EN
The article introduces esoteric currents of European Enlightenment, which are sometimes referred to as the dark side of Enlightenment. We propose referring to them as illuminism, because they involve a movement, which was not a component of the Enlightenment, but rather its competitor. Our concept is based on six characteristics of esotericism according to Antoine Faivre, but we have adapted them to our purpose, i.e. distinction between illuminism and Enlightenment. Finally, we briefly introduce the main centres and persons of European illuminism. We emphasize the significance of a dialogue with Russia in the all-European context, the north-German and south-German centre within Central Europe and Bordeaux, Lyon and Strasbourg in France.