Liberal's image development in conservative circles of Russian empire in second half of XIX century (as exemplified by the works of prince V. P. Meshcherskiy)

Development of a negative image of a liberal in conservative circles of the Russian Empire in the second half of the XIX century on the examples of the memoirs and political journalism of Prince V. P. Meshchersky is analyzed. The conservatives were known to evaluate “liberalism” (and “cosmopolitism” as its synonym) not as a political ideology or a social movement associated with certain values, but as a totality of various phenomena opposing the concepts of “patriotism”, “morality”, “classicism”, “idealism”, and “religion”. This broad interpretation of liberalism allowed, on the one hand, to stick this label to any unwanted person (from a minister to a nihilist) in case their views did not comply with the triad “Orthodoxy, Autocracy and Nationality”, and, on the other hand, to explain all negative facts of the Russian life by the influence of “adverse western ideas” and schemes of “homeland enemies”. Antagonism toward liberalism was reflected in stylistics of V. P. Meshchersky's texts, which manifested itself in such phrases as “the flowing tide of cosmopolitism and liberalism” from the West and “western ideas eroding the sense of love for motherland”. Starting from here the opposition of liberalism against patriotism emerged, which gradually led to the development of an image of a liberal as a “homeland enemy”. The fight against liberals was declared a sacred duty of every citizen. As a result, political journalism of V. P. Meshchersky helped to form a conservative thrust in the domestic policy of Russia at the end of the XIX century, which eliminated any possibility of a compromise between ruling authorities and society.