В статье исследован начальный период жизни российского подданного, имевшего немецкие корни, - Николая Карловича Шильдера (1842-1902). На основе сведений, выявленных в архивных и опубликованных исторических источниках, а также в приложениях к опубликованным историческим трудам, рассмотрен процесс приобретения молодым Н.К. Шильдером среднего (в Пажеском корпусе) и высшего (в Николаевской Инженерной Академии) образования, а также результат формирования его личности как патриота России. Определен объем знаний и качество навыков, полученных им во время учебы, степень его подготовленности к деятельности как военного инженера, так и историка-исследователя. В статье доказано, что он получил профессиональные знания, необходимые военному инженеру, привык мыслить масштабно, трудиться систематически, самостоятельно и творчески. Авторы пришли к выводу, что самодисциплина и приобретенные навыки научно-исследовательской работы стали залогом его будущих успехов в области военно-политической истории и в биографическом жанре.
The purpose of the article is to replenish the information field of Russian historians by introducing data about a little-known element in the historiography in the system of staff training in elite educational institutions of Russia in the middle of the 19th century. The object of the study is the young age of Nikolai Karlovich Schilder (1842-1902), who by honourable service in the military field rose to the rank of Lieutenant General (1893) after completing two educational institutions. As a result of his historical studies, he became the corresponding member of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1900). Based on the information found in archival and published historical sources, as well as in the annexes to the published historical works, there is considered the process of N.K. Schilder's acquiring not only a large body of knowledge, but also the process of his personality formation as a patriot of Russia. Five years (1857-1862) were a special period of his life as a future military engineer and historian - the time when he obtained secondary and special higher military education. The years of studies in the Pages Corps and the Nikolaev Engineering Academy were of great use for him. He showed good results in studies and extraordinary creative abilities. The article shows the scope of knowledge and quality of skills obtained by N.K. Shilder while studying, the degree of his preparedness to work both as a military engineer and historian-researcher. The article proves that he obtained professional knowledge necessary for a military engineer; he was accustomed to thinking big, to working systematically, independently and creatively. Self-discipline and acquired skills of research work were the key to his future success in the field of military and military-political history and in the biographical genre.