctrine and say that that was what theSlavophils believed.They did not form an organized, disciplined group; they haddifferences among themselves; and in some cases their views changed over time,with the result that people who had become known as Slavophils came tosupport ideas which were not shared by the original Slavophils.The very termSlavophil was subject to different meanings.Peter K.Christoff says thatSlavophilism as such did not exist, only a number of individual Slavophils.23Marc Raeff maintains that Slavophilism was not a coherent system, but amood.24The golden age of Slavophilism ran from the mid-1840s and through the1850s.The leading Slavophils came from a common background: they were fromold, traditional, gentry families, although most opposed serfdom; they were allwell-educated, and most were related by blood and marriage.All spent at leastsome of their formative years in Moscow; and Khomiakov, the Kireevskybrothers and the Aksakov brothers all attended the University of Moscow.It isoften forgotten that around half the population of Moscow at this time were OldBelievers, the traditional opponents of Westernization.25 It would be wrong tosay that anti-Western feeling was basic to the original Slavophils; they were noteven in agreement over their attitude to Peter I.Zenkovsky is right to note that theessential difference between the Slavophils and the Westernizers was theSlavophil view of Orthodoxy as the foundation of Russian national originality(samobytnost ).26 Indeed this was perhaps the central element of Slavophilism.The adherents of official narodnost also claimed to proceed from this view, buttheir usually servile attitude to the regime marked them off from the Slavophils.Rather than creating an ideal type of Slavophilism that no real person actuallybelieved in, it seems appropriate to outline the views of the most influentialSlavophils insofar as they are relevant to the subject of this study.KhomiakovKhomiakov was steeped in Orthodoxy all his life.Beginning in 1829, his view ofRussia s world mission and her role as leader of the Slavs appeared in his poetry,and he developed Slavophilism from the late 1830s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]