Why did Ivan Turgenev support Westernization in Russia?

Ivan Turgenev’s support for Westernization was rooted in his formative experiences and his deep-seated opposition to the Russian social system. While he was born into a family that owned a large estate, he viewed the institution of serfdom as a profound injustice, which fueled his lifelong commitment to his country’s social and political improvement.1

His conviction that Russia needed to follow a course of Westernization was solidified during his time at the University of Berlin between 1838 and 1841. Turgenev described this period as a "plunge into the German sea," an experience that led him to become a confirmed believer in the superiority of Western culture and institutions. Unlike some of his contemporaries who were caught in the ideological divide between Westernizers and Slavophiles, Turgenev stood out as the only major Russian writer with an avowedly European outlook and sympathies. His liberalism was further shaped by his close friendship with the critic Vissarion Belinsky, who encouraged him to use literature to critically examine and reflect the injustices of Russian life.1