Abstract
The problem of Happiness is a topical subject in the history of world literature and culture. In the Middle Ages the Christian church dogma ousted the happiness from the land: a man felt guilty because of permanent sinful life, eschatological fears and the only possible way for him was to suffer, which was a necessary condition of celestial bliss after death. Only in Modern Times European enlighteners brought back the happiness from heaven to earth. Poets and philosophers announced and protected one of their key theses: ―A man is born to be happy!‖ Enlighteners looked for true happiness, reflected on personal and public happiness, and developed a model of universal happiness. The scope of this essay is to observe the main stages in the process of seeking happiness by Russian poets and philosophers, to research the remarkable poems articulated the idea of happiness.
Key words
Enlightenment, Happiness, XVIII-th poetry, Russian Culture