"One very special little word about the Slavs ..." Bashny.Net

Fyodor Dostoyevsky: "One very special little word about the Slavs ..." "I want to say one very special little word about the Slavs, which I have long wanted to tell. There will be from Russia, and there has never been such haters, envious detractors, and even obvious enemies, all these Slavic tribes soon as they liberate Russia and Europe will agree to admit their release! And let me not argue, do not dispute, do not yell at me that I was exaggerating and that I was a hater of the Slavs!
I, on the contrary, very much like the Slavs, but I defend will not, because I know that everything is just as it is come to pass, as I say, not the low, ungrateful, though, the nature of the Slavs, not at all - they have character In this sense, as in all - and precisely because such things in the world differently and can not occur.

I will not spread, but I know that we did not need to demand from the Slavs thanks to this we need to prepare in advance. Start they, upon release, a new life, I repeat, it is a fact that begged from Europe, England and Germany, for example, guarantee and protection of their freedom, and even in the concert of European powers to Russia, but it is in protection from Russia, and it will make.
Start they will certainly with the fact that within yourself, if not right out loud, announce yourself and convince yourself that Russia they do not have any maleysheyu gratitude, on the contrary, that of the ambition of Russia, they barely escaped with the conclusion of peace intervention of the European concert and not Europe intervened as Russia, to take them away from the Turks, swallowed them immediately, "referring to the expansion of the boundaries and the foundation of a great Slavic empire in the enslavement of the Slavs greedy, cunning and barbarous tribes to Great».
How long, oh, a long time they were not able to be recognized selflessness Russia and the great, holy, unheard of in the world of raising its banner of the greatest ideas of the ideas that the person is alive and without which humanity, if these ideas will no longer live in it - stiffens , crippled and dying in ulcers and impotence. The current, for example, a nationwide Russian war, the Russian people, with the king at its head, podyatuyu against monsters for the liberation of the unfortunate peoples - the war to understand whether, finally, the Slavs Now, what do you think?
But for the present moment I have to say I will not, moreover, we still need the Slavs, we release them, but then, when released, and they somehow arranged, - they recognize the war for a great feat, undertaken to release them, choose Single this? No way in the world do not recognize! On the other hand, put up as a political and then the scientific truth that without all these hundred years liberator-Russia, they would long ago themselves were able to free themselves from the Turks, his valor, or via Europe, which is, again, do not be in the Russia light, not only would not have had anything against their release, but she freed them.
This clever scientists probably there have been and now and then it will inevitably develop in their scientific and political axiom. Moreover, even the Turks will say with great respect, what about Russia.
Perhaps a century or more, they will constantly tremble for their freedom and fear the ambition of Russia; they will curry favor with the European countries, Russia will slander, gossip, and her scheming against her.
Oh, I'm not talking about individuals: are those that understand what it means and means Russia will mean for them always. They realize all the greatness and holiness of all things Russian, and a great idea, the banner which will put it in humanity. But these people, especially in the beginning, will appear in such a pitiful minority, they will be subject to ridicule, hatred and even political persecution. Especially nice is for the liberation of the Slavs voice and trumpet to the whole world that they were tribes formed, capable of the highest European culture, while Russia - a country barbarous, gloomy northern colossus, not even pure Slavic blood, a persecutor, and a hater of European civilization.
They certainly would represent, at the outset, constitutional governance, parliaments and the responsible ministers, speakers, speech. There will be an extremely comforting and delight. They will be in ecstasy reading about himself in Paris and London newspapers telegram announcing the entire world that after a long parliamentary storm fell last ministry in Bulgaria and to make the new from the liberal majority, and that some of theirs Ivan Çiftlik finally agreed to accept a portfolio of the President of the Board Ministers.
Russia should seriously prepare for the fact that all these liberated Slavs enthusiastically rush to Europe, to the loss of identity of his contract the European forms, political and social, and thus will have to go through the whole, and a long period of Europeanism before comprehend anything in his Slavic meaning and in his special calling among the Slavic humanity.
Between these piece of land will be forever quarreling, ever jealous of each other and against each other intrigues.
Of course, the minute some serious trouble they will certainly turn to Russia for help. Whatever will they nenavistnichat, gossip and slander us Europe flirting with her and assuring her of love, but to feel something they will always instinctively (of course, in a time of tragedy, and not before), that Europe is the natural enemy of unity, was and it will always be, and that if they exist in the world, of course, because there is a huge magnet - Russia, which, irresistibly drawing them all to yourself, so constrains their integrity and unity.
There are even moments when they will be able to almost consciously accept that without Russia, Great Eastern Centre and Grand entailing forces, the unity of instantly have collapsed scattered in pieces, and even so, that is the nationality they would disappear in European ocean, disappearing a few isolated drops of water into the sea.
Russia will get a longing for a long time and care to make peace between them, warn them, and even, perhaps, for them to bare his sword on occasion.
Of course, now is the question: what benefit is there to Russia, because of which Russia fought for these hundred years, donated their blood, the forces of money? Really because to shake as a small, funny hatred and ingratitude?
Oh, of course, Russia is still always be aware that the center of Slavic unity - this is it, that if the Slavs live free national life, because it wanted to, and she wants to, that has made and created everything she said. But what is the benefit it will bring Russian consciousness, except for works, disappointment and eternal cares? »
/F.M.Dostoevsky, PSS in 30 volumes, Journalism and Letters Volume XVIII-XXX, Diary of a Writer November 1877, Volume 26, Chapter II, Section III, the publishing house "Science" Leningrad 1984





Source: