The idea of the state and popular thought in the poetry of Apollon Maykov

The article examines the reflection and consistent confirmation of the religious and patriotic ideals of the Russian people in the work of Apollon Maykov. The poet’s view of the Russian statehood as a national value is analysed. The deep historicism, topicality and enduring significance of Apollon Maykov’s spiritual heritage are emphasised. The author of the article proves that the image of the Russian state, which was inherent in the spiritual image of the Orthodox people, was originally expected in Apollon Maykov’s poetry, correlated with the organic ability of unconditional personal sacrifice in the name of love, in the name of common needs and interests, in the name of Russia. The fundamental principles of the state-forming concepts of family, fatherland, motherland, and statehood, embodied in Russian literature, are formulated. Special attention is paid to Apollon Maykov’s poems about statesmen (Alexander Nevsky, Ivan the Terrible), their difficult life and fate, inseparable from the history of Russia.