A.PUŞKİN VE P.ÇAADAYEV: YIKINTILARINA MUTLAKIYETİN Article YAZACAKLAR ADLARIMIZI
A. PUSHKIN AND P. CHAADAYEV: OUR NAMES WILL BE WRITTEN ON THE RUINS OF AUTOCRACY

Summary/Abstract: Aleksandr Pushkin and Pyotr Chaadayev, prominent figures in 19th-century Russian literature and thought, shared a brief yet profound friendship cut short by Pushkin's untimely death. Despite its brevity, Pushkin held Chaadayev in high regard, expressing the significance of their connection by stating that "our names will be written on the ruins of autocracy" in his first poem dedicated to Chaadayev. Initially associated with the Dekabrist movement, both Pushkin and Chaadayev's intellectual journeys evolved in parallel. Pushkin experienced a spiritual break during his first exile, while Chaadayev embarked on a new period of intellectual exploration after returning from abroad. The closest affinity between the two emerged before the publication of Chaadayev's influential work, the Philosophical Letters. Chaadayev shared his work, and Pushkin's evaluations of it shaped their thoughts on the history of Russia. Chaadayev's Philosophical Letters included scathing criticisms of Russia, portraying it as having no significant place in the history of civilization due to its acceptance of Byzantine Orthodoxy. In contrast, Pushkin emphasized the importance of Russian history, presenting it as a unique mission rather than mere insignificance. Both acknowledged that the schism between churches separated Russia from Europe, with Chaadayev seen as a keen Westerner and Pushkin holding a Slavic perspective. Chaadayev's criticism of Byzantine Orthodoxy contrasted with Pushkin's strong emphasis on Orthodoxy as the foundation of Russian culture. Among these contrasts, while Chaadaev is considered a staunch Westerner, it is believed that Pushkin's debate with Chaadaev followed a Slavic trajectory. This study employs an interdisciplinary approach, analyzing Chaadayev's Philosophical Letters, their correspondence, and Pushkin's literary works to assess their positions within Slavic and Westernist doctrines.

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