General A. A. Kireev about the Russian autocracy

The article is devoted to the life and work of the famous Russian thinker, “secular theologian”, publicist and public figure — cavalry General Alexander Alekseevich Kireev (1833–1910). It is noted that A. A. Kireev in his journalistic works and letters fully continued the Slavophile tradition, creatively reinterpreted the ideas of A. S. Khomyakov, I. S. Aksakov and other philosophers of the XIX century. The main works of the thinker testify to him as a convinced monarchist. He fully shared Count S. S. Uvarov’s concept of “Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality”. Moreover, Kireev participated in the work of right-wing monarchical organizations. Kireev, as a Slavophile thinker and monarchist, was deeply respected by Russian conservatives of the early 20th century, who often quoted his works. Kireev’s works contain generally positive characteristics of Russian tsars, including Emperor Alexander III, whose image he admired, but he criticized the activities of some sovereigns for their harsh rule (Ivan the Terrible, Anna Ioannovna) and suppression of the “zemstvo principle” (Peter I). A special place in the works of the general and the publicist is occupied by the problem of the spiritual crisis of Western society, the degradation of Western civilization, to which he opposed a strong Orthodox monarchical Russia. The article concludes that the religious, philosophical and political ideas of A. A. Kireev have not lost their relevance to this day. First of all, they are the protection of traditional Christian values, the idea of strong state power, the denial of the lack of spirituality of the West, etc.