The spiritual and moral priorities of Russian students in the early 20th and early 21st centuries: a comparative historical analysis

The research is carried out within the interdisciplinary approach and analyzes the spiritual and moral state of modern Russian youth in comparison with the students of secondary educational institutions in pre-revolutionary Russia. Based on the published surveys of the early 20th century students conducted by various interviewers and the modern survey data collected in a gymnasium of the Belgorod region, the authors provide a comparative historical analysis of the goal-setting, worldview, and ethical preferences of high school students in the early 20th and early 21st centuries. The study identifies that along with the transforming spiritual guides of modern Russian youth compared to the youth of the early 20th century, many moral guides and priorities, including ones raised by Russian classical literature, remain important and maintain continuity.