“...About the Beginning of the Slavic-Russian People”: the Views of the Russian Thinkers of the 16-17 Centuries on the Origin of Russian Civilization

Abstract

The special role of Russia in the world history and its civilizational status is recognized by all representatives of the civilizational approach. However, this understanding did not arise from nowhere, but relied on the basis of the already prepared deep and complex intellectual work of Russian scribes. The question of Russia’s role and place in the world historical process as a separate civilization was studied by Russian authors since the earliest times. At the national level, that issue was actualized in the 16-17 centuries. On the basis on the analysis of the texts of the 16-17 centuries. the author of the article examines in detail what approaches to the understanding of their place in the world’s Christian history were developed by the scribes who were involved in the formation of the historical policy of the Russian state. The author suggests to distinguish two such approaches – the dynastic and the national ones.