Sergey Pakhomov Specific Features of Contemporary Russian Esoteriology Sergey Pakhomov - Chairman of the Association for the Study of Esotericism and Mysticism; Associate Professor, Department of Oriental Philosophy and Culture, Faculty of Philosophy, Saint Petersburg State University (Russia), sarpa68@mail.ru Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, all sorts of mystic-esoteric literature poured into Russia, and the growing interest to these themes required serious academic research. The Russian science of esotericism has been developing in two directions, one "particular" (study of particular traditions), and another "general" (understanding the entire phenomenon of esotericism). This article mostly deals with the latter trend, systematizing various interpretations of the term "esotericism"; discussing specific features, functions, and structures of esotericism; classifying its forms and levels; etc. The paper also gives an overview of activities of the major academic community dealing with esotericism in Russia, the Association for the Study of Esotericism and Mysticism (ASEMj. Keywords: esotericism, study of esotericism in Russia, esoteric knowledge, methodology, ASEM. Esoteric teachings are a call for a radical and uncompromising change, first of all, of ourselves and only after that of the world as inseparable from us. V. M. Rozin FIRST, in the 1990s, Western humanities (primarily in religious studies) began to study esotericism as a complex subject field. Lone scientists were replaced by entire research groups and institutes; page 36the research process has received a new impetus for development, and since then it has not weakened. Scientific communities are organized 1, thematic conferences are held, which are attended by more and more highly qualified specialists 2, monographs and collections of articles are published, journals are published, in addition, esotericism is studied at university departments, and academic degrees are awarded in this discipline 3. The ... Read more