The Role of Historical Education in the State Ideology of Russia

The paper substantiates the leading role of historical education as an ideological and moral foundation of the state ideology of Russia. The study identifies the approximate beginning of the historical education process as the last third of the 18th century, when the first historical studies were published. Those studies insisted on sistematic presentation of the entire history of the Russian state, along with practical steps taken within the framework of enlightened absolutism. Using the chronological approach, the paper examines the most important stages of the historical education process during both the imperial period and subsequent periods, including the Soviet and post-Soviet eras. Particular attention is paid to the pivotal moments in the history of Russian statehood when the role of ideology based on historical and spiritual and moral values significantly increased: the Patriotic War of 1812, the Crimean War of 1853–1856, the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, and the modern period (the Special Military Operation). The paper highlights the complex and lengthy process of the formation and evolution of historical education, from the first scientific systematizations of the early 18th century, created by A. I. Mankiev, V. N. Tatishchev, M. M. Shcherbatov, and N. M. Karamzin, to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, V. V. Putin, «On Approving the Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Field of Historical Education» (2024). The paper also attempts to analyze the practical steps taken by government authorities and public organizations in the field of historical education for the population of Russia.