Issues on education and enlightenment in Russian religious thought in the second quarter of the 19th century

The article is devoted to the struggle for “true enlightenment” of leading representatives of Russian thought and culture in the context of religious and philosophical searches in Russia in the second quarter of the 19th century. It is focused on the historical and cultural significance of the personality of Emperor Nicholay I, his views on enlightenment and on education and the problem of the dialogue of the government, leading representatives of Russian culture. It is shown that the main mediator in this dialogue was the Minister of public education S. S. Uvarov, who sought to unite the largest intellectuals of the era in solving urgent educational problems for society. The most striking and representative examples of reflection of Russian conservative thought on the issues of education and education are briefly presented the philosophical and pedagogical views of V. A. Zhukovsky, A. S. Pushkin and N. V. Gogol, which are inextricably linked with the idea of moral education of the individual rooted in the Orthodox tradition. It is noted that the Christian ideal of education and enlightenment expressed by Russian writers and thinkers encountered certain difficulties in the Nicholas era, but the experience gained needs a new reading and is now acquiring not only historical interest, but also a special relevance for modernity.