Educational literature as a source for developing collective memory on Russian history of the late XVIII century

Abstract

The subject of this research is educational literature as a source for reconstruction of collective historical representations on Russian history in of the late XVIII century. The author analyzes the state of educational system in the Russian Empire of the second half of the XVIII century, and characterizes the measures taken by the government on formation of multibranch network of elementary and secondary educational institutions. Special attention is given to the process of creation of school textbook on Russian history with personal contribution of Catherine the Great. The conclusion is made that the second half of the XVIII century became the time of formation of first educational texts for broad audience dedicated to the history of Russia. During this period, the government order had a determining influence, and the opinion of the ruler had direct impact on the content of textbooks. Within the framework of school program, preference was given to nonconfrontational version of the past, which did not touch upon the “sore points” of national memory. The pantheon of heroes of the national memory has not yet been formed in the educational literature of the late XVIII century, and thus, the objects for research (heroes and events) slightly differ from the textbooks of the XIX – early XX centuries. Despite this fact, the school textbooks of the late XVIII century, significantly impacted the school curriculum on history and development of collective representations on the past in Russia of the XIX-early XX centuries.