L. N. TOLSTOY AND F. M. DOSTOEVSKY AS THE PRECURSORS OF RUSSIAN RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY

This paper examines the main theses of L. N. Tolstoy and F. M. Dostoevsky, expressed in works, drafts and letters, and became the cornerstone in the formation of Russian religious philosophy of the 19th and 20th centuries. Despite the fact that in the works of Lev Tolstoy and F. M. Dostoevsky it is impossible to find a dissected and detailed philosophical or theological system, their contribution to the development of Russian religious philosophy cannot be over-estimated, as evidenced by the works of S. N. Bulgakov, D. S. Merezhkovsky, P. A. Florensky, V. V. Rozanov, Vyach. Ivanova, L. I. Shestov, A. L. Volynsky, S. A. Askoldov, V. V. Zenkovsky, N. O. Lossky, etc. The comprehension of two great writers of the 19th century is a reaction of the turn-of-thecentury era to cultural, social and historical circumstances that led to new needs and questions, and also forced a reassessment of the value system. In this context, the article shows that the concept of "goodness", to which Leo Tolstoy repeatedly returned, has again become relevant among Russian religious philosophers. Religious philosophy itself in the image of Tolstoy found its almost tactile confirmation, if we take into account the clearly protruding bonds between the writer's life and his work. On the other hand, Dostoevsky's work found a greater response due to his commitment to a more orthodox understanding of Christianity with a clearly expressed neo-mythologization. The study examines the most important artistic principle of Dostoevsky called "realism in the highest sense", which played an important role in the development of symbolist poetics.