The Russian imperial education system in the decolonial perspective

Abstract

Introduction. Nowadays we are witnessing a movement from values imposed on the whole world by Western civilization to values that correlate with the values of local communities. In this regard, it makes important to consider education policy, which had a great impact on the culture of colonized peoples, in accordance with the principle of historicism, as a fundamental way of understanding past events, taking into account the historical particularities of the past.Purpose setting. Using the history of colonial education in Russia as an example, author examines its impact on the colonized peoples.Methodology and methods of the study. The methods and methodology of the study are represented by the decolonial approach developed by W. Mignolo. The object of this study is the philosophy of education. The subject of the research is the coloniality in the Russian educational system.Results. Based on the theory of decolonization, author examines coloniality and its origins in the Russian educational system, referring to the history of development and formation of colonial education in Russia. Author emphasizes the Russian Empire's policy towards «gentiles», which focused on education as a method of colonization, and believes that public education in the Soviet Union is a continuation of this policy.Conclusion. Author concludes that the time for educational paradigms with colonial objectives has passed, and that it is now necessary to enable the development of new educational systems whose origins we can see using the decolonial approach. Author argues that a decolonial approach will open up new ways of learning, as opposed to the Western system of learning which has been broadcast around the world as the only true system.