Symbols and signs of V.S. Solovyov’s theory of pan-Mongolism
摘要
Vladimir Solovyov’s historiosophy emerged from late nineteenth-century Russia’s geopolitical tensions and intellectual debates concerning the menace from the East. Influenced by Leont’ev’s conservatism, Danilevsky’s cultural theories, and Dostoyevsky’s idea of East and West cultural synthesis, he developed his own conception of cultural unity based on the idea of Christian progress. His critiques of Byzantine Orthodoxy and the Russian state–church dynamic underscored a broader rejection of stagnation. It is concluded that the roots of Solovyov’s pan-Mongolism lie in his theocratic views and his historiosophical search for ways to overcome the division of the Western world on the religious ground of the Universal Church. Solovyov appears to highlight the Chinese experience of constructing a theocratic state not by accident; through this, he aimed to demonstrate a model for a future theocratic state based not on paganism, but on Christianity. He warned of an apocalyptic “Eastern danger” while advocating cultural synthesis over isolation. Although neo-Eurasianists later misappropriated his ideas, Solovyov’s vision emphasized Russia’s Western Christian identity and moral accountability, framing Eastern threats as divine retribution for spiritual decline. His works, blending prophecy and philosophy, remain pivotal in discussions of Russia’s Eurasian identity and civilizational discourse.