Description: (Scholar)
Juraj Križanić, a Croatian Catholic missionary and polymath, is recognized as one of the earliest pan-Slavists. He sought to unite Slavic churches by promoting closer ties between Slavic Catholicism and the Russian Orthodox Church. Križanić advocated for a shared Slavic language and heritage, seeing the Russian tsar as a possible unifying figure for the Slavic nations. Despite experiencing exile and opposition, his ideas influenced subsequent South Slavic intellectuals who emphasized the importance of Russian support and unity among South Slavic peoples.