1 For a more detailed account of Leont'ev's philosophy, see his essay “Vizantizm i slavjanstvo,” Sobranie sochinenij K. Leanteva, V, 187-226. The Sobranie sochinenij will hereafter be referred to as Collected Works

2 When discussing culture, Leont'ev, like many men of letters, commented on art in general, and then turned almost exclusively to literature for specific examples. The fact that this article is concerned with literature should not be construed to mean that Leont'ev regarded it as the only significant aspect of Russian culture.

3 See “Po povodu razskazov Marka-Vovchka,” Collected Works, V, 30.

4 “Peredovija stat'i ‘Varshavskago dnevnika,’ “ Collected Works, VII, 76.

5 “Srednij Evropeec, kak ideal i orudie vsemirnogo razrushenja,” Collected Works, VI, 54.

6 “Russkie, Greki i Jugo-slavjane,” Collected Works, V, 288.

7 “Analiz, stil', i vejanie,” Collected Works, VIII, 325.

8 “Recenzii,” Collected Works, VIII, 74.

9 “Nashi novye Khristiane,” Collected Works, VIII, 177.

10 “Analiz, stil’ i vejanie,” Collected Works, VIII, 324.

11 Ibid., p. 310.

12 “Stat'i, vospominanija i otryvki,” Collected Works, VII, 536.

13 “Moi dela s Turgenevym i t. d.,” Collected Works, IX, 108.

14 “Pis'mo provinciala k I. Turgenevu,” Collected Works, VIII, 13, 14.

15 See “Polskaja emigracija na nizhnem Dunae,” Collected Works, IX, 338.

16 “Srednij Evropeec, kak ideal i orudie vsemirnogo razrushenija,” Collected Works, VI, 28, 29.

17 “G. Katkov i ego vragi na prazdnika Pushkina,” Collected Works, VII, 218.

18 See “Gramotnost’ i narodnost', “ Collected Works, VII, 40.

19 “Po povodu razskazov Marka-Vovchka,” Collected Works, VIII, 20.

20 “Dva grafa: Aleksej Vronskij i Lev Tolstoy,” Collected Works, VII, 284.

21 “Recenzii,” Collected Works, VIII, 95-7.

22 “Analiz, stil’ i vejanie,” Collected Works, VIII, 346.

23 “Russkie, Greki i Jugo-slavjane,” Collected Works, V, 291.

24 For the details of their relationship, see “Moi dela s Turgenevym i t. d.,” Collected Works, IX, 69-154.

25 See “Pis'mo provinciala k I. Turgenevu,” Collected Works, VIII, 8-10.

26 “Moi dela s Turgenevym i t. d.,” Collected Works, IX, 97.

27 “Po povodu razskazov Marka-Vovchka,” Collected Works, VIII, 61.

28 “Pis'mo provinciala k I. Turgenevu,” Collected Works, VIII, 9, 10.

29 “Peredovija stat'i ‘Varshavskago dnevnika,’ “ Collected Works, VII, 81.

30 Letters from Leont'ev to Gubastov, Russkoe obozrenie, Book XI (1894), p, 391.

31 See “Dva grafa: Aleksej Vronskij i Lev Tolstoy,” Collected Works, VII, 270-78.

32 See “Analiz, stil' i vejanie,” Collected Works, VIII, 228-238. Leont'ev admitted that the appearance of Anna Karenina, and to some extent War and Peace, during the period of confused simplification contradicted his basic premise that great literature could be produced only during the age of maturity. He attempted to explain this inconsistency by describing Tolstoy at his best as a man who, although writing in a time of decay, could properly be regarded as still being influenced by the preceding age.

33 Ibid., p. 235.

34 “Analiz, stil' i vejanie,” Collected Works, VIII, 305.

35 “Moe obrashchenie i zhizn’ na Sv. Afonskoj gore,” Collected Works, IX, 34. Leont'ev claimed that Tolstoy was committing a criminal offense by preaching this doctrine, and should therefore be brought to trial by the government.

36 “Nashi novye Khristiane,” Collected Works, VIII, 163.

37 Leont'ev is referring strictly to their contents here, not to their literary style or construction. Indeed, he felt that Tolstoy's mastery of the language was greater in this period than ever before. The fact that Leont'ev does not praise these writings of course contradicts his repeated argument that form is always more important than content. Nevertheless, his admission that stories which to him were such stupid and dangerous babble were at the same time beautifully written testifies to his honesty as a literary critic. In nonliterary matters, Leont'ev is not so quick at finding good points in something distasteful to him.

38 Letters from Leont'ev to Gubastov, Russkoe obozrenie, Book VI (1897), p. 910.

39 “Nashi novye Khristiane,” Collected Works, VIII, 189.

40 Ibid.,p. 192.

41 Ci. Ibid., pp. 183-5.

42 “Dostoevsky o Russkom dvorjanstve,” Collected Works, VII, 446.

43 Ibid., p. 442.

44 “Nashi novye Khristiane,” Collected Works, VIII, 198.

45 See “Vladimir Solov'ev protiv Danilevskogo,” Collected Works, VII, 306. Leont'ev is probably the only man in all Russia to have gone on record condemning Dostoevsky's Pushkin speech as a radical outburst.

46 “Stat'i, vospominanija i otryvki,” Collected Works, VII, 483.

47 “Po povodu razskazov Marka-Vovchka,” Collected Works, VIII, 42, 43.

48 “Russkie, Greki i Jugo-slavjane,” Collected Works, V, 289. In general, it can be said that Leont'ev demanded loftier and more isolated themes in poetry (it being the noblest form of literature) than in prose.

49 “Moi dela s Turgenevym i t. d.,” Collected Works, IX, 153.

50 “Po povodu razskazov Marka-Vovchka,” Collected Works, VII, 23, 24.

51 See “Recenzii,” Collected Works, VIII, 137-146. It is difficult to understand how CSont'ev, with his vivid imagination and love of beauty and originality, could have been won over by Markevich's dull, poorly constructed prose. Perhaps he was so entranced by Markevich's plots, in which the Polish nobleman inevitably vanquishes both bourgeoisie and revolutionary, that he grossly exaggerated the artistic merit of his works.

52 See the essay “Po povodu razskazov Marka-Vovchka,” Collected Works, VIII, 15-64, and especially pp. 26-30. In contrast to Markevich, the work of Marko-Vovchok is colorful and often charming; albeit her appeal must have been rather limited, even to her contemporaries. The situations she describes rarely transcend their Ukrainian environment. It is interesting to note that neither of Leont'ev's literary heroes wrote on Great Russia.

53 There is no reason to believe that Leont'ev intentionally avoided doing so.