Abstract
The aim of this article is to provide a systematic research of the views on Russia of the prominent Czech journalist, writer and politician Karel Havlicek Borovsky (1821-1856). Havlicek, the first among the leaders of the Czech national revival of the first half of the 19th century, personally visited Russia and lived there for a long time.
Thanks, first of all, to his journalistic work, he had a strong influence on contemporary Czech society. Since the perception of Russia and Russians in the then Czech lands is inextricably linked to the Slavic idea (Slavism), attention is also paid to Havlicek's reflections on the Slavic question, his opinions about other Slavs and, last but not least, his Czech national program.
Only in such a broader context can one correctly understand the origins and development of Havlicek's thoughts about Russia. There, on the one hand, we find criticism of the Russian government and its official policy, rejection of Pan-Slavism in the sense of uniting all Slavic peoples and insisting on political cooperation only between the Austrian Slavs.
On the other hand, we see sympathy for the Russian people and optimism about the future of the East European empire.