Aleksei Stepanovich Khomiakov
Aleksei Stepanovich Khomiakov was a prominent figure within the Slavophile movement in 19th-century Russia, known for his role as a theologian, poet, and writer. Born in Moscow on May 1, 1804, to a wealthy landowning family, he received a comprehensive education that included mastery of several languages and a deep immersion in Russian literature. His experiences, particularly during Napoleon I's invasion of Russia, instilled in him a profound patriotism and a conviction that the Russian Orthodox Church held the key to salvation for both Russia and the world.
Khomiakov's literary contributions include poetry that evolved from emotional early works to more politically charged prose later in life, focusing on themes of love, morality, and the distinct identity of the Russian people. His notable tragedies, such as "Dmitrii Samozvanets," critiqued the moral state of Muscovite Russia and challenged the influence of the Roman Catholic Church on Slavic peoples. Throughout his life, he articulated the belief that the Orthodox Church was superior to other Christian denominations, championing it as a true expression of faith based on freedom rather than legalism.
Despite facing opposition from Western thinkers and not receiving formal endorsement from the Orthodox Church, Khomiakov's ideas left a lasting impact on subsequent religious thought in Russia. He passed away in 1860 due to cholera, yet his legacy continues to influence discussions on Russian identity and spirituality.
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Aleksei Stepanovich Khomiakov
Poet
- Born: May 1, 1804
- Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
- Died: September 23, 1860
- Place of death: Russia
Biography
Aleksei Stepanovich Khomiakov was one of the leaders of Slavophile movement. As a theologian and writer, he preached in almost all of his works that the Russian Orthodox Church would bring salvation to Russia and the world. He was born in Moscow on May 1, 1804, into a wealthy landowner’s family. He was educated at home by private tutors and became fluent in French, Greek, German, English, and Sanscrit. He was also immersed in the study of Russian language and literature.
Napoleon I’s invasion of Russia aroused fierce love for his native land in the young Khomiakovi. He continued his wide-reaching education at a university in Moscow, where he met many future Decembrists. After a brief stint in the army, he visited Paris in the early 1825, which probably prevented his involvement in the Decembrist coup. In Paris, he wrote poetry and a tragedy in verse, Ermak, tragediia v piati deistviiakh, v stikhakh, in which the protagonist reflects Khomiakov’s patriotic feelings.
Back in Moscow and St. Petersburg, he frequented the circles of future Slavophiles. Upon rejoining the army in 1828, he fought in the war against Turkey. Now his poetry expressed the notion that poetry should move the heart and bring joy. The two most important feelings for him —love for his country and high moral values—are united. He wrote another tragedy, Dmitrii Samozvanets (1833), in which he criticized the Muscovite Russia as corrupt and morally rotten and denounced the Roman Catholic Church for proselytizing among the Slavs and preventing Russia from fulfilling its historical role of leading all Slavs. Khomiakov’s poems were now about love, openly admitting his abstinence until marrying Katarina Iazykova, the sister of poet Nikolai Iazykov. His love poems are full of happiness for Katarina, with whom he had nine children.
Khomiakov’s early poetry was charged with emotion but spare of ideas. He provided political and religious ideas in prose works written during his last twenty years, interpreting Slavophilism as rediscovering the true nature of Russia, the character of its people, its history and, especially, the significance of the Russian Orthodox Church. In article after article he speaks of the Orthodox church as superior to Catholic and Protestant churches and as the only genuine Christian church, where the acceptance of God is an act of freedom, not of law. His theological polemics about such subjects endeared him to Slavophiles but antagonized Westerners. His ideas were not sanctioned by the Russian Orthodox Church but they have influenced later religious thinkers such as Vladimir Solovyov and Nikolai Berdyayev. Khomiakov died suddenly of cholera in 1860.