V. I. Lamansky and the origins of “russian byzantism”

Abstract

The article deals with the attitude of the largest Russian Slavist Vladimir Ivanovich Lamansky (1833-1914) to the history and cultural heritage of Byzantium. It is noted that although the term "Byzantism" characterises the philosophical-historical doctrine of K.N. Leontiev, a number of statements developed in K.N. Leontiev's concept were expressed earlier by V.I. Lamansky. It is suggested that Lamansky had an influence on Leontiev's views, especially on Byzantium. The development of Lamansky's views on Byzantium from his first monograph "On the Slavs in Asia Minor, Africa and Spain" up to his last unfinished book "The Slavonic Hagiography of St. Cyril as a Religious Epic and a Historical Source" is shown. The article points out the similarity between V.I. Lamansky's doctrine on the difference of ages of peoples and cultures and the organiccist conceptions of N.Y. Danilevsky and K.N. Leontiev. Lamansky's interpretation of the mutual relations between Slavs and Greeks, and the relationship between Slavs and the Eastern Roman Empire is considered. It is noted that the main influence of Byzantium was connected to the development of state conceptions of the Slavs and acceptance of Orthodoxy. The special significance of Orthodoxy lay in the recognition of the rights of national languages (divine service in native languages and the development of writing systems), which led to a better acquaintance of Orthodox peoples with Christian doctrine. V.I. Lamansky's opinion on the causes of the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire is given: oblivion of the universal meaning of Christianity, Hellenization, and spread of nationalism. V. I. Lamansky's understanding of the meaning of the empire, i.e. the united Christian kingdom which Russia is heir to, is revealed. The article concludes that Lamansky's interest in the study of Byzantium resulted from his own historiosophic doctrine of three civilizational worlds (Romano-Germanic, Greek-Slavic and Asian).