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Although the name of the folklorist Peter Kireevskii is well known to historians of nineteenth-century Russia, comparatively little has been written about his place within the Slavophile circle. Some scholars have treated him as the 'first' Slavophile. Others have questioned whether his views were in any sense really Slavophile at all. This article argues that Peter Kireevskii's life-long interest in Russian folklore was rooted both in his understanding of the Russian countryside and his exposure to the influence of a Russian Romantic tradition that viewed the narod as the authentic representative of national identity. It suggests that Kireevskii was from his youth convinced that Russia possessed a culture and history that was equal in value to any country in the West, but that it was only in the late 1830s that he stressed the role played by Orthodoxy in shaping Russia's development. Although his mature views brought him closer to the Slavophile 'mainstream', there were always some elements that set him apart, perhaps reflecting the fact that Slavophilism was a more eclectic and diverse phenomenon than sometimes realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses upon the presentations and papers on Slavic folklore made at the XIV Congress of Slavists in Ohrid (the Republic of Macedonia). The author notes the growing research and prominence which folklore currently enjoys, and that the XIV Congress of Slavists in Ohrid had eight well-attended sessions devoted to the subject (with almost 40 presentations of papers). He also notes the large international participation; however, he laments that Polish activity in the arena is declining.

The article discusses the work of artist Alphonse Mucha, focusing on analysis of themes of Pan-Slavism in his large-scale painting series "Slav Epic." Topics include a history and overview of the Pan-Slavic movement in eastern Europe beginning in the mid 19th century, Mucha's incorporation of Slavic folklore in poster designs, and the historical content of the "Slav Epic" works.