Making Saints Out of Soldiers: Nikolaj Leskov’s ‘Kadetskii monastyr’’ and Hagiographization of the Recent Past

Abstract

In his short story ‘Kadetskii Monastyr’’ (‘The Cadet Monastery’), Nikolai Leskov resurrects elements of the hagiographical genre previously used to eulogize Russian saints and incorporates them into a modern panegyric, extolling the staff of The First Cadet Corps, arguably Russia’s most famous military school. In comparing the staff’s behavior with monastic asceticism and coenobitic life, the author conveys the subtle message that while traditional models of sanctity may need to be updated, the underlying emphasis on right daily conduct toward one’s fellow human beings should remain at the center of society’s ethical values.