Виховні ідеали Підкамінського алюмнату: аналіз «Інструкції» 1730 р

This article explores the implementation and operation of an additional level of education at the Pidkamin Dominican Monastery, following the establishment of the boarding school/lower seminary in 1730 by R. Russian. The institution was intended for the children of impoverished nobility. Several normative documents, including the foundation act signed by the monastery’s prior, the provincial, and the founder, as well as the «Instruction» governed its existence. The «Instruction» clearly outlined the functioning of the alumnat, including means of support, the roles of the prefect and the inspector, and the duties of the students. Drawing from previous educational practices – likely influenced by Jesuit traditions, Roman normative documentation, and customary Dominican educational norms in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – and specifically tailored for the Pidkamin convent, the «Instruction» reveals the educational model intended for implementation by the monks. In response to frequent deficiencies in the educational level among Dominican candidates, the proposed educational program formed the foundation for pre-monastic studies for the nobility, introducing a relatively new level of study within the Dominican educational model, preceding direct entry into the convent.

The analyzed regulatory documents provide insights into the «ideals» and values of the educational process, daily life, and prayer practices. The detailed regulation of daily life for the alumni highlights the priorities in integrating young men into monastic life. However, the current lack of statistical data regarding the subsequent activities of alumni limits the interpretation of their spiritual careers.

The educational programs for 12-year-olds, aligned with the Dominican educational model – which combined prayer practices, learning, and disciplined everyday life – lasted at Pidkamin for just over half a century (1720s–1780s). It is suggested that these educational practices were crucial for the future candidates’ affiliation with the Dominican Order. The examined regulatory framework, which introduced an additional educational level, enhances the understanding of certain aspects of the Pidkamin Convent’s activities in the mid-18th  century and suggests a new direction for socio-cultural research on the educational ideals of the Dominican Order.