Russian-Czech Cultural, Enlightenment, and Scientific Cooperation at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries: Key Personalities and Areas of Cooperation

The article studies cultural, educational and scientific aspects of interaction between Russia and the Czech Republic at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. The analysis focuses on institutional models of cooperation, the activities of key personalities and their contribution to the formation of Slavic studies, the development of legal and literary thought, musical and theatrical dialogue. Special attention is paid to transnational and interdisciplinary practices, as well as the role of cultural mediators in the formation of a common Slavic space. Through the biographies of I.S. Palmov, F.F. Siegel, V.A. Frantsev, A.A. Vrzal, J. Rokita and others, it is demonstrated how personal and institutional ties ensured the circulation of ideas, shaped intellectual reference points and contributed to the development of models of cultural autonomy in the conditions of imperial multiculturalism. The cooperation culminates in Neo-Slavism as a form of ideological consolidation aimed at preserving the identity and developing the project thinking of Slavic peoples. The study reveals stable patterns of interaction, in which cultural exchange acted not only as a means of communication, but also as a strategic platform of civilizational choice on the eve of geopolitical transformations of the XX century. Scientific novelty of the study consists in a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of Russian-Czech cultural, educational and scientific interaction at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, presented through the prism of personalized practices, institutional models and transnational strategies of humanitarian integration. For the first time, the biographies and contributions of such key figures as I.S. Palmov, F.F. Siegel, V.A. Frantsev, A.A. Vrzal and Ya. Rokita, with emphasis on their role in shaping Slavic studies, legal thought and literary dialog. Special attention is paid to conceptualizing Neo-Slavism not as a completed ideological construct, but as a dynamic intellectual project with the potential for cultural consolidation. The author interprets Czech diaspora structures as hybrid forms of cultural autonomy combining diplomatic, educational and enlightening functions.