Features of ideology russian liberal nationalists second half of XIX century

In modern Russian science learning the relevance of nationalism has lately increased. Soviet historiography has considered this concept only in a negative aspect. Now, when we got rid of this subjectivity we can examine the second half of XIX century in Russia at greater length. This period of history gave us a lot of nationalists who have made significant contributions to the social and political life of our country. The man who formulated basic nationalist ideas of his time was Mikhail Nikiforovich Katkov. Firstly, he had adhered to the ideas of liberal conservatism but later became a supporter of state nationalism. He was not involved in any party, believing that state nationalism can cooperate with all kinds of political parties except the radical ones. M. N. Katkov was able to formulate and loudly declare the problems, emerging in the state. A man with a very similar fate and ideas was Alexey Sergeevich Suvorin. A «Modern Times» editor's views have also evolved from liberal to conservative and monarchist. In his articles he expressed an opinion on ideas of "integral nationalism" according to which he argued against «the disintegration of Russia» and «detraction of the Russian nationality». The other one nationalist who published in the « Modern Times» was a famous writer and philosopher Mikhail Osipovich Menshikov. A moderate nationalist, he became the chief ideologist of the «All-Russian National Union». Professor Timothy Vasilievich Lokot also had close ties with «Modern Times» and «All-Russian National Union». Gone through the way from a socialist to a monarchist, he did not renounce his past ideals and worked on the creation of the holistic ideology of democratic Russian nationalism. He always emphasized that real democracy is impossible without nationalism. Comprehensive study of the nationalist ideology and nationalists' activity in the second half of XIX century give us the opportunity to look at the socio political life of Russia in those years under a new angle. The nationalists of the time were not a reactionary force as opposed to the Black Hundreds. They sought the way to take the economic model of the west while leaving the political and cultural identity of Russia. These ideas in the Soviet historiography either were not considered or considered only in the negative way. Consideration of the nationalist ideology as an integrative power can serve as an additional incentive to study the works of Russian nationalists of the second half of XIX century.

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