Integration of traditions and innovations as a base for modernization of Russian education

The retrospective analysis of correlation of pedagogical tradition and innovations in Russian education is carried out. The tendencies of rapprochement of the categories «tradition» and «innovation» when urgent problems of pedagogical science and practice are being solved, have allowed to assume that mutual relation of the given categories on the level of integration can become a methodological basis for the research of the processes of modernization in education. The given thesis is proved by the example of innovation processes in Russian education of 19 th century. The characteristic features of a Russian man which are supported by national traditions and which have been forming the basis for national educational ideal up to the present days are considered.