Historia provinciae: журнал региональной истории (Sep 2022)
Russian monarchists of the late 19th – early 20th centuries about Leo Tolstoy
Abstract
The issue of the attitude of various political forces of the early 20th century to Leo Tolstoy’s doctrines remains very relevant. On the one hand, it is due to the fact that the religious and philosophical ideas of the writer are still popular among liberal politicians and intelligentsia, contributing to the growth of oppositional, pacifist, and anti-clerical sentiments in a certain part of society. On the other hand, it is due to the “conservative turn” that is taking place today in the minds of the political elite and the majority of the population. In this context, historical themes related to the history of Russian conservatism are of increased interest. In this article an attempt was made to comprehensively analyze public addresses (speeches and sermons) and written sources (brochures, articles, books, diaries) of famous representatives of the right-wing monarchist (Black Hundred) movement of the late 19th – early 20th centuries, both priests of the Orthodox Church and the laity, which contain certain judgment about Leo Tolstoy’s activities and works as well as his religio-ethical and political views. The article concludes that almost all Russian conservatives positively assessed the writer’s literary talent, noting artistic merits of his literary works. At the same time, the article notes that the right-wingers severely criticized the religious views of Leo Tolstoy, considering them heretical and agreeing with the decision of the Most Holy Synod to unchurch the writer. The majority of the right-wingers considered the “spirit of pride” to be the main reason for Leo Tolstoy’s “spiritual decline.” The writer’s religious and ethical views were especially severely condemned by the Orthodox clergy. It is worth noting that some right-wingers found a rational grain in some aspects of Tolstoy’s worldview (vegetarianism, sobriety); at the same time, they specified that they condemned the writer’s “blasphemy.” The article emphasizes that despite the harsh criticism of Tolstoyism, right-wing political organizations (parties, unions) as well as unofficial right-wing structures (circles, salons) did not manage to develop a set of measures to counter Tolstoy’s doctrines, limiting themselves to verbal criticism of Tolstoyism.
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