The role of N. Ilminsky and S. Rachinsky in the formation of the personality of S. Smolensky
Authors: Tsuranova Oksana 
Published: November 2019

Background. The modern system of national education, including music, is on the path of reorganization and reformation. Creating new educational models, it is useful to refer to the samples, time-tested, created by people whose names are permanently inscribed in the European cultural and historical fund. This confirms the life and work of Stepan Vasilyevich Smolensky (1848–1909) – teacher, medievalist, composer, regent, reformer of the music education system, public and cultural figure, ideologist of the New Direction of Orthodox Music of the late XIX – first half of the XX centuries. The formation of the ideology of the musician-teacher, the approval of his convictions became possible in many ways thanks to the support of two of his contemporaries, outstanding pedagogical figures – N. Ilminsky and S. Rachinsky. Objectives. The purpose of the article is to reveal the personal interaction of S. Smolensky with N. Ilminsky, S. Rachinsky, to appraise the contribution of the latter to the formation and development of his ideological positions, which determined the direction of further professional activity. Methods. The article uses the method of historicism, which allows us to consider the phenomena of artistic culture, enlightenment and education in the dynamics of their formation. Results. The formation of S. Smolensky took place in the Kazan period of life under the influence of Nikolai Ilminsky and Sergey Rachinsky. Nikolai Ivanovich Ilminsky (1822–1891) – orientologist, mission temissionary-teacher, biblical scholar, takes a special place in the biography of Stepan Vasilyevich Smolensky. The scientific works of N. Ilminsky cover a wide area of knowledge, like that: theology, linguistics, foreign translation, pedagogy and missionary work. His scientific studies, their practical implementation, which have not lost their relevance even nowadays, put Nikolai Ivanovich in a row of prominent figures of the Orthodox enlightenment of small peoples of the Volga region, Ural region and Siberia. The merits of N. Ilmisnky belongs to the founding of the first schools for small nations of the Volga region, as well as the teachers’ seminary in Kazan, where S. Smolensky was invited to the post of teacher of singing, history and geography. Church singing was considered in the missionary policy of the government as an important strategic element of introducing baptized aliens to orthodoxy. To this end, S. Smolensky was involved in a large-scale project of translating religious chants into the languages of the national small peoples of the Volga region, which determined the direction of his entire musical and singing work. Fully sharing the beliefs of N. Ilminsky, the young teacher focused on teaching church singing, in the moral and educational significance of which he infinitely believed. The lack of a methodical program for this discipline in public schools made S. Smolensky delve into this area of knowledge, as a result of which he developed the author’s system of teaching the named subject. In his pedagogical activity, S. Smolensky made extensive use of the methodological manuals created by him, which became an indispensable teaching material for future teachers. Here in Kazan, with the assistance of N. Ilminsky was opened a new page in the life of S. Smolensky, his deep immersion in the field of paleographic research. In Kazan, in the period of close cooperation with N. Ilminsky, typical features of S. Smolensky’s future activity were outlined, which received its brilliant application in the next Moscow period of life, during his leadership and reforming the Synodal School of Church Singing and Choir. S. Smolensky called his last teacher Sergei Alexandrovich Rachinsky (1833–1902) – professor and founder of the Department of Plant Physiology, Moscow University, a teacher, corresponding member of the Imperial St.-Petersburg Academy of Sciences. The acquaintance of S. Smolensky and S. Rachinsky occurred on the basis of the folk soil, based on Orthodox ideals. Foresight of judgment and deep knowledge of ancient church chants gave S. Rachinsky the right to take an active part in the scientific and educational activities of S. Smolensky. This confirms the extensive work carried out by S. Smolensky on the harmonization of the main Orthodox chants, undertaken at the insistence of his elder friend. The reforms carried out by S. Smolensky in Moscow and St.-Petersburg were fundamentally based on the education system of S. Rachinsky, aimed at developing the national element. Conclusions. A powerful monolith in the face of the polyglot and the manager N. Ilminsky, set off by the elegance of the artistic, but at the same time «meekly obstinate» nature of the educator-creator S. Rachinsky multiplied to the personality of Stepan Vasilyevich. In turn, the example of the life and work of S. Smolensky set a high tone and indicated a movement vector for many respectable professionals of musicians, teachers, choir masters, and scientists. Faith S. Smolensky, by lifeblood of the folk song and znamenny chant, inspired a wide range of composers, including P. Chesnokov, A. Kastalsky, S. Rachmaninov, A. Grechaninov, A. Nikolsky, N. Golovanov, K. Shvedov, Vik. Kalinnikov and others. Becoming one of the founders of medievalism in the area of church music, S. Smolensky outlined the main components of a scientific search in the history and theory of ortodox church singing, in the course of which A. Preobrazhensky, A. Nikolsky and others. A gifted teacher and organizer, S. Smolensky showed an example of the work of exemplary musical institutions whose school was attended by the greatest choirmaster of the last century: P. Chesnokov, N. Golovanov, N. Danilin, S. Zharov, A. Egorov and others. What has been said gives the right to assert that we can be fruitful in history, provided, like S. Smolensky, we will with intense effort learn from our forefathers, carefully looking at the value of their professional and life experience.