The article considers the development of the conflict between Slavophiles and Westerners as a reflection of the process of the emergence in the XIX century of original Russian culture. It is shown that this conflict had two main stages: at the first stage extremely opposite ideal models of Russia’s historical development were created, at the second stage they were adjusted and reduced to one model of social development differing in the two directions by only minor details. It was recognized that this model was only partially embodied in the history of Europe (in the Renaissance, according to A. I. Herzen) and remains the goal for both Russia and European countries. It is shown that this model was most accurately expressed by F. M. Dostoevsky in the idea of “Russian European” (the novel “The Raw Youth”) and in the concept of “worldwide responsiveness” of Russian culture (Pushkin speech). As a result, it was concluded that the traditional sharp opposition of the views of the Westernizers and Slavophiles on the