ДАТА РОЖДЕНИЯ К. Д. УШИНСКОГО: ЗАВЕРШЕНИЕ ДИСКУССИИ

Abstract

The problem associated with determining the exact date of birth of great Russian teacher Konstantin Dmitrievich Ushinsky is being considered. There is a contradiction in the available documentary sources, which became the basis for the appearance of different versions, there are two main ones for 2021 — February 19, 1823 and February 19, 1824. It is noted that the basis of the version of 1824 was the memoirs of Ushinsky himself, his close friends M. K. Chaly and Yu. S. Rekhnevsky, as well as his first biographers. The unreliability of memories as a historical source is emphasized, in support of the memoirs of Chaly, from which one can conclude both about 1823 and about 1824. The reasoning of the Soviet adherents of version 1824 is considered, based on the authors' assumptions about deception by the parents of K. D. Ushinsky of the Tula Spiritual Consistory to obtain a birth certificate, making son Konstantin a year elder than the true age, with the aim of earlier enrollment in the gymnasium. Documents of the State Archive of the Tula Region related to the issue of identifying the Tula Spiritual Consistory of witness and documentary evidence of the birth and baptising Konstantin on February 19, 1823 in Tula are analyzed. It is emphasized that the testimony of witnesses is supported by irrefutable documentary evidence — a formal list for the service of Father D. G. Ushinsky, issued by the office of the Minister of Finance of the Russian Empire. The role of ascetics — teachers of Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushinsky and Tula State Pedagogical University named after L. N. Tolstoy in substantiating and promoting the version of 1823 is considered. The decisive role of the President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin in the final recognition of 1823 the year of K. D. Ushinsky birth is emphasized.