M. P. POGODIN’S WORK ON TEACHING POLITICAL HISTORY AT THE IMPERIAL MOSCOW UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Aim. The contribution of the outstanding Russian historian, political publicist, and public figure Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin (1800–1875) to university education, as well as to the formation of methods and methodology for teaching historical disciplines is outlined.

Methodology. M. P. Pogodin's little-known textbook, “Lectures on Guerin’s Theory of Politics, Communication, and Trade of the Main Peoples of the Ancient World,” as well as reviews of history textbooks by I. K. Kaidanov (1780–1843) are analyzed in this study.

Results. It is demonstrated that M. P. Pogodin was among the first to emphasize the importance of teaching political history and the need to provide the educational process with educational and scientific literature in the native language. M. P. Pogodin had both urged his colleagues to create textbooks and manuals prepared “correctly in Russian, in the wonderful spiritual devotion to God, the Tsar, and the Fatherland, with a pure moral purpose,” and himself made great efforts in this regard, earning “the gratitude of his students and readers.”

Research implications. The facts presented in this article contribute to the development of the history of historical and political science in Russia. The conclusions and results of the study can be used in the creation of scholarly articles and monographs on the history of social and political thought in Russia, as well as in the educational process.