Educational literature (the second half of 18th - early 19th century) on the emergence of the Early Russian state and the origin of the Varangian Rus

The article analyses the concepts which were presented in the schoolbooks (the second half of the 18 - early 19 century) on the issues of the ethnical origin and the role of the Varangian rus' in the emergence of Early Russian state. There is a stable interest to the historical schoolbooks at the present time. Some of the scholars states that the educational literature consisted of the dogmatical ideas and decrepit concepts, other think that the schoolbooks involves the progressive and new ideas and concepts. Varangian question was the crucial for the Russian historians. It consisted of the issues: of the Varangians' and Rus' origin, their relationship, the role of the Varangians in the emergence of Early Russian state. It is possible to divide all the concepts presented in the schoolbooks into the fallowing main groups. The first is the Slavic concept. The authors of this group (M.V. Lomonosov, Ch.A. Tchebotarev, Ph. Dilthey) considered that the Varangians were the Slavs and the emergence of the Early Russian state were caused by the internal development. They moved Slavic history deeper to the Greek-Roman and even biblical times. The second group (I.H. Stritter, I. Nekhachin) was the followers of the Katherine II who stated the Varangians were polyethnic and the Slavs were the Sarmaths. Also as polyethnic tribe the Varangians were considered by M. Berlinsky. He was closed to the Slavic concept because he thought that the Russian statehood was Slavic in origin. The next group was presented by T.S. Mal'gin who based on the Tatishchev's "History of Russia". Mal'gin considered the Varangians as the Finns mainly. It is noticeable that Stritter originally stated the Varangians were the Finns but after the criticism from the side of Katherine II changed his opinion. The Scandinavian concept of the Varangians' origination was supported in his schoolbook only by M.N. Mura-viev. It should be stated that almost all the significant points of view from the scientific works on the above mentioned questions were expressed in the educational literature of that times. What schoolbook was the most popular among the pupils and teachers? Even though numerous new schoolbooks were written in the second half of the 18 century "Synopsis" (which was published firstly in 1674) was still staying the most popular educational book on the early Russian history. Apparently the public wasn't interested in meticulous and reasonable scientific analyses but was the fond of the concepts which contained the states of the ancient and glorious history of the Slavs.

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