"Science of the Russian language": Nikolai Gavrilovich Kurganov and his "Pismovnik" (to mark the tercentenary of the enlightener’s birth)

This article analyses the linguistic experiment of the gifted 18th-century thinker N. G. Kurganov, namely "Pismovnik" (language and literature textbook for self-study), which became a breakthrough in linguodidactics. The research examines the structure and unusual content of the book which combined the genres of a Russian language textbook and a chrestomathy, i. e., "verbal description". The unique composition of the textbook enabled readers to effortlessly master the basics of grammar while simultaneously becoming familiar with the literary, philosophical, and spiritual traditions. The study highlights the author’s original method of interpreting linguistic material and its presentation to readers. Additionally, N. G. Kurganov’s techniques employed to describe literary and scientific texts as well as the distinctive features of using lexical means are characterised. Moreover, the findings indicate the epistemological nature of 18th-century educational knowledge. The study employed descriptive, comparative-historical, textual, stylistic and sociolinguistic analysis. The important practical applications of the "Pismovnik" as a linguistic thought landmark in philological theory and practice are emphasised. The article concludes that N. G. Kurganov’s book has heuristic potential and can be used in schools and universities as a source for historical lexicology and scientific discourse studies.