THE PLACE OF THE SERBIAN PEOPLE IN THE WORK BYZANTISM AND SLAVISM BY KONSTANTIN LEONTIEV

Abstract

The aim of the research is to determine the place of the Serbian people in the work Byzantism and
Slavism by Konstantin Leontiev. It is known that this capital work of the author influenced the political climate at
the end of the nineteenth century in Russia. It confronts two basic ideas: Byzantism as the bearer of civilizational
values and Slavism as the bearer of the national spirit. An overview of these two terms is provided with relevant
comments from experts who have dealt with this field. Since the Serbian people are historically present in both
mentioned circles, it is necessary to determine their exact place. Data were collected to the greatest extent from the
work itself, but also from all available relevant published works on this topic. The general historical background of
the work itself is the resolution of the Eastern Question (the collapse of the Turkish Empire) and the further fate of
the peoples who are part of it, along with the role of Russia in the entire process. Comparisons were mainly made
with already existing descriptions of other Slavic peoples and peoples in the area of former Byzantium, primarily
Greeks and Turks. First of all, the situation in the cultural and political life of the Serbian people during the
nineteenth century is analyzed with reference to the most important events of that time. Due attention was paid to
the Russian-Bulgarian and Serbian-Bulgarian relations at the time: the possibilities of their further cooperation, the
restoration of medieval states, but also the conflicts that inevitably arose as a result of the actions and influence of
the great powers were considered. In addition, an exhaustive account of the Serbian people and their historical fate is
given, where it can be seen that of all the Slavic peoples listed at the time, it was the most fragmented and divided,
but at the same time the most ready and determined to stand up to the Turkish occupying power. There were also
descriptions of the bad character traits of the Serbian people. On the one hand, there is self-sacrifice, readiness to
fight for liberation and fearlessness, while on the other hand there are limited forces and the impossibility of fighting
independently without Russian support. In addition, there is the eternal struggle for possible supremacy in the
Balkans between the Serbs, Bulgarians and Greeks, as well as the desire of the Serbs to fit into modern European
society according to Western patterns as quickly as possible. The author sees this as a distinctly bad trait. The
general conclusion is that the Serbs in the mid-nineteenth century are a nation that is at a turning point between
traditional and new European culture and that its further political and cultural development will most likely lead to
the creation of a new Balkan federation in which there will be few Orthodox and Byzantine elements, or in general
factors that could lead to disagreements among the peoples involved.