On the question of the sources of the Byzantism concept of K. N. Leontiev (1831-1891)

The article analyzes the main sources on the basis of which the Russian religious philosopher Konstantin Nikolaevich Leontiev (1831-1891) created his concept of Byzantism, and also examines some of the circumstances that influenced the formation of this concept. It is shown that in order to understand the conditions in which Leontiev worked, and the significance of the sources on which he relied when formulating his concept in the work “Byzantism and Slavism” (1875), it is important to take into account the perception of the image of Byzantium in Russian educated environment, among the writer’s predecessors and contemporaries. The ideas about Byzantium in general often followed the Westernizing tradition, which did not have sufficient grounds. Using the original ideologeme “Byzantism,” Leontiev sought to declare the need for a more objective view of the heritage of Byzantium, reconsidering its significance in history, and also drawing attention to his original concept, which he formulated in the programmatic treatise “Byzantism and Slavism.”