Primary public school in the Russian empire in the last quarter of the XIX century as a vector of spiritual and moral education

The article is dedicated to the popular schooling reform which touched upon Russian elementary schools. The appearance of the elementary schools (among them - elementary people's schools, rural schools, reading and writing schools, labor schools, church schools, Sunday schools) caused the increase of the literacy of the children who belonged to the low class population. Now they had a good chance to learn reading and writing and to get some elementary scientific knowledge. The children also learnt the church subjects: Religion, the Sacred History, and Church Music. They developed the moral qualities in children. Except schools, which the children of the low class visited, the teachers' schools were created in Russia where the specialists for the work in these schools were trained. The author of the article also concerns the importance of the county which financed the elementary schools and took part in the organization of these schools. The church and Sunday schools were created at the expense of the local church communities. They were under control of the Orthodox Department. But the pupils of these schools taught both church and general subjects.