Home – Home – Jornals – "Philosophy of Education" 2016 number 3

The article analyses the activity of the Altay Spiritual mission in the history of the Altay people, its social work concerning the creation of schools, public education and enlightenment. It is claimed that education and upbringing of young generation became a resource of the development of the traditional society. Being actively involved in the process of Altai colonization, the Orthodox Church not only created the traditional social and institutional forms (ecclesiastical authorities, parishes and parish churches network), but also, as the main ideological instrument and guide of the state policy and Altai colonization, served the universal cultural functions: it took on the task of organizing the public education, regulated and sacralized the entire life of the congregation by introducing the Christian order in it, had an impact on the development of the artistic life, determining the direction of development of various forms of artistic creation (temple architecture). The Orthodox Christianity has had a tremendous influence on the formation of spiritual and moral life of the peoples of southern Siberia. A special role in the process of establishing a new worldview, adequate to modern conditions of development of the Altai peoples, were played by the events organized by the Altai spiritual mission. Missionaries introduced the aboriginal people to the health standards of everyday life, taught church and secular literacy to the children of both sexes and adults. One of the results of missionary activity was familiarizing people with reading books. The authors make a conclusion that education is decisive for realization of the socio-cultural tendencies and perspectives of the development of the Altay people.