Europeanism as Russian Intelligentsia “Disease” and the Soviet Methods of Its Therapy.

The article is devoted to the general historical questions of the development in Russian socio-political thought and Russian political conscience of the “tradition” of reverence for the West, that was especially evident in certain circles of Russian intelligentsia. Initially that feature was associated with such traits of the intelligentsia as revolutionism, nihilism, apostatism, a contemptuous attitude towards the history and traditions of their country, and nihilistic attitude towards their state. Nikolay Danilevsky in his book “Russia and Europe” diagnosed and qualifi ed that inclination of the intelligentsia as a disease of Europeanism. He considered that disease dangerous and diffi cult to cure. The essence of that disease consisted in the worship of the West as a civilization, with complete or partial rejection of the achievements and signifi cance of their own, Russian civilization. The author further shows that the propensity to adore the West did not disappear in the Stalin era, but took the form of servility to the West and cosmopolitanism, which became the world view of certain part of Soviet intelligentsia.