N.S. Trubetsky on Mongol-Tatar yoke influence on the Russian statehood formation process

The article represents the analysis of opinions of a prominent representative ofthe Eurasian movement, N.S. Trubetsky, on the problem of the nomadic factor on the process of formation of the Russian statehood. Thework contains the characteristic of the Eurasian approach to estimation of peculiar features of the Russian type of power. The authorproves the thesis about conditionality of some conclusions of the Eurasian historiography by socio-political views of the Eurasians.Trubetsky classifies strengthening of Moscow as a direct consequence of the nomadic factor. He believes that in Moscow princedom theprocesses of spiritual enthusiasm and strengthening of the bases of statehood progressed most intensively. Also, Moscow was first tobecome interested in the Byzantine state ideology. As a result, according to the scientist, grand dukes of Moscow gradually became thebearers of the new Russian statehood. Though at the first stage their unifying policy was also an expression of their egoistical interests,the gradual mastering of the nomadic state instinct, traditions of national monarchy of Vladimir princes, adoption of the Byzantine principlesof statehood caused transformation of Moscow into the political centre of Russia. Moscow princes mastered the traditions andmechanisms of the political-management system of the Golden Horde so well, that it is incorrect to speak about overthrowing the yoke.According to Trubetsky, the significant historical moment was not the overthrow of Mongols, but the spread of the power of Moscowover a considerable part of the territory of the Horde, in other words, replacement of the khan by the Moscow tsar with transferring thenomadic headquarters to Moscow. It is necessary to recognize N.S. Trubetsky's analysis of the problem of influence of the nomadicMongolian factor on the national history course as deep enough and well grounded. Later the Eurasian approach to the given problemwas developed in the works of a professional historian G.V. Vernadsky in more details. Despite separate disputable points in the argumentsof Eurasians, it is necessary to agree with their conclusions, in whole. It is important to consider that the Eurasian ideology of1920s-1930s represented a socio-political, rather than a historical phenomenon. Eurasians undertook the analysis of separate aspects ofthe national history for the purpose of substantiation of their ideological and political postulates. Studying of influence of nomads on theprocess of formation of the Russian statehood should confirm the fact that the historically developed type of the power in Russia correspondsto the doctrine. This aspect of the socio-political heritage of Eurasians specifies the inclination of the political program of theEurasian ideology to the basic views of the Russian conservatism.

Keywords

Authors

References