Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens. Institute of Noble Maidens

November 4th, 2013

The traditions of women's education are rooted in the reign of Catherine II, empresses Maria Feodorovna and Maria Alexandrovna. Under their patronage, women's needlework schools, gymnasiums, boarding schools, private schools, higher courses, institutes - Mariinsky, Ekaterininsky, Smolny and others were opened in St. Petersburg.

In 1764, by a special decree of Catherine II in St. Petersburg, the Educational Society noble maidens”, which later became known as the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens. The purpose of this educational institution, as stated in the decree, "... to give the state educated women, good mothers, useful members of the family and society."

According to the Charter of 1856, only the daughters of noble hereditary nobles and senior officials were admitted to the Smolny Institute. Education had a courtly and aristocratic character. The entire education system was aimed at instilling in girls respect for elders, a sense of gratitude, benevolence, neatness, thrift, courtesy, patience, diligence and other virtues. Particular attention was paid to: religious, moral, physical, artistic, labor education of girls. Everyday life here it was distinguished by simplicity and monotony, strict order and discipline. Appropriate to draw Special attention on the appearance of Smolyanka, which was distinguished by simplicity and modesty: they dressed and combed their hair strictly in shape, no variations were allowed.

Initially, in order to enter the institute, it was necessary to pass exams (a little from French, even less from Russian, plus the presence of a certain religious upbringing) and pass a selection by origin, which significantly reduced the number of applicants. Say, in the first sets, only the daughters of those nobles whose births were included in the III, V and VI parts of the noble genealogies books, or those who had ranks of at least 9th class (captain) could count on admission. military service or 8th grade (college assessor) in civilian. However, few of the nobility were willing to doom their daughters to 12 years of study without leaving, after which the difficult question arose of the further marriage of an overly educated girl. That is why the main composition of the students was well-born, but poor.

By the way, after 1825, many children of the Decembrists studied at institutes: both daughters of Kakhovsky, for example, completed the course with silver medals. They say that when the princesses came to the institute, the daughters of the emperor and the daughters of the leaders of the uprising played merrily together.

"Foreigners" also studied here: Shamil's granddaughter and daughters of Georgian princes, princesses of Montenegro and Swedish aristocrats. Despite the fact that, according to pathos official sources, the head of Smolny, Princess Liven, said to a young classy lady: “You may not yet know the traditions of Smolny. It is necessary to demand double and triple from the princess, because the fate of her subjects will depend on her character, ”the attitude towards them, of course, was not usual. For example, although the august persons wore uniform institute dresses and went to regular lessons, they were provided with other accommodation and their own kitchen, the girls spent their holidays on the estate of the head of the institute, and went to the imperial family for holidays.

The Institute dictated its own standards of appearance. Pupils were required to wear special uniform dresses of a certain color: in younger age- coffee, in the second - dark blue, in the third - blue and at an older age - white. Brown color symbolizes closeness to the earth and, in addition, is more practical, especially for younger children. Lighter colors symbolize increasing education, accuracy.

In addition to the "state" places for pupils, quite a large number of the girls were kept at the expense of special scholarships contