Russian philosophy of history (D. Merezhkovsky and N. Berdyaev) as part of Béla Hamvas’ philosophy of the crisis

The authors examine the perception of the ideas of Russian religious philosophy of history by the Hungarian thinker Bela Hamvas. The authors characterize the basic statements of the so-called “criseology” – a trans-disciplinary field of research, which was considered by Hamvas as one of the most relevant in the light of the growing world crisis. It is shown that among the sources in order to build a holistic philosophical conception of the crisis Hamvas used also works of Russian religious philosophers. Most often, Hamvas turned to the ideas of D.S. Merezhkovsky and N.A. Berdyaev, who were among the most famous and significant intellectuals of the Russian emigration. The main topics that interested Hamvas in the works of Merezhkovsky and Berdyaev are revealed: in both authors, Hamvas notes an approach towards a large-scale metaphysical interpretation of world history and a special religious attitude of the historiosophical hermeneutics. In Merezhkovsky’s work, Hamvas emphasizes the effort to deepen the historical perspective and include the heritage of ancient civilizations in the context of modern discussions about the new religious consciousness. Hungarian philosopher is interested in Berdyaev, first of all, as the author of the concept of the “new Middle Ages”, and besides, as a representative of a special “oriental historicism”.