The 19th century was a very turbulent time in the history of Russia. After the defeat of Napoleonic France, Western ideas and philosophy crept into Russian culture. As a result, Russian nobles split into two schools of thought. Slavophiles valued the traditional Russian Orthodox Church and did not want to westernize and separate themselves from the supposed superiority of Western culture. In contrast, the Westernizers were a group of nobles who were against traditional Russian values ​​and believed that the only way forward was to look to Europe. Westernists and Slavophiles deeply disagreed about the direction Russia should take in the future. Russian thinkers were divided between Westernizing and Slavophilic points of view; both sides disagreed about the true nature of the country and its relationship with the West. Westerners in Russia firmly believed that Russia's future development would be based on the adoption of Western technology and thinking. They sought inspiration and ideas mainly from Hegel's philosophies and texts. (Bova 43) According to Hegel, human history could be “understood as progress towards the realization of freedom and reason in human life.” He stated that every individual is an intrinsically free being and cannot be contained. (Bova 44) This theory quickly attracted the attention of Russian thinkers, who soon began to question the role Russia would play in the development of human society according to the European model. This question ultimately paved the way for the role that Russian Westernizers would play in Russia's history. MA Bakunin, a radical Westernist, took philosophical inspiration from Hegel. Bakunin praised Hegel, calling him the “greatest philosopher in the world… middle of paper…0) Many Decembrists were arrested and sent to Siberia to labor camps, others spent time in prison. The organizers and gang leaders were executed. Many great Russian thinkers and Decembrist sympathizers remained unharmed and continued to mentally expand the boundaries of the Russian liberal movement. The conflict between Slavophiles and Westernizers is an inherent cultural question that Russians must answer regarding their country. Russian thinkers have long been fragmented between Westernizing and Slavophilic views. Both disagreed on the true nature of the country and its relationship with the West. It is a problem that has plagued Russia for centuries and continues to do so today. Adopting the mindset of recognizing this conflict is essential to better understanding Russian history, as well as the motivations and thought processes of Russian leaders today..