THE EDUCATIONAL AND PEDAGOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF ARCHPRIEST PETRO MAZANOV IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH – AT THE BEGINNING FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY

This article explores the educational and pedagogical activities of Archpriest Petro Ivanovych Mazanov during the second half of the 19th – the early 20th century. For the first time, his involvement in the organisation and administration of religious and secular education in the Poltava Governorate is considered comprehensively, including his roles as a member of the administration of the Poltava Theological School, a religion teacher in a number of educational institutions (Poltava Institute for Noble Maidens, district, real and municipal schools, Mariinsky Girls’ Gymnasium), a member of the Council of the Women’s Diocesan School, and an active participant in diocesan congresses. The article reveals Mazanov’s influence on the moral and religious upbringing of pupils, his initiatives aimed at improving the educational process, enhancing the material resources of institutions, introducing new subjects (such as singing, drawing, and drafting), and his concern for discipline and living conditions. Special attention is given to his role as the author of textbooks on the Law of God, which were included in the curricula of both religious and secular institutions. The pedagogical principles of the priest are traced, particularly through his addresses to students and the publication of edifying writings. The article also highlights ideas of the archpriest on the importance of education for the spiritual development of the individual and the preservation of traditional Christian values.