My thought dwells especially on those bright phenomena when the Russian genius rebelled against the foreign yoke and boldly declared that Russia could not only be good without the Germans, but that she would be better without them, that it was still a question whether Russia was transformed in the direction of good or evil. I mean mainly the Slavophiles, these intelligent, pure and honest sons of Russia. In spite of the desperate persecution on the part of the Westernizers, in spite of the indifference of broad circles of society, Slavophilism was a noticeable phenomenon in Russian life during three-quarters of the nineteenth century. And most importantly, what wonderful people they were, Slavophiles! The names of many have gone down in history for centuries, because the enemies could not but recognize the brilliant mind and rich talents - philosophical, literary, poetic. But again it is remarkable: those who were engaged only in preaching Slavophile ideas tried to consign them to oblivion. Only those who were writers and poets could not be forgotten. It is difficult to forget N.V. Gogol, A.S. Khomyakov, I.S. Aksakov, F.M. Dostoevsky. A.F. Hilferding, K.S. Aksakov and the like? After all, some have only recently begun to be "discovered". But it is also good that more than one nation looked down on the German. The popular view was shared by the most gifted and educated people of the nineteenth century. In general, my dear Friend, along with the worship of the West, one involuntarily notices in Russian thought the constant criticism of the West and the condemnation of the West. Have you not noticed how often we talk about the ideological crisis of Europe? "The Crisis of Western Philosophy" is the title of the first serious philosophical work of the original Russian thinker V.S. Solovyov. And how much is said in our theological journals about the crisis of Catholicism or German Protestantism, about the collapse of the moral ideals of Europe! I don't know if there is anything like this in Western literature about Russia and Russians, but somehow I can't admit it. What can a German talk about when referring to Russia? He may talk about the crisis of our grain trade, about the crisis of our industry, but for a German to talk about our ideological crisis -- no, that is something that does not at all fit into my consciousness!

Thus, the consciousness of its value, its originality has not yet been eradicated from the Russian soul. However, my friend, watching the press, listening to the public mood, I nevertheless note with sadness in what fold the real Russian thought is, how timidly, as if apologizing, the Russian people think in Russian, if their thoughts do not coincide with Western thoughts. And this is where my hopes for a better future begin. We are facing the West. Undoubtedly, in this collision we will be hurt painfully. And this will make us think about our relations with the West, think about ourselves. Perhaps the end of the Russian shameful groveling before the West has come, and then they will love their native, Russian more.

It is with joy that I tell You, my Friend, that I sometimes notice favorable signs. As soon as the thunders of war with its horrors thundered, as soon as the blood of our defenders flowed, we began to talk about a "dethroned idol" and by this idol we understood German culture. Western values began to be strongly reassessed. The idols that the Russian people have worshipped for two hundred years have not yet been thrown down the steep mountains into the swift rivers, but some have already been thrown down and have floated into the sea of oblivion, although many run along the shore shouting: "Breathe out, God!"

Among the modern thinking Russian people, my friend, I see how some dishonorably drag German idols to the banks of Lethe, and how others on the banks of this river call their deaf gods: "Breathe out, God!"

Back in October last year, the Religious and Philosophical Society in Memory of V.S. Solovyov organized a public meeting with speeches and reports on the coming war. I, my friend, wanted to attend this meeting, but then I changed my mind. After all, I thought, the lectures and speeches would be published, and I would become acquainted with them while sitting in my cell. In fact, in the December issue of Russkaya Mysl, speeches and reports by representatives of our religious-philosophical thought were published. Have You read them, my Friend? I did not find any new revelations there, but the speeches and reports are very clever. For me, they are dear as a public confession by our modern thinkers of their views. You find out what is dear to them, what they want, what they hope for. I will not write in detail about these now printed reports. I will only note that in one way or another, the entire meeting of the religious-philosophical society turned to a criticism of Western ideals, Western foundations of life. But at the meeting the twofold relations of Russian thinking people to the West were also clearly revealed. In the speech of the chairman of the society, G.A. Rachinsky, one can still hear the voice of admiration for German culture. He said: "In our struggle not for life, but for death, we are not fighting against the ancient and venerable culture of Germany. Not with the Germany of Albrecht Dürer, Holbein and the artists who created the immortal paintings and sculptures of its ancient cathedrals, not with the Germany of Lessing, Herder, Schiller, Goethe and Novalis; it is not with the Germany of Kant, Fichte, Schelling, Hegel and Schopenhauer, these teachers of both Russian Slavophiles and Russian Westernizers, not with all this great culture of the recent past that we are fighting." Moreover, the speaker rewrites the poet's poems, attributing them to German culture:

Let him be darkened with shame The faint-hearted one who on this day He will reproach the insane Her dethroned shadow!

