THE HISTORY OF IDEAS AND THE HISTORY OF PEOPLE: EVIL AS AN IDEA, ITS BEARERS AND THEIR RUSSIAN IMAGES (MIDDLE AGES AND EARLY MODERN TIMES)

Abstract

Evil is one of the end-to-end universal ideas in the history of humankind, the methodology for studying such ideas on the example of manifestations of the idea of abundance in different cultural and historical contexts was conducted by A. Lovejoy. Evil has similar manifestations as an idea, which finds its expression in history in exceptionally vivid and emotionally loaded images of villains as bearers of this idea in practice. In the Russian history of the Middle Ages and early modern times, the idea of evil manifested itself in the images of villains, evil found its expression at different stages and correlated with the concept of sin, when compared with the images of Holy Scripture. Since the time of Prince Kurbsky, it began to be associated not only with the machinations of the devil, but also with the personal qualities of people and acquired a political meaning. Since the 17th century, since the Time of Troubles, it was been supplemented with a social meaning and combined with the concept of «theft». At the same times, a negative attitude towards evil and its bearers remained on a moral basis. Russian history’s villainous images of the Middle Ages and early modern times have become firmly embedded in the culture of Russian society and have developed as a significant place and its historical memory.