Petr Kireevsky is known as an ethnographer, a collector of Russian songs, and an historian and shares with his brother, Ivan Vasil'evich, a vivid interest in articulating Slavophile thought, though not his brother's interest in articulating its theory. His ethnographic interest was related to his aspirations to discover the roots of Russian culture and to present them as proof of the originality and distinctiveness of Russia's history and people. His introductions and commentaries on collections of his songs reflect his deep interest in the history of Slavic nations and particularly of Russia. Though he did not leave any theoretical writings on Slavophile thought, his only article—“O drevney russkoi istorii. Pis'mo k Pogodinu” (On the Old Russian History. A letter to Pogodin, 1845), a description of the structure of the old Slav society—attempts to prove that an independent nature and highly democratic principles governed all Slavic nations. His...