Kaitova, Irina A.
Izvestia SOIGSI. 2022. IIS 43 (82).

Abstract:
One of the brightest representatives of the mountain enlightenment, Kosta Khetagurov,
played a big role in shaping the national identity of his people. His historical merit is that
thanks to him and his associates, a fundamentally cultural-philosophical and ethical-aesthetic
type of Ossetian social consciousness was formed, which influenced the social life of the people
as a whole. Briefly, the main features of this type are as follows. Firstly, it is the democratic
nature of Ossetian culture as one of the significant spheres of public consciousness. Secondly, its
anthropomorphism, in accordance with which the idea of a person as a measure of all things
and phenomena was established in the mountain public consciousness. Thirdly, the dominance
in it of such ethical and aesthetic categories as beauty, goodness, measure and harmony, etc.
Fourthly, its inclusiveness, i.e. the indispensable role of its ideals in all spheres of society: sociohistorical,
everyday life, political, judicial-administrative, military, etc. Fifthly, its purposeful
focus on the education of a comprehensively developed, worthy personality, in the formation of
an ideal, i.e. a wonderful and kind person, to the formation of the best personality traits: courage,
valor, honesty, diligence, goodwill, tolerance as the most important civic feeling. One of the most
important principles of Kosta’s aesthetics is the principle of the integrity of human nature in
general and the striking uniqueness of each individual personality. As an unsurpassed portrait
master, Kosta traces the unique uniqueness of each person, the inner, organic integrity of human
nature, which is clearly expressed in the individual character of a particular person. According
to Kosta, the diversity of the human race always manifests itself, in its singular expression, as a
specific individual character. But human individuality is determined by a natural principle and
is determined by a socio-historical factor. In his artistic work, Kosta reflected his ideas about
man as the highest value of being. Moreover, he formed his subjective ideas based on the folkethical
“ideals of goodness and justice. And this has led to their “survivability” for almost two
centuries.

Keywords: person, values, creativity, image, hero, spirituality, ideal

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