I read the report of Prince E.N. Trubetskoy with sorrow, especially the following lines: "Let us not now, after so many lessons of history, revive national pride and worship Russia as an idol." Completely different thoughts are expressed in the reports of V.I. Ivanov, Professor S.N. Bulgakov and V.F. Ern. "War," writes the first, "is waged for the choice of the basic paths of the human spirit. Will the now semi-free tribe, which called itself the tribe of the "word", but which from ancient times bore the evil of the slaves and was significantly renamed the tribe of slaves (Slavi - Sclavi - Sclaven), be enslaved again, and will it serve as a new layer of fertilizer for German "culture", like its innumerable ancestors, wiped off the face of the earth by the parasitic bloodthirstiness of a species once the strongest in the struggle for existence? Professor S. N. Bulgakov sees in the war "the crisis of modern history and the failure of the cause of modern European civilization," because the spirit of the new European man has broken away from the mystical center, departed from the Church, rationalized and mechanized life. In this spirit, non-religious humanism and Protestantism, which has dried up, impoverished and secularized Christianity, prevail. "Russia did not actively participate in the sin of new Europeanism, it was only infected with it. It was not it that made the Protestant substitution of Christianity by reducing it to practical, worldly morality. It can reject these beginnings of new history and go its own special way. She can renounce the tower of Babel and desire the city of God. It can take up the feat of earthly construction not in its own name, but in the name of the coming Christ. It can be kindled by holy zeal for the cause of God, which will help Europe to turn the bricks of the crumbling Tower of Babel into the stones of the city of God. Russia has not yet been able to remake itself in the style of the new Europe, because it cannot find a real taste for it, because it hears a vaguely different call, another command: to desire the incompatible, the impossible, the miraculous, to thirst for earth and heaven together, to languish in holy languor." "A great and in its significance amazing fact has happened: we have again believed in Russia! And we owe this spiritual rebirth to the holy war and the humble sacrifice of the great Russian army." This is how S.N. Bulgakov defines the meaning and significance of the war. You can imagine, dear Friend, with what consolation I read these truly "Russian thoughts"! This is the title of S.N. Bulgakov's report. V.F. Ern entitled his report "From Kant to Krupp". Here he traces the history of the last days to philosophical principles and protests against the "simplified understanding of world history," according to which "German culture is one thing, and atrocities are another." Ern concludes his report with a prayer "that the catharsis of the European tragedy may be experienced by us in all its depth, and that we may forever overcome not only the periphery from the brutal manifestations of German culture, but also become free from its deepest principles, which are now being exposed to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear."

Well, how can one not welcome such a confession of Slavophile views in the auditorium of the Polytechnic Museum!

Involuntarily, lately, you have been thinking about the phenomena of the Western world. I will share my thoughts with You, dear and close to my soul Friend. I will not describe the West.

Is it necessary to describe the West? It has already been described many times. Who has not read about the speed of German trains, about the conveniences of foreign hotels, about the cleanliness of Berlin streets? No, I would like to overhear the sighs of the Western soul, the beating of the Western heart, to compare the Western soul with the Russian soul. Sometimes small impressions lead to big thoughts. Similar impressions fell to my lot, and I still think about them.

Letter Two. Slavism

In recent times, when the Slavic world has entered into a bloody struggle with the Teutonic world, I, my dear Friend, often recall one detail from my meetings with the Western Slavs. I have met with different Slavic nationalities, with different people and under different circumstances, but this detail, which I want to write to you about now, has been repeated constantly. What is the detail? I will tell you the facts.

On June 27, 1908, I left Salonika by rail to the north, to Belgrade. Thessaloniki and Macedonia were then - and how long ago it was! -Turkish. Turkish Railways is a great test of patience. Uskub... Still Turkey. In the evening we get to the Serbian border. To the right and left of the road, a ditch ran along a flat place. Border. Station "Ristovats". The train was changed. The Turks disappeared. The conductors in fezzes were left behind. As soon as they stepped on Serbian soil, it was as if their relatives were immediately blown away. It's just an amazing feeling: abroad, but you feel close, dear, your own. Even the area itself seems to resemble the native Central Russia with its hills and fields. But at one of the stations I decided to get boiling water. What did it turn out to be? With the Serbian bartender, we do not understand each other. "Water" is understandable to him, but "hot", especially "boiling water", is not told to him anything and he pours me cold water. I shake my head; Cold water is poured out. I try to descriptively explain what I need, but nothing comes of it. What to do here? At this time, one of the passengers comes to the buffet, and I have already moved away with a hopeless look. I heard the visitor talk to the bartender in German. It was a revelation for me. It did not even occur to me to try to speak German with a Serb. Without hesitation, I applied my discovery to the case and in a minute went to the carriage - I had boiling water in the kettle.

In Belgrade, I found myself as if in Russian society. Intelligent people speak fluent Russian, and our leaders and guides studied in Russian theological academies. However, there were misunderstandings in Belgrade on the basis of mutual misunderstanding. Once, at dinner, one of the clergymen decided to make a speech in Serbian in honor of the Russian guests. Alas! I did not understand anything from this speech. I was somehow ashamed, and sad thoughts involuntarily arose in my head. I met several seminarians in Belgrade and involuntarily remarked that I could only talk with high school students, where the Russian language was studied and where they study using Russian textbooks, and the younger seminarians are incomprehensible to me. When one of the latter came up to me and began to "pray for the evening", it took me a while to guess that he was inviting me to dinner. And in conversation with the Belgrade seminarians, they had to turn to the German language. One of the older pupils said the word "sladoled" in conversation. "What is it?" - I asked. "I don't know how to speak Russian." - "Well, and in German?" - "Gefrorenes". - "Ah, ice cream!"