Vasily Zhukovsky as an Ideologist and Practitioner of Education and Bringing-Up of Grand Prince Alexander Nikolaevich (Based on the Letters to Karl Merder)

The aim of the article is to analyse the first Russian Romanticist poet Vasily Zhukovsky's strategy of behavior in the sphere of "court pedagogy", tools and functions of his social influence. In the post-Deccembrist epoch, most difficult for Russia, Zhukovsky acted as the ideologist and the practitioner of education and bringing-up of future Russian Emperor Alexander II. This research problem is revealed on the archival material of Zhukovsky's letters of 1826-1833 to Karl Merder, his colleague in bringing up the then Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich. The research is interdisciplinary, bringing together literary studies (in particular, historical, literary and textual approaches), sociology of literature and culture. Zhukovsky's letters to Merder, which required scientific research in connection with their dating and immersion in the context of the epistolary and other poet's works, are also considered through the prism of the author's relations with the contemporary sociocultural environment. The study showed that the poet acted in the enlightened autocracy logic taking upon himself a mission to bring up a new type of ruler for Russia and, in this way, influencing the government policy in solving urgent problems of the country. With his social-historical utopian ideas, Zhukovsky is to be recognized as a man greatly influencing the shape of views in the Russian society of the time and reflecting, first of all, aspirations of intellectuals who considered themselves to be crucial agents in the modernization and Europeanization processes in Russia. With a desire to change the existing order and power, but denying a revolutionary way, the poet looked forward to the gradual reforms launched and supported by the government. Consequently, the poet strove to become a confidant for the supreme power who can influence it and shape its image. At the same time, Zhukovsky tried to grow a "sprout" of public opinion regarding his ideology and, for this purpose, united a number of people in various spheres of his activity, for example, in the sphere of court teaching. Based on the results of the study of Zhukovsky's pedagogical activity, the author comes to conclusions concerning the methodological, historical, literary and sociocultural significance of this kind of research. It allows recognizing that literature is a specific social institution that organizes reproduction and functioning of culture. Research contributes to the systematic description of Zhukovsky's place and role in the development of Russian literature of the second half of the 19th century. The considered poet's letters to Merder discover, in particular, important pages in the history of court teaching performed by the Russian writers. Finally, the study of Zhukovsky's activity as a teacher helps in the creation of a complete academic Zhukovsky's biography and tradition he is part of as a writer and educator.

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