▁in ▁K ud in ovo , ▁Kal uga ▁Governor ate ▁– ▁November ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁in ▁Ser gi ye v ▁Pos ad ) ▁was ▁a ▁conserv ative ▁ts ar ist ▁and ▁imperial ▁monarch ist ▁Russian ▁phil os opher ▁who ▁advoc ated ▁closer ▁cultural ▁t ies ▁between ▁Russia ▁and ▁the ▁East ▁against ▁what ▁he ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁West ' s ▁cat ast roph ic ▁eg al itar ian , ▁util itar ian ▁and ▁revolution ary ▁influ ences . ▁He ▁also ▁advoc ated ▁Russia ' s ▁cultural ▁and ▁territorial ▁expansion ▁east ward ▁to ▁India , ▁Tib et ▁and ▁China . ▁ ▁Life ▁ ▁Le ont iev ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁grew ▁up ▁on ▁his ▁father ' s ▁estate . ▁His ▁father , ▁a ▁no blem an , ▁was ▁a ▁military ▁officer ▁but ▁was ▁dis charg ed ▁for ▁" ri ot ous ▁behaviour ". ▁Still , ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁em press ▁in ▁beh alf ▁of ▁the ▁Le ont iev ▁brothers ▁made ▁him ▁able ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Corps ▁of ▁P ages . ▁He ▁was ▁engaged ▁at ▁ 2 3 ▁but ▁broke ▁off ▁the ▁relationship ▁for ▁the ▁sake ▁of ▁" fre edom ▁and ▁art "" ▁a ▁decision ▁that ▁made ▁things ▁difficult ▁for ▁him . ▁After ▁comple ting ▁medical ▁school ▁in ▁Moscow , ▁Le ont iev ▁saw ▁service ▁as ▁a ▁doctor ▁during ▁the ▁Crime an ▁War . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁he ▁carried ▁off ▁a ▁local ▁Crime an ▁girl , ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁Greek