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5. Professors and lecturers of Moscow University in girls’ boarding schools of the Mariinsky Establishment (first half of 19th century until 1917)

Professors and lecturers of Moscow University in girls’ boarding schools of the Mariinsky Establishment (first half of 19th century until 1917)

Ponomareva V.V.

Lomonosov Moscow State University, History Department, Lomonosov Prospect, 27, 4, Moscow, 119192, Russia

Ponomareva Varvara V., PhD; ID ORCID: 0000-0003-1707-2281; varvarapon@mail.ru.

Abstract

Introduction. One of the most current themes in Russian historiography is the study of the history of universities, with particular attention rightly paid to the oldest – Moscow University. Still the role that professors and lecturers of the Moscow University played in the national establishment of women’s education in the first half of 19th century, and their work in girls’ boarding schools until 1917, remains unstudied. Materials and methods. This article was written based on archive documents, anniversary articles from girls’ schools, biographical facts of university figures, schools’ staff lists from yearly publications, periodicals and personal documents. Results and discussion. From the beginning of 19th century, girls’ boarding schools with general plan of education were being established in Moscow: Ekaterininskii (in 1803), Aleksandrovskii (in 1805), Elizavetinskii (in 1825), Aleksandriiskii for Orphans (in 1831), Nikolaevskii for Orphans (in 1837), Aleksandro-Mariinskii Chertovoi (in 1857), Institute for Moscow Nobility (in 1901), in which lecturers from Moscow University were invited to teach. Throughout this period, general methods of organisation of the study process and its governance were thought out, programmes and reports were prepared and textbooks and supporting materials were developed. Thanks to these schools, the number of women in Russia who received systematic education of the same level as other schools’ education of that time was increased. Former pupils became intellectually worthy wives of academics, who often preferred to send their daughters to schools where they themselves taught. Until the 1840s, a significant proportion of university teaching staff in these schools were professors. However, the rise of qualified specialists and the renewal of teaching staff was the result of planned state policy of rearing academic and teaching experts. From the second half of 19th century, professors took the role of class inspectors, who directed the teaching process, and their places were taken by more junior members of the university (generally privat-docent), many of whom later became outstanding academics. Moscow University members’ work in girls’ schools all the way through the latter’s existence from the start of the 19th century until 1917 provided a high level of setting the teaching standard.

Keywords

historical antropology; female education in Russia; closed girl’s boarding schools; history of Moscow University

DOI: 10.32521/2074-8132.2019.3.128-138

Цит.: Ponomareva V.V. Professors and lecturers of Moscow University in girls’ boarding schools of the Mariinsky Establishment (first half of 19th century until 1917) // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2019; 3/2019; с. 128-138