Spiritual education in Russian universities of the example of asceticism of the venerable Sergius of Radonezh

In the article we analyze experience of using historical material in moral education of the modern students. For example, we study the asceticism of St. Sergius of Radonezh and then we show that comprehension of the personality of the saint in the context of a historical epoch helps to reveal the aspects of his religious work and also to arise students’ interest in studying national religious heritage. In the first step we determine the level of students’ education concern-ing this problem. In this case a social poll was used, which results can be seen in the article. In the second step we characterize hagiographic literature as a genre and show some of its peculiarities. The third step, which we consider as a main one, is about the integration of the facts, which are contained in the hagiography with the features of the epoch. In this case the saint’s work is estimated in the context of the main objective of domestic and foreign policy in XIV century. It is to strengthen the unity of Russian lands for the purpose of restoration of the state independence. In this connection, we analyze three aspects of work of the saint in the article. Firstly, we mean moral achievement, the embodiment of the ideas of non- possession and a desire for implementing the elements of Christian morality in the political life. Secondly, these are diplomatic missions, aimed at ending fighting between the local Russian princes to unite the Russian lands around Moscow. Thirdly, these are his efforts, aimed at preserving the unity of the Moscow ecclesiastical Metropolis and conserving the Byzantine church tradition. Comparing various historical sources, the authors draw attention to the facts which are not mentioned in the “Hagiography”. Linking well-known facts from the “Hagiography” with the features of a historical epoch authors give some of them their own assessment. In the ending we underline the urgency of studying the heritage of St. Sergius of Radonezh in modern Russia.