NICHOLAS HANS: HISTORICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE RUSSIAN TRADITIONS IN EDUCATION OF THE 18TH–19TH CENTURIES
Authors:   Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Aksenovа A. Yu. 
Published: December 2024

Introduction. The purpose of the article is to examine the historical heritage of the Russian emigrant scholar N.A. Hans. The subject of the research is the thinker’s perspective on the Russian educational tradition of the 18th–19th centuries and the unique features of its origin and development during this historical period. The objectives of the study are to defi ne and describe the Russian educational traditions represented by Hans, as well as to analyze their fundamental traits and cultural characteristics.
Materials and Methods. The research was conducted on the basis of N.A. Hans’s English- language works on the history of Russian pedagogy using the traditional historical and pedagogical method of research and comparative method of interpreting historical and pedagogical phenomena. These scholar’s books have not been translated into Russian yet. The author of the article has a professional philological education (English philology), which made it possible to analyze and study the texts of the scientist in sufficient depth, as well as to quote the author’s own translations in the text of this article.
Results. The research resulted in the definitions of the main essential characteristics and distinctive features of the Russian educational tradition of the period under study, which include the concept of secular education as a continuation of the traditions of Byzantine education, a description of the complex and peculiar relationship between two different approaches in education – the European and Russian traditions – and their close interaction throughout the 18th–19th centuries. In addition, the Messianic role of education in the development of Russian culture, described by N.A. Hans in his works, is reviewed. Special attention is also paid to the consideration of the Hans’ position in understanding the traditions of Russian education and their connection with the author’s modern realities.
Discussion and Conclusion. N.A. Hans was one of the few scholars who managed not only to reveal the uniqueness of the traditions of Russian education, but also to convey them to the English-speaking reader in his works published during his emigration period. Unfortunately, Hans is still little known in Russia. His view on the history of Russian Pedagogy is also of great interest to the modern Russian reader since most of the issues and themes raised by the author fi nd their relevance in modern educational policy within the framework of determining ways to develop pedagogical thought and preserve the rich traditional heritage of the past. In this sense, N.A. Hans is undoubtedly very modern. His scientific work is based on attempts to compare different cultures, ways to describe the uniqueness and originality of the Russian educational tradition in the interaction of the latter with various European schools. It is extremely valuable in the modern context of global educational policy. The study of his work can open up new approaches to the interpretation of both historical phenomena and the modern understanding of the traditions of Russian education, as well as contribute to a deeper understanding of Russian culture and Russian pedagogy. All this proves that Hans’s works have great scientific potential and require further additional study and in-depth analysis, which may be presented in the author’s next publications.