Institutes for noble maidens. Founding of the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens. Institute of Noble Maidens
Graduates of the Smolny Institute noble maidens They were called muslin young ladies not at all because they were sissies, but because of the fabric from which their prom dresses were made. In fact, the path from a junior class student to a muslin graduate was very difficult! Life in Smolny for many Smolyans was similar to the description of all the strictures and deprivations of that orphanage in which Charlotte Bronte settled her heroine Jane Eyre. The future muslin young lady had to show not only diligence and humility, but also strength of character, physical health. And who knows how many children’s and girlish tears were shed in the dormitories of Smolny until the little girl, cut off from home and family, turns into a Smolyanka graduate. Years passed, the rules and living conditions at the Smolny Institute changed, and graduate after graduate young noble maidens entered adulthood. What was it like for them, and what mark did Smolny graduates leave on history?
Liven Daria (Dorothea), 9th issue, 1800 - the first secret agent
The daughter of General Christopher Benckendorff, Dorothea, lost her mother early and, together with her sisters, came under the care of Maria Feodorovna, the wife of Paul I. Fortunately for the girl, Sophia of Württemberg, the future Russian Empress, and her mother Anna-Yuliana were friends since childhood. Maria Fedorovna arranged for the Benckendorff sisters to study at the Smolny Institute, although they were no longer suitable in age, but an exception can be made for the Empress. Unlike other Smolensk girls, the girls occupied a privileged position; they were given separate rooms, because Maria Fedorovna visited them almost every week.
Daria (Dorothea) Benkendorf received an excellent education for a girl, she read and spoke 4 languages, played music and danced. After graduating from Smolny, the Empress personally took charge of organizing their personal life. Dorothea, who was promoted to maid of honor a year before graduating from Smolny, deserved her special attention. The time has come to choose a suitable groom. The first candidate was Count Alexei Arakcheev, but the “muslin young lady” did not like him so much that he was immediately rejected, and the choice fell on another candidate - Count Christopher Lieven.
Soon Lieven made a good diplomatic career, taking first the post of ambassador in Berlin, and then in Prussia and England. The husband became an ambassador, and the wife... a secret agent. Although she was not particularly beautiful, her sharp mind and charm attracted the attention of many politicians and diplomats. The Austrian Chancellor Metternich, the head of the Foreign Office George Canning, and the French Prime Minister Francois Guizot could not resist. Prominent statesmen became interested in the Russian Sibyl, and Daria Lieven became interested in politics. Historians, politicians, writers visited her salons in London and Paris and talked, talked, talked, and Daria listened... and passed on information to Alexander I and Foreign Minister Karl Nesselrode.
The first Russian female diplomat and secret agent rolled into one is Daria (Dorothea) Lieven, a graduate of the Institute of Noble Maidens.
Ekaterina Ermolaevna Kern, 21st graduation, 1836 - I remember a wonderful moment...
Two Muses - Catherine and Anna Kern
Daughter of Anna Kern and General Ermolai Kern, goddaughter of Emperor Alexander I - Catherine Kern. Since childhood, deprived of the attention of her parents, who were more occupied with themselves and the eternal showdown of relationships, Ekaterina was sent to be raised at the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens. Having demonstrated a certain diligence and ability in the sciences taught to Smolensk students, she graduated with honors. After graduation, she lived for 3 years with her father, who was then the commandant of Smolensk, and then returned to the Smolny Institute, becoming a classy lady. The husband of the composer’s sister, Mikhail Glinka, also served at the institute at that time. Glinka loved to visit the hospitable home of his beloved sister and on one of his visits he met Ekaterina Ermolaevna Kern. Mikhail Ivanovich himself did not notice how he fell in love with a girl 14 years younger than him. Catherine responded to his feelings, becoming a source of inspiration for the composer. Thus was born the famous romance based on the poems of Alexander Pushkin, who dedicated his lines to Catherine’s mother, Anna Kern. Glinka also dedicated another romance to Catherine Kern - “If I Meet You”, several other, less well-known ones and the delightful Waltz-Fantasy Valse-Fantaisie.
Unfortunately, their love did not have a happy ending. They broke up. Catherine refused another marriage for a long time, thinking that their relationship would resume. Only after losing all hope did Kern marry lawyer Mikhail Shokalsky, give birth to a son, and 10 years later she was widowed, left without funds. Help came only from Pushkin’s son, Grigory Alexandrovich. She devoted herself entirely to raising her son, sometimes earning money to support herself by working as a governess. The son lived up to his mother's hopes - Yuli Shokalsky became President of the Russian Federation Geographical Society and academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
Daughter of the Muse of the Poet, Muse of the Composer, Ekaterina Kern - graduate of the Institute of Noble Maidens
Elena of Montenegro, 59th issue, 1891 - princess, queen, empress
Helena of Montenegro, daughter of King Nikola I of Montenegro and his wife Milena Vukotić, was a princess from birth. Together with her sisters, she was sent to receive education and appropriate upbringing at the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens. The noble pupils, of course, were at special situation, they were often invited to the Winter Palace and lived in a separate room. This is where their differences with the rest of the Smolensk women ended. They also wore uniforms, attended classes with everyone else, and in no way tried to show off their high position.
Elena, without graduating from college, married King Victor Emmanuel III, becoming Queen of Italy and Albania, Empress of Ethiopia. The marriage turned out to be extremely happy. Her life became an example for many future queens. During the First World War, she earned the respect of the entire country by working as a sister of mercy along with others. Portraits of the Queen with her personal autograph were sold at charity auctions, and the funds were donated to hospitals. At the end of hostilities, with an enormous war debt looming over her country, in order to pay it off, Queen Helena offered to sell the treasures of the Italian crown. Giacomo Puccini dedicated his opera Madama Butterfly to her. She was awarded the highest Catholic honor for women, given to her by Pope Pius XI. The royal couple raised a son and 4 daughters, surviving one of them, Mafalda, who died in the Buchenwald concentration camp in 1944.
Alas, Republican Italy sent its queen into exile after World War II...
A true Queen, endowed with kindness and compassion with truly royal generosity, “the lady of charitable mercy,” is Elena Chernogorskaya from Smolensk.
May 5, 1764 249 years ago in St. Petersburg, by decree of Empress Catherine II, the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens was foundedSmolny Institute of Noble Maidens
The Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens is the first women's institute in Russia educational institution, which laid the foundation for women's education in the country.
Catherine II, strengthening her personal power and seeking popularity, carried out active reform activities. One of the main directions of reform was social policy.
Among the educational measures in which the empress wanted to be at the level of the century was the creation of educational homes, women's institutes, charitable institutions. One of these institutions was the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens. It was located in the Smolny Monastery.
The history of the Smolny Monastery dates back to the reign of Empress Elizabeth. It was she, wanting to complete her earthly journey in peace and quiet, who ordered the construction of a monastery for noble maidens on this site, assuming that she herself would become abbess. And the name Smolny goes back to the time of the founding of St. Petersburg - then this place was set aside for the Resin Yard, where resin was stored and tar was boiled for the needs of the Admiralty Shipyard. Then the name “Smolnoye” was assigned to this place.
Pupils of the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens at a dance lesson
The Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens became the first privileged women's secondary educational institution in Russia closed type for the daughters of hereditary nobles. About 200 young noblewomen from 6 to 18 years old received a comprehensive education, and the best pupils were assigned to the court service.
The program included training in subjects - the law of God, French, arithmetic, drawing, history, geography, literature. In addition, the girls studied dancing, music, social manners, handicrafts and home economics. The training lasted 12 years and was divided into 4 ages of 3 years each.
Award for the best students - a golden monogram in the form of the empress's initial
Pupils were required to wear uniforms - dresses a certain color: V younger age- coffee, in the second - blue, in the third - blue and in older age - white. At the end of the institute, the 6 best graduates received a “cipher” - a golden monogram in the form of the empress’s initial. Some pupils became ladies-in-waiting of the court.
In 1765, an educational institution was opened at the Smolny Institute for girls of other classes (except for the serfs), where they received basic general education and learned home economics.
The creation of the Smolny Institute marked the beginning of female secondary education in Russia. By the 19th century, the institute had become a closed, privileged educational institution, in which special preference was given to everything foreign; secular manners, piety, sentimentality and admiration for the royal family were instilled in its students. Until 1917, the institute remained one of the most conservative educational institutions.
The latest graduation from the Smolny Institute. The photo was taken in 1917 in Petrograd, graduation took place in 1919 in Novocherkassk
In 1917 the institute was closed, and after October revolution a new government was formed in Smolny: the Council of People's Commissars, headed by V. Lenin. Since then, this building has been occupied by various government structures. There are a number of museum exhibitions reflecting the entire history of Smolny.
Borschova Natalya Semyonovna.1st issue, 1776.
Borschova Natalya Semyonovna(August 9, 1758 - October 31, 1843) - studied at the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens, which she graduated with a gold medal, maid of honor Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, Dame of the Order of St. Catherine (Small Cross).
Natalya Semyonovna - daughter of the Life Guards retired Fourier Semyon Ivanovich Borshchova (or Barshchova, as they wrote then). In addition to Natalya, he and his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna had six more children, and the entire family fortune consisted of 113 serf souls, who were also mortgaged. In 1764, Natalya was admitted to the Smolny Institute. At the institute, having a good voice, she took part in theatrical productions. A. A. Rzhevsky spoke about Natalia’s musical talent:
«Borschova, playing in the opera with Nelidova
And possessing a similar talent,
I gained similar praise for myself,
And you lit the hearts of the audience with your singing;
Even though you imagined the role to be disgusting,
But even more so you showed art,
What the tenderness of years and gender was able to transform
And to conquer that disagreement with art.
You are making fun for all your spectators,
She gained praise, honor, and glory. »
In 1776, as one of the best students, Natalya graduated from the institute with a Great Gold Medal, the monogram of the Empress and a pension of 250 rubles a year. Being destined to be a maid of honor at the court of Grand Duchess Natalia Alekseevna, who died a few days before the first graduation of the Smolyans, she was received at the court on June 14, 1776 and was appointed to serve together with her beloved friend from the institute E. I. Nelidova as maid of honor to the second wife of the Tsarevich , Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna.
Glafira Ivanovna Alymova. 1st issue, 1776.
Glafira Ivanovna Alymova, in first marriage Rzhevskaya(1758-1826) - maid of honor of Catherine II, one of the first Russian harpists, the subject of the senile passion of Ivan Ivanovich Betsky.
From the age of 6, a student of the Smolny Institute, enjoyed the special love and patronage of Catherine II, who distinguished the musical talents of young Alymova. There is a well-known portrait of a student painted by D. G. Levitsky, part of the “Smolyanok” cycle, where she is depicted playing the harp - she was known for her art. Jean Baptiste Cardon taught the harp, and Praskovya Zhemchugova studied with him.
She was one of the first graduates of the institute in 1776, graduated first and was awarded a gold medal of the first magnitude and a “sign of cancellation” - Catherine’s gold monogram on a white ribbon with 3 gold stripes. During the 11 years she spent in Smolny, “Alimushka,” as the Empress called her, became everyone’s favorite thanks to her cheerful character. Catherine wrote to her: ““Alimushka... you deserve my great gratitude for the pleasant greeting you gave me, and that you know how to lure nuns out of their cells with your playfulness, and for many other reasons.” She was also loved by Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna, who studied music with her and promised to take her into her retinue - already when she was sick, the princess sent notes and flowers to Glafira along with Count Razumovsky.
Upon graduation, she became the Empress's maid of honor.
Levshina Alexandra Petrovna. 1st issue, 1776.
