On Russian Literature, its Teaching and Literature Centrism

Abstract

The article discusses Russian literature and its impact on Russian cultural and social life. The author focuses on the role of literature in the educational programmes offered by early Russian universities (Kiyv-Mohyla Academy, Slavic Greek Latin Academy and Moscow State University). The article also outlines the sequence of literary epochs in Russia from the 18th to the 20th century in order to highlight the privileged status and the social prestige of literature (literature centrism) in Russian culture. Throughout its evolution period, Russian literature has evidently been held in high social esteem and recognized for its didactic and moralizing function; its patriotic motives of serving the country; its role in empowering resistance and dissent; and its characteristic axiological orientation, enriched with spiritual and metaphysical elements. The article also lays out ideas and opinions of critics, writers and literature researchers on literature in general (J. Krzyżanowski, U. Eco, W. Iser) along with a spectrum of appraisals regarding Russian literature – from positive to strongly negative ones (W. Bieliński, V. Rozanov, W. Chodasiewicz, V. Nabokov, A. Tertz, M. Epstein, I. Sukhikh, S. Rassadin).