Vladimir Matula as L. Štúr’s Follower, Slavist, and Organizer of International Congresses of Slavists

This article commemorates the death anniversary of the famous Slovak Slavist Vladimir Matula (1928–2011) and covers the main milestones in his life, research work, and activities as a founder of Slavistics in the Slovak Academy of Sciences. The scope of his studies was analyzed, and the results obtained reveal that he was mostly focused on the life and work of Ľudovít Štúr, the founding father of the Slovak nation, and on the Slovak–Russian relations in the spheres of science and culture during the 19th century. Based on the historiographic sources and ego-documents, the main stages in the formation of V. Matula’s worldview as a researcher and his contribution to the historical science in Slovakia were considered. Special attention was paid to V. Matula’s role in the organization of international scientific congresses and the institutionalization of inter-Slavic contacts. The conclusion was made that V. Matula’s research findings and his impact on the development and strengthening of the Slovak–Russian relations in science and culture have been poorly addressed in both Russian and Slovak historiography.