Levshina, Alexandra Petrovna(1757-1782), graduated with a cipher, was a maid of honor to the Empress, the wife of Prince P. A. Cherkassky.
Ekaterina Ivanovna Molchanova. 1st issue, 1776.
Ekaterina Ivanovna Molchanova(married Olsufieva; November 9, 1758 - September 3, 1809) - lady-in-waiting of Catherine II, one of the five best graduates of the Smolny Institute awarded the first-class Gold Medal.
At Smolny, Ekaterina was distinguished by her seriousness and concentration, stood out among her students for her love of science, loved to read more than to participate in games and entertainment, although she more than once performed on the stage of the theater organized at the institute. She drew and embroidered well - this is known from a letter from Catherine II, written to another Smolensk resident, A. Levshina:
“...Betskoy put a Turkish-style sofa in my room in the Winter Palace. I myself only placed there your image, made by the girl Molchanova; This is my favorite thing that does not leave its place that I have assigned it. »
In 1776, Catherine graduated from the second course, with a gold medal and a “sign of cancellation” (the golden code of the Empress) on a ribbon with three gold stripes, she also received a pension of 250 rubles per year from interest on the capital of 100 thousand rubles donated by Catherine II at the first release of Smolyankas:
Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova. 1st issue, 1776.
Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova(1756-1839, St. Petersburg) - daughter of Lieutenant Ivan Dmitrievich Nelidov, favorite of Paul I, cousin of Nicholas I's long-time lover - Varvara Arkadyevna Nelidova.
From 1765 to 1775 - a student at the Smolny Institute; upon completion she was awarded a gold medal of “second magnitude” and the monogram of Catherine II. Grace and musical talent, cheerful disposition and wit distinguished her among the graduates.
Catherine II immediately singled out Nelidova: “The appearance of the maiden Nelidova on the horizon is a phenomenon that I will come to observe up close, at a moment when it is least expected.” Vertically challenged, graceful and proportionally built, she was by no means a beauty. Prince Ivan Dolgorukov wrote about her: “The girl is smart, but has a very bad face, noble posture, but short stature.”
In Pergolesi's play The Servant-Mistress, she portrayed the young maid Serbina, who through trickery forced her master to marry her. The newspaper responded to the magnificent performance of the 15-year-old pupil with poems written by Alexei Rzhevsky:
“How did you, Nelidova, imagine Serbina,
You showed the mask of Thalia in your face,
And, matching the voice with the movement of the face,
Pleasantness with action and with feelings looks,
Pandolf, now caresses, now reproaches,
I captivated both thoughts and hearts with singing.
Your game is lively, natural, decent;
You found the way to the audience's hearts and to glory -
You, Nelidova, deserve unflattering fame;
Or, what’s more, you have surpassed all praise!
We are no less admired by your game,
How feelings are seduced
In us
The pleasantness of the face and the sharpness of the eyes.
With your natural game you brought everyone into oblivion:
Every action of yours was considered to be true;
Everyone felt envy towards Pandolf at that moment,
And everyone in the place wanted to be Pandolf."
Barykova Ekaterina Alekseevna. 1st issue, 1776.
Barykova, Ekaterina Alekseevna (married Melgunov).
Evdokia Grigorievna Vyazemskaya. 1st issue, 1776.
Among the graduates of the Smolny Institute there are also revered Orthodox ascetics.
Euphrosyne Kolyupanovskaya(in the world - Evdokia Grigorievna Vyazemskaya; OK. 1758 - July 3, 1855, the village of Kolyupanovo, Aleksinsky district, Tula province) - Orthodox ascetic. Princess from the Vyazemsky family, maid of honor of Empress Catherine II. Wanting to devote herself to God, she secretly left the court, faked her death, and became a holy fool.
Canonized in 1988 as a locally revered saint of the Tula diocese in the ranks of blessed ones, the memory is celebrated (according to Julian calendar): July 3 and September 22 (Cathedral of Tula Saints).
Information about Euphrosyne’s life in the world is extremely scarce. She was born around 1758 in the family of Prince Grigory Ivanovich Vyazemsky (a representative of the younger branch of the Vyazemsky family). Princess Evdokia in 1776 became a graduate of the first class of pupils of the Educational Society for Noble Maidens at the Smolny Monastery (later the Smolny Institute) and was granted a maid of honor at the court of Empress Catherine II.
Thanks to her origin, Evdokia Vyazemskaya was familiar with many representatives high society of his time, including commander Alexander Suvorov and Prince Yuri Dolgorukov (future Moscow mayor). According to her stories, she, together with Chamberlain Alexander Naryshkin (the future chief director of the imperial theaters), entertained the boredom of the empress.
How long Evdokia lived at court is unknown. Once, during the stay of the imperial court in Tsarskoe Selo, she, together with two other ladies-in-waiting (M. Ya. Sonina and the maiden Salome), faked her death. The girls left their dresses on the shore of the pond, and, dressed as peasant women, fled, starting to wander. The reasons and circumstances of this act remain unknown. According to the confessor of Elder Euphrosyne, the reason for her flight was the desire to devote herself to God. He reports the following legend associated with her escape, in which there is no dramatization of drowning:
“...she simply disappeared from the Palace, which is why orders were given along different roads to detain her, and when she, dressed in a peasant dress, made her way to Moscow, while being transported across one river, she was recognized by the police officer, and, according to the order, was returned to capital. The Empress received her kindly, and having tested the reason for her flight with other courtiers, moreover, being convinced of her firm determination to devote herself to the service of God, she allowed her to enter the monastery at will, and releasing her from herself, she presented a monastic dress made of shiny material..."
Feodosya Stepanovna Rzhevskaya. 2nd issue, 1779.
Feodosya Stepanovna Rzhevskaya(married Golitsyna; December 30, 1760 - July 22, 1795) - one of the best students of the second graduating class of the Smolny Institute, was awarded the code of the Empress for academic success, cousin E. A. Naryshkina, E. A. Demidova and G. A. Stroganov.
Feodosia entered the Smolny Institute in 1767 together with her sister Praskovya (either a twin or a year younger than her).
In 1779, the sisters graduated from the institute, Feodosia Rzhevskaya, having expressed excellent success, was among the six best students awarded the golden code of the empress. After graduation, the girls returned to their parents' house.
Maria Alekseevna Naryshkina. 2nd issue, 1779.
Maria Alekseevna Naryshkina(nee Senyavin; March 9, 1762 - December 30, 1822) - one of the students of the second graduating class of the Smolny Institute, beloved lady-in-waiting of Catherine II, lady of state, wife of A. L. Naryshkin, aunt of Count M. S. Vorontsov, sister of E. A. Vorontsova.
Maria Alekseevna was not inferior in beauty to her older sister Ekaterina Vorontsova.
Elizaveta Alexandrovna Palmenbach, née Baroness Cherkasova. 2nd issue, 1779.
Elizaveta Alexandrovna Palmenbach(née Baroness Cherkasova; 1761-1832) - maid of honor of the Russian imperial court, head of the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens in 1797-1802.
In 1796, she was appointed assistant to S.I. de Lafon, head of the Smolny Institute, and after the death of the latter, in August 1797, she was appointed head of this institution “with the title of Excellency assigned to her” and held this position until 1802. She enjoyed the full confidence of Empress Maria Feodorovna, who entrusted her with raising the two daughters of A.I. Benkendorf, as well as princesses Biron. In 1801 she was awarded the Order of St. Catherine of the Small Cross.
Princess Praskovya Yuryevna Gagarina. 3rd issue, 1782.
Princess Praskovya Yurievna Gagarina (Kologrivova, born Trubetskoy, 1762—1848) — famous beauty, the first Russian balloonist.
Daughter of the actual secret adviser to Prince Yuri Nikitich Trubetskoy (1736-1811), nicknamed after his favorite proverb “Tarara,” and Daria Alexandrovna, nee Rumyantseva, sister of Field Marshal P. A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky.
First marriage to a colonel, then major general, Prince Fyodor Sergeevich Gagarin. During Russian-Turkish war 1789-1791 she followed her husband to Iasi, where she became famous for slapping His Serene Highness Prince G. A. Potemkin (which the couple got away with with impunity). Subsequently, she followed her husband to Poland, where her husband was killed during the “Warsaw Matins” (uprising in April 1794), and Gagarina herself was taken into custody, where she remained for six months - until the capture of Warsaw by Suvorov. In captivity she gave birth to a daughter, Sophia.
After the death of her husband for a long time she became a widow, as F. F. Vigel put it: “For a long time she rejected all consolations, wearing earth from her husband’s grave in an earring; but along with her firmness she had an extraordinary, one might say unprecedented, liveliness and gaiety of character; Having once given herself over to the pleasures of the world, she did not cease to follow them.”
Among her fans was Karamzin, who dedicated poetry to her:
I will never forget Parasha,
Will be dear to me forever,
I will go to her every evening,
And never to Selimene.
In 1803, she took off in a hot air balloon built by the Frenchman Garnerin and landed on the Vyazemsky estate Ostafyev (later the owner of the estate, P. A. Vyazemsky, became her son-in-law). Balloon was kept on the estate for a long time, and P. A. Vyazemsky joked that he became famous thanks to the fact that Gagarina landed on his estate.
As contemporaries believed, it was Praskovya Yuryevna who was brought out under the name of Tatyana Yuryevna in Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit”:
Tatyana Yuryevna!!! Famous, at the same time
Officials and officials -
All her friends and all her relatives;
You should go to Tatyana Yuryevna at least once...
How courteous! of good! sweetheart! simple!
The balls he gives couldn't be richer
From Christmas to Lent,
And in the summer there are holidays at the dacha.
Smirnova, Evgenia Sergeevna, 1st wife of I. M. Dolgorukov. 4th issue, 1785.
Princess Evgenia Sergeevna Dolgorukaya, born. Smirnova(1770-1804) - maid of honor, wife of the poet Prince Ivan Mikhailovich Dolgorukov, sung by him in many poems.
The girl was assigned to the Smolny Institute, where she graduated from the course in 1785, receiving a code for her success. She practically did not know her family, since her mother came from her Podzolov very rarely, and visits in the presence of the teacher were short. After graduation, she began to enjoy the patronage of the next daughter-in-law of the Empress, Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna. Participated in theatrical performances in the palace and in high-society amateur performances, where she met Prince Ivan Mikhailovich Dolgoruky, with whom she married on January 31, 1787, and her wedding was celebrated in the palace of Pavel Petrovich.
Bezobrazova, Agrafena Alekseevna, 2nd wife of I.M. Dolgorukov. 4th issue, 1785.
Countess Natalya Alexandrovna Zubova. 6th issue, 1791.
Countess Natalya Alexandrovna Zubova(nee Suvorov, August 1, 1775 - March 30, 1844, Moscow) - the only daughter of Field Marshal Suvorov, who affectionately called her “Suvorochka”. Married to Nikolai Zubov, brother of Catherine II's last favorite.
In 1779, Catherine II, at the request of Suvorov, transferred Natalya to be raised at the Smolny Institute.
There she studied along with other girls for twelve years. Wasn't different special abilities, but acquired a reputation as a “kind, virtuous little person.” The father's traveling life did not allow him to see his daughter often, but he wrote to her a lot. The surviving letters, despite their humorous form (“there is cannon buckshot in my side, a bullet hole in my left hand, and the horses under me shot off my muzzle...”), are full of the deep tender feeling of a father for his daughter.
On March 5, 1791, Catherine II granted Countess Suvorov-Rymnikskaya, on the merits of her father, a lady-in-waiting. However, upon arrival in St. Petersburg, Suvorov took his daughter from the palace and settled him with D.I. Khvostov, who was married to his niece, Princess Agrafena Ivanovna Gorchakova. Although the Empress was dissatisfied with this, she granted her her monogram in 1792.
Lieven, Daria Khristoforovna. 9th issue, 1800
Princess Daria Christoforovna Lieven, née Dorothea von Benckendorff(December 17, 1785 - January 27, 1857), - the famous " socialite"in the first half of the 19th century, a secret agent of the Russian government in London and Paris, nicknamed the "diplomatic Sibyl." She went down in history as “the first Russian woman diplomat.”
She came from the noble Benckendorff family. The daughter of the Riga military governor, Infantry General H.I. Benkendorf, the sister of the chief of gendarmes A.H. Benkendorf, with whom she corresponded for many years.
Daria Khristoforovna's mother died on March 11, 1797 abroad, where she was undergoing treatment. She suffered from rheumatism, from which her daughter would also suffer throughout her life. Daria and her sister Maria (1784-1841) remained in the care of Empress Maria Feodorovna. Despite the fact that they were already beyond the age at which girls were admitted to the Smolny Institute, the Empress placed them there and visited the sisters every week.
Daria received the best education for those times, she could speak and read four languages, studied music and dance. In February 1800, Daria and Maria graduated from the institute.
Biron, Louise Karlovna, 2nd wife of M. Yu. Vielgorsky. 12th issue, 1809.
Kvashnina-Samarina (married Rodzianko), Ekaterina Vladimirovna. 13th issue, 1812.
Ekaterina Ermolaevna Kern. 21st issue, 1836.
Ekaterina Ermolaevna Kern(1818-1904, St. Petersburg) - mother of academician, president of the Russian Geographical Society Yuli Mikhailovich Shokalsky.
From the noble family of Kern. Born into the family of General E.F. Kern and his wife A.P. Kern (known for the role she played in the life of Pushkin, who dedicated “I Remember” to her wonderful moment"). Goddaughter of Emperor Alexander I. Due to frequent quarrels, Catherine’s parents were not involved in raising Catherine. She was sent to be raised at the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens, from which she graduated with honors in 1836. For about 3 years she lived with her old father, who served as the commandant of Smolensk at that time. Then she got a job at her alma mater as a class lady.
Olga Aleksandrovna Tomilova, née Engelhardt. 22nd issue, 1839.
Olga Alexandrovna Tomilova(nee Engelhardt) (1822-1894) - head of the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens in 1875-1886, maid of honor of the Russian imperial court.
Comes from an old noble Yaroslavl family. Daughter of a major general, sister of Natalia Alexandrovna Engelhardt, mother of Alexander Sergeevich Khomutov.
She received her upbringing and education at the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens, from which she graduated with honors in 1839. Upon leaving the institute, she was taken to court and served as a maid of honor to Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna. Soon Olga Alexandrovna married a wealthy landowner, state councilor Roman Alekseevich Tomilov.
Poltavtseva (married Skoblev), Olga Nikolaevna. 23rd issue, 1842.
Olga Nikolaevna Skobeleva (née Poltavtseva)(March 23, 1823 - July 18, 1880) - wife of General D. I. Skobelev and mother of General M. D. Skobelev. The head of the infirmaries during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878.
She was born into the family of landowner Nikolai Petrovich Poltavtsev and Daria Alekseevna Pashkova, the daughter of the wealthy foreman A. A. Pashkov. The Poltavtsevs had five daughters, the eldest of them, Elizaveta (1817-1866), was married to Adjutant General Count N.T. Baranov; Zinaida was not married and died in 1854 in Rome. The youngest three daughters received an excellent education at the Smolny Institute.
In 1839, among the graduates of the institute was Ekaterina Poltavtseva (1822-1910), a future lady of state and a cavalry lady of the Order of St. Catherine, 1st degree; in 1842 she became the wife of General A.V. Adlerberg. In 1845, the youngest of the sisters, Anna (1825-1904), who received a code upon graduation, left the institute; she was married to Zherebtsov.
Elizaveta Nikolaevna Vodovozova. 30th issue, 1862.
Elizaveta Nikolaevna Vodovozova(nee Tsevlovskaya, by second husband Semevskaya; August 5 (17), 1844, Porechye, Smolensk province - March 23, 1923, Petrograd) - Russian children's writer, teacher, memoirist; in her first marriage, the wife of teacher V.I. Vodovozov.
She graduated from the Smolny Institute (1862), where from 1859 she studied with K. D. Ushinsky and V. I. Vodovozov. In the same 1862 she married Vodovozov. V. A. Sleptsov, P. I. Yakushkin, V. S. Kurochkin and N. S. Kurochkin, P. A. Gaideburov visited the Vodovozovs’ house on “Tuesdays”. At the end of the 1860s, she studied kindergartens in Germany and Switzerland that worked according to the F. Froebel system.
Since 1863 she participated in printing. Having been widowed in 1886, she married a student and friend of her first husband, V.I. Semevsky. Last years spent my life in extreme need, loneliness, illnesses that led to despair and thoughts of suicide.
Her Royal Majesty Zorka-Ljubica, (wife of King Peter I Karađorđevich of Montenegro). 49th issue, 1881.
Princess Ljubica Petrovic-Njegos of Montenegro(Serb. Jubica Petrovic-Jegos, 23 December 1864 - 16 March 1890), later in Serbia became known as Princess Zorka of Montenegro and is best known as Princess Zorka.
She was the eldest child in the family of the Montenegrin monarch Nikola I and Milena Vukotic. She was the wife of Peter Karageorgievich, who became the King of Serbia in 1903.
She was born in Cetinje, in the Principality of Montenegro, at a time when her father was already reigning as Prince of Montenegro (his uncle Danilo II Petrovic Njegos died in 1860). Zorka studied in Russia before returning to Montenegro, where she joined the Karadjordjevic family. The ability of Zorka's father, Nikola, to arrange useful marriages between dynasties for his daughters was not denied; Zorka's sister, Helena, married the future King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III.
Grand Duchess Militsa Nikolaevna. 50th issue, 1882.
Militsa Nikolaevna(July 14 (26) 1866, Cetinje, Montenegro - September 5, 1951, Alexandria, Egypt) - Grand Duchess, wife of Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich. Born Montenegrin princess from the Petrovich-Njegos dynasty. Daughter of Montenegrin prince Nikola I Petrovich and Milena Vukotic. Sister of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, aunt of Princess of Imperial Blood Elena Petrovna.
Milica was born in large family Montenegrin prince Nikolai Njegosh and Milena Petrovna Vukotic, daughter of the local governor. Early childhood Princess Militsa passed on native land. Then, together with her sisters Stana (Anastasia), Elena and Maria, she was sent to St. Petersburg, where they studied at the Smolny Institute. At this time, the first tragedy occurred in her life: she suddenly died younger sister Maria (1869-1885).
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna. 52nd issue, 1884.
Anastasia (Stana) Petrovic-Njegos(Serb. Anastasia Petrovic Yegosh), also known in Russia as Anastasia Nikolaevna (December 23, 1868, Cetinje, Montenegro - November 25, 1935, Antibes, France) - Princess of Montenegro, Duchess of Leuchtenberg and Russian Grand Duchess. Wife of Duke George Maximilianovich of Leuchtenberg and Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. Daughter of King Nikola I of Montenegro and his wife Milena Vukotic. Native sister Grand Duchess Militsa Nikolaevna and Queen Elena of Italy, aunt of Princess of Imperial Blood Elena Petrovna.
Anastasia, like her three sisters Elena, Militsa and Maria, at the request of her parents, studied at the Smolny Institute in St. Petersburg. The first tragedy in their family also happened here: Maria (1869-1885) died after a short illness. A few years later in 1890 he will die elder sister- Zorka (1864-1890), who was married to the pretender to the throne of Serbia, Petr Karageorgievich. Even in Smolny, everyone began to call Stana Anastasia. Under this name she entered the imperial family.
Queen of Italy Elena of Montenegro. 59th issue, 1891.
Elena Chernogorskaya(Montenegrin. Elena Petrovic Yegosh, January 8, 1873 - November 28, 1952) - nee Princess of Montenegro. Married to Victor Emmanuel III, Queen of Italy and Albania, Empress of Ethiopia.
They have sunk into oblivion. In fact, these boarding houses still carry out training activities in different countries. Unfortunately, in Russia such institutions have ceased to exist. But in the distant past and in our country it was considered the highest honor to receive an education of this kind. In the article you can get acquainted with the history of the creation of the first women's educational institution in Rus'. And also find out what life prospects opened up for its graduates.
Foreign boarding houses
The Noble Maidens' Institutes are in reality schools for women of a private nature. In these institutions, training is primarily aimed at improving social and cultural activities. As the name suggests, this institution does not have significant differences With regular school. And its main goal is the completion of education. The training program in boarding houses of this type is mainly of 2 types: intensive and one-year. The most famous country, which has a number of private educational institutions for women in its history, is undoubtedly Switzerland. The Princess of Wales was educated here. She graduated from the AlpinVidemanette Institute. Unfortunately, it is currently closed. The MonFertile school was also quite popular - the Duchess of Cornwall studied there for some time. And, of course, we can’t help but say about the VillaMontChoisi boarding house. Thanks to this institution, Switzerland gained great fame. However, at the end of the 90s, this Institute was closed.
Facts of Russian history
Initially, only men could receive education in our country. But everything changed when the first institute of noble maidens was organized. The history of its creation dates back to 1764. This event took place thanks to the project of the President of the Academy of Arts Ivan Betskov. He later became a trustee of this institution. In addition, after the opening of the boarding house, a decree “On the education of girls of noble origin at the Resurrection Monastery” was adopted. This school was located in St. Petersburg. This order, together with the institution’s Charter, was sent throughout Russian Empire. In principle, we can say that education at the Boarding House was not very different from what exists today; girls of noble blood were admitted there at the age of 6. The duration of study was 12 years and was divided into 4 time periods. Almost 200 students could simultaneously receive knowledge at the Institute. Upon completion of their education, the 6 most outstanding students received a special sign of honor - a monogram made of gold and engraved with the initials of the Empress. The establishment of noble maidens made it possible for girls of other classes (with the exception of serfs) to receive general education and learn the secrets of home economics.
Job Guarantee
Institutes for noble maidens were carried out in accordance with the approved educational program. Thanks to this, the students had a great chance of later serving at court. Preparatory plan was compiled with the participation of the trustee of the institution and included the study of such subjects as arithmetic, foreign languages, geography, literature, history and the Law of God. In addition, girls were taught the basics of drawing, needlework and home economics. The development of musical abilities was not ignored. To ensure that students could fully obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities they needed, the institution’s staff included 29 teachers.
Charter of the institution
They were distinguished by a particularly strict upbringing. All the girls followed a strict daily routine. Pupils could meet with their relatives only on weekends and holidays. Moreover, their communication took place only in the presence of the boss. Students could say goodbye to boarding school only when they reached 18 years of age. And even the family’s demand could not influence this decision. Upon completion of their studies, many students remained within the walls of the Institute and worked as class ladies. Those girls who received their education in the bourgeois department of the institution had a great chance of becoming governesses in the future. Initially, the school for noble maidens was located in the monastery. But subsequently a special building was erected.
Ongoing reforms
After the death of the Empress, the wife of Paul I began to manage women's educational institutions. She led them for 32 years and managed to change a lot during this period. In particular, the training period was reduced to 9 years. Age groups only 3 remained, and they, in turn, were divided into excellent students, “good students” and lagging behind. The duration of each lesson began to be 2 hours. The culmination of the academic half-year was the midterm exams, and the end of the year was marked by final examinations. The changes also affected the age restrictions for admission to the Institute. Thus, girls of noble origin began to be accepted into the boarding school from the age of 8-9, and bourgeois women only from 11-12. And this was due to the fact that their period of study was limited to 6 years. The focus of teaching has also changed. If during the reign of Catherine, girls were trained to work as ladies-in-waiting, then under Maria Feodorovna they were rather prepared for the “position” of wives.
New boarding house
In 1802, on the initiative of the mother of Alexander I, an additional Institute for Noble Maidens was opened. Moscow became his home. The difference between this institution was that mainly noblewomen from the nobility were accepted for training. But over time, a petty-bourgeois department was created on its basis for other classes. The curriculum of this institution did not differ much from the curriculum of previous institutions. The Law of God, foreign languages, history and geography were also taught here. Physics was additionally introduced. We didn’t forget about creative development. However, the daily routine was much stricter. The students of the institution got up at 6 am and studied until 8 pm with short breaks. The Moscow Institute of Noble Maidens was named after Catherine. The building in which it was located originally belonged to Count Saltykov. However, in 1777, his property was confiscated, and an Invalid Home was opened on its territory. When the decision was made to create a school, the architect Domenico Gilardi rebuilt this building.
The Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens became the first women's educational institution in Russia, and its discovery marked the beginning of an era of reforms in the field of education. Not the least role in this was played by Ivan Betskoy - president of the Academy of Arts, trustee of the Smolny Institute and the Moscow Orphanage, head of the Land Noble Corps. It was according to his project that the Educational Society of Noble Maidens was created in 1764, and then the decree “On the education of noble maidens in St. Petersburg at the Resurrection Monastery” was sent throughout the Russian Empire. Attached to the decree were the charter and staff of “this Educational Society.”
From coffee to white
In many ways, the Smolny Institute was similar to modern schools. Girls from noble families were accepted there from the age of six, and their education lasted 12 years and was divided into four “ages” of three years each. Depending on the age of the pupil -"Smolyanka" had to wear uniform dresses: juniors - coffee-colored, from 9 to 12 years old - blue, from 12 to 15 years old - blue and from 15 to 18 years old - white. The six best graduates were awarded a distinctive sign - a golden monogram with the empress's initials.At the same time, about 200 girls were studying at the institute. In 1765, an educational institution was opened at the Smolny Institute for girls of other classes (except for serfs), where they could receive general education training according to a simplified program and learn the basics of home economics.
Employment guaranteed
Girls from noble families received service at court upon graduation, some became ladies-in-waiting. The educational program of the institution, compiled with the participation of Ivan Betsky, was also aimed at this. Here they studied the Law of God, three foreign languages, arithmetic, drawing, history, geography, literature, dance, music, social manners, handicrafts and home economics. Particular emphasis was placed on foreign languages and the Law of God, and graduates were required to know “the rules of good upbringing, good behavior, secular behavior and courtesy.” IN staffing table The institute included 29 teachers: Russian language, foreign languages, drawing, vocal and instrumental music, history, geography, heraldry and architecture, two dance masters.
The charter of the institute was strict - the girls lived according to a clear daily routine, and could see their relatives only on weekends and holidays and only in the presence of the boss. The girl had no right to leave the institution before her 18th birthday at her own request or at the request of her family.
The institute was located in a monastery until early XIX century, until a special building was built nearby. Photo: AiF / Ekaterina Stekolshchikova
Many graduates remained at the institute and worked as class ladies - for them, as a reward for many years of work, honorary badges were provided: an orange bow “For Labor” and a silver and enamel “Badge of the Institutions of the Department of Empress Maria Feodorovna.” Girls who were brought up in the petty-bourgeois department of the institute could subsequently count on the position of governesses.
Imperial reform
Changes in the institute's charter began after Catherine's death. Paul I entrusted his wife Maria Feodorovna with the leadership of all charitable and women's educational institutions in Russia. She subsequently ran the institute for 32 years and changed a lot. Under Maria Feodorovna, an hourly teaching schedule for each subject appeared, and the entire course of study was reduced from 12 to 9 years. There were only three “ages” left, and each was divided into three parallel groups: for excellent students, “average students” and underachievers. Each lesson at the institute lasted two hours. Twice a year, Smolyans took intermediate exams, and at the end of the year they had a final exam.Girls began to be accepted into the institute from a later age - at 8-9 years old, and bourgeois women were accepted at all from 11-12, since their program was limited to six years of study. With the arrival of Maria Feodorovna, girls began to be trained as wives rather than as maids of honor, so instead of the book “On the Positions of a Man and a Citizen,” which was read in Catherine’s time, they began to read “Fatherly Advice to My Daughter.” Almost all of Maria Feodorovna’s innovations existed at the institute until its closure in 1917.
New breed
Education, of course, was not the only goal of the Smolny Institute. When establishing this institution, Catherine made sure that the charter included not only professional requirements to the teachers and the Smolensk students themselves, but also the rules of behavior and treatment of each other. Corporal punishment at the institute was strictly prohibited, and all employees of the institution were obliged not only to pass on knowledge to students, but also to set an example for them to follow.
In Levitsky’s famous portraits, the “Smolyans” are modest and cheerful - as it should be according to the charter of the institute. Photo: Creative Commons
“The charter urgently required that children always look cheerful, cheerful, contented and “free actions of the soul.” Therefore, it was prescribed not to make science subjects of boredom, grief and disgust and to facilitate the assimilation of knowledge by all means, while paying attention to the degree of development and abilities of each girl individually, she wrote Zinaida Mordvinova in 1914 in his historical essay “Smolny Institute in the era of Catherine II.” - As for the education system, the charter gives instructions to the teachers themselves, starting with the boss. When dealing with children, the following are required: “meekness, decency, courtesy, prudence, fairness and also unfeigned cheerfulness and the absence of unnecessary importance in treatment.”
The means of correcting the guilty was shaming in front of the whole class, “so that the shame of one would always serve to abstain from others from similar actions.” But this measure was applied only in very important cases, which included the slightest violation of decorum during prayer or during church services. “Obviously, here there is a question not only about secular manners, but about the development of a cultural type that would carry out its state task: to create a new breed of people,” writes Mordvinova.
Hall of Fame
Over the 153 years of the existence of the Smolny Institute, 85 graduates passed through it. Of course, among the hundreds of noble graduates there were those whose names remained in history. One of the last to enter the Institute of Noble Maidens in 1914 was Baroness Maria Budberg, the lover of Maxim Gorky and the heroine of Nina Berberova’s book “The Iron Woman.” In 1911, Nina Komarova, the future poetess Nina Habias, a student of Alexei Kruchenykh and one of the first futurists, graduated from the institute.
Karl Bulla photographed the last students of the Smolny Institute in 1917. Photo: Creative Commons
In 1900, one of the graduates was Maria Dobrolyubova, a teacher, sister of mercy, revolutionary and sister of the poet Alexander Dobrolyubov. At the age of 26, she committed suicide, unable to find the strength to carry out a terrorist attack organized by the Social Revolutionaries. In 1895, a graduate of Smolny was Ksenia Erdeli - harpist, composer, teacher, People's Artist USSR and the founder of the Soviet school of harp performance. In 1891, the institute was graduated from the daughter of King Nikola I of Montenegro and his wife Milena Vukotic, Princess Elena of Montenegro, who, in marriage to Victor Emmanuel III, became the queen of Italy and Albania, and the empress of Ethiopia. Her sisters, Grand Duchesses Militsa Nikolaevna, Zorka Nikolaevna and Anastasia Nikolaevna, also studied here.
In 1848, Elena Burman (married Molokhovets) graduated from the institute and is the author of the book “A Gift for Young Housewives, or a Means for Reducing Expenses in household"(1861) and a classic of Russian culinary literature. Even earlier, Elena Poltavtseva, the future wife of General Dmitry Skobelev and the mother of General Mikhail Skobelev, the head of the infirmaries during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, studied here. Ekaterina Kern, the daughter of Anna Kern, the lover of composer Mikhail Glinka and the mother of academician Yuli Shokalsky, was also a graduate of Smolny.
59.946389 , 30.396389| Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens | |
|---|---|
| Former name | Imperial Educational Society for Noble Maidens |
| Year of foundation | 1764 |
| Location | Saint Petersburg |
In 1765, at the institute, originally established as a closed privileged educational institution for the daughters of the noble nobility, a department was opened “for bourgeois girls” (non-noble classes, except for serfs). The building for the Bourgeois School was erected by the architect J. Felten.
Further history
In 1806, a special building was built for the institute, designed by the architect Giacomo Quarenghi.
In 1848, a two-year pedagogical class for training female teachers was opened at the institute, and the bourgeois department was transformed into the St. Petersburg Alexander School (from 1891 - the Alexander Institute).
After 1917
In October 1917, the institute, headed by Princess V.V. Golitsyna, moved to Novocherkassk.
The last Russian graduation took place in February 1919 in Novocherkassk. Already in the summer of 1919, the institute left Russia and continued work in Serbia.
Training at the institute
Pupils of the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens at a dance lesson (1889)
The Smolny Institute accepted the daughters of persons of rank no lower than colonel and full-time state councilor at public expense and the daughters of hereditary nobles for an annual fee, and prepared them for the court and social life. The program included training in Russian literature, geography, arithmetic, history, foreign languages, music, dancing, drawing, social manners, various types home economics, etc.
Initially, pupils began school at the age of 6 and finished at the age of 18. Then the period of study was reduced to 9 years (from the age of 9).
In 1859-1862, the inspector of classes at the institute was K. D. Ushinsky, who carried out a number of progressive reforms in it (a new seven-year syllabus With a large number hours allocated to Russian language, geography, history, natural science, etc.). After Ushinsky's forced departure from the institute, all of his major reforms were eliminated.
Code for the best graduates of the Smolny Institute
The institute's female students were required to wear special uniform dresses of a certain color: at a younger age - coffee, at a second age - dark blue, at a third age - light blue and at an older age - white. Brown color symbolized closeness to the earth and was practical, especially for younger children. More light colors symbolized increasing education and accuracy.
The emperor and members of his family were present at the final public examination of Smolensk students. At the end of the institute, the six best graduates received a “cipher” - a gold monogram in the form of the initial of Empress Catherine II, which was worn on a white bow with gold stripes.
Some students of the institute became ladies-in-waiting at the court.
The institute's training course was equivalent to that of women's gymnasiums.
Heads of the Institute of Noble Maidens
- 1764 Anna Sergeevna Dolgorukaya
- 1895-1917(?) Elena Alexandrovna Liven
Pupils of the Institute of Noble Maidens
see also
Notes
Literature
- Cherepnin N.P. Imperial Educational Society for Noble Maidens. Historical sketch. 1764-1914. T. 3 [Here are lists of pupils]. Petrograd, 1915.
- Lyadov V. N. Historical essays hundred year life The Imperial Educational Society for Noble Maidens and the St. Petersburg Alexander School. - St. Petersburg, 1864
- Likhacheva E. O. Materials for the history of women's education in Russia. [T. 1-4]. - St. Petersburg, 1890-1901
- Bykova V. P. Notes from an old Smolyanka. Part 1. 1833-1878. - St. Petersburg. , 1898.
- Uglichaninova M. S. Memoirs of a pupil of the Smolny Monastery in the forties. - [M.], 1901
- Mordvinova 3. E. State lady M. P. Leontyev. - St. Petersburg, 1902
- Cherepnin N.P. Imperial Educational Society for Noble Maidens. T. 1-3. - St. Petersburg-Pg., 1914-1915
- Vodovozova E. N. At the dawn of life, T. 1. - M., 1964.
- Ozerskaya F. S. Women's education // Essays on the history of school and pedagogical thought of the peoples of the USSR in the 18th - first half. XIX centuries - M., 1973.
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