The concept of “faith” in the minds of V. A. Zhukovsky

In this article, the evolution of the understanding of faith in the consciousness of the great Russian poet V. A. Zhukovsky is considered. In literary criticism, a principally non-church religious image of the poet was formed, which prevents a deep and holistic perception of his genius. Separate attempts to read Zhukovsky as an Orthodox author sound unconvincing, since they have a declamatory character. In this regard, there is a need for a detailed, systematic analysis of the religious ideas of the poet. One of the important aspects of Zhukovsky’s world outlook is the concept of “faith.” The article reveals the poet’s awareness of such topical issues as the nature of faith, the source of faith, the need for faith to man, the criterion of true, living faith, the correlation of faith and knowledge, etc. Based on the analysis of diary entries of different years, fundamental changes in his understanding of the concept of “faith” are shown: faith from the sphere of feeling passes into the realm of the spirit, where the mind and will are reconciled; her comprehension acquires an Orthodox church character