Aleksei Stepanovich Khomiakov Khomiakov, in " On Humbolt", sees the poor in the West in the throes of despair. He questions the concept of what exists. He thinks old societies fall like trees that run out of sap. As a religious man he thinks that the religious spirit of the Russian is an important part of society. His discussion was based on the relationship between unity and freedom and the law of spiritual love. The Roman Church and the Protestants look at this problem differently. He states that Russian Orthodoxy embraces pure Christianity because of the communal principal. It is organic and grows from historical events. He claims that Russia merged together and did not stifle the rationality of the individual. The westernization of Russia by the Saltykovs under Peter the Great was demeaning in his eyes. Russian traditions were slandered. To him traditions were the force holding nations together. The Russian mir village was part of ancient Russia Slav customs and a good source of legal principles.