The Religious Factor in the Development of Folk Education in Podillia (1864–1917): Historical and Comparative Aspects of Spiritual and Intellectual Education

The article analyzes the role of the religious factor in the development of folk education in Podillia between 1864 and 1917, particularly in the context of the educational reforms of the Russian Empire. The study explores the relationship between religious education and general education in religious institutions such as monastery schools, theological seminaries, parish schools, as well as the role of state zemstvo schools. It emphasizes that religious education, alongside general education, played an important role in shaping moral and ethical standards, especially in the context of Podillia, a multi-confessional region where Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Jews, and Protestants coexisted. The article examines the specific features of religious education for each of these groups, providing a comprehensive view of the educational situation in Podillia during this period. Particular attention is paid to religious schools as instruments for preserving national and cultural traditions in the context of the policy of Russification implemented by the Russian Empire, especially in the western provinces. The study investigates how, despite efforts by the government to Russify education, church schools not only provided religious instruction but also fundamental general education, thus preparing students for adult life. The article also analyzes spiritual and intellectual education, which became the foundation for forming civic values, social norms, and an active civic stance under imperial rule. Church educational institutions in Podillia became centers for preserving religious identity, which in turn supported the development of national consciousness in the region. A comparative analysis of religious schools among different ethnic and religious groups allows for a deeper understanding of the role of education in cultural processes at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Until 1917, religion played an important role in shaping education in Podillia, where parochial schools were the basis for the moral upbringing of young people. However, after the revolution and the secularization of education, not only the learning process itself but also the cultural and moral climate changed. The loss of the religious component in education led to significant changes in society, including the spread of socialist ideas that differed significantly from traditional Christian values.