Page:The Spirit of Russia by T G Masaryk, volume 1.pdf/362



HE harmless geographical designations "westernism" and "westerniser" connote a definite program, the Europeanisation of Russia, the continuation of Peter's reforms. What do we mean by Europeanisation? Europe contains various cultural elements, specifically distinct civilisations. It is undeniable that the differences between French and Germans, between Germans and Englishmen, etc., are considerable. To the Russian, however, these differences appear trifling in comparison with the remove between Russia and the countries of European civilisation. To Russia, in its hunger for civilisation, the west seemed "the land of miracles" (Homjakov).

Westernism, like slavophilism, originated in the days of Nicholas I. Since European influence was then restricted in every possible way, thinking persons became for the first time fully aware of the contrast between Russia and Europe.

As we have learned, the influence of Germany was at that time preponderant, but France continued to play a stimulating part in Russian development; the influence of England was comparatively small, whilst that of Italy and the other European countries was insignificant.

Westernism in the wider sense of the term dates from the epoch when European influences began to exercise considerable effect upon Russia, and in this wider sense all the later progressive tendencies, including the Marxist tendency, are westernist. But more commonly the concept is inter-