'Soul' is one of the fundamental categories of our consciousness. What does it mean for a child? Russian children from an urban area (n = 148) were interviewed to answer this question. The data shows that children understand soul as an internal phenomenon, which is responsible for the social, emotional and moral life of a person. Children believe that the soul has primacy over the body, serves to control and guide human behaviour and performs such functions as emotions, thinking, memory and wishes. Children communicate animistic, ethical and psychological meanings to the concept of soul. Comparative data obtained in four age groups of children (5-6, 6-7, 7-8, 9-10 year olds) are discussed.
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