The problem of national identity in the works of Russian conservatives of the first quarter of XIX century

The article is devoted to a problem of national identity in Russian conservative thought of the first quarter of XIX century. The provocative factor of the search of Russian self-identity was an aggressive westernism, which was translated in Russian aristocracy's Gallomania and Alexander's I liberal reforms conjoined with Napoleonic wars and European reaction on the French revolution. A. S. Shishkov, F. V. Rostopchin, S. N. Glinka and N. M. Karamsin were among first conservatives, who thoughtfully and consistently popularized an idea of appealing to national tradition, creation of Russian educational system, based on learning Russian language, national history, on the values of the Orthodox religion and inviolability of the national political system - autocracy. Rose in opposition to westernization, Russian conservatives of the first quarter of XIX century in a large measure were under the influence of the ideas of European Enlightenment, Romanticism and growing European nationalism.