Slavophiles

• Slavophiles believed that Russia was unique and its history and culture needed to be preserved by maintaining the influence of the Orthodox Church and a peasant society.
• Count Leo Tolstoy was a key Slavophile writer.
• Slavophiles held a strong position in 1881 but declined especially after the 1891-92 famine in which the tsarist government were inactive the zemstva provided the relief work.
• The zemstva again called for a national assembly and more turned to radical opposition when this was rejected.