Konstantin Nikolaevich Leontiev

Konstantin Nikolaevich Leontiev (1831-1891) was an unclassifiable thinker, notable writer, and state official. His essay "Byzantinism and the Slavs" is the most emblematic of his philosophical works and has proven to be one of the most significant in the historiosophical tradition of Russia over the past two centuries. He participated in the Crimean War (1854-57) and subsequently served as a diplomat (1863-73) in various parts of then Ottoman-ruled Greece, which became his second spiritual homeland. As a literary figure, he earned the high regard of Ivan Turgenev. His unique thought is sometimes compared to later Western counterparts such as Nietzsche and Spengler. He became widely known for his "conservative" and "anti-Western" views. He believed that Russia, in order to avoid harmful Europeanization, should align itself with Asia. During the Soviet era, he suffered a violent oblivion, while in the post-communist period, he was considered a kind of precursor to Eurasian ideology.