Kasimov Theological School (district and parish) of the Ryazan Diocese in the First Half of the 19th Century (Historical Essay)

Kasimov Theological School had a long life (from 1813 to 1918), filled with interesting events and sad pages. However, at present, almost no attempts are made to systematically analyze the legacy of office-working material related to the activities and development of the theological school. Therefore, it seems that the study of the history of the school is relevant and significant for modern science. Based on the large volume of available archival material, the history of the school was divided (conditionally) into periods. This article examines the period limited to the first half of the 19th century, which was called the period of the formation of the educational institution. The problems for the study will be the structural features, the development of the pedagogical corporation, the teaching methods, and, directly, the life of the school itself. An important factor that served to conduct the study was the presence of the memoirs of D. I. Rostislavov, who studied at the Kasimov School (from 1817 to 1822). In his memoirs, D. I. Rostislavov pays much attention to the description of the life of the school, gives an assessment of the activities of the pedagogical corporation and, in general, quite thoroughly reconstructs the life of the theological school during his studies. The article will determine to what extent the notes of D. I. Rostislavov reflect the actual historical picture of the designated period of activity of the Kasimov Theological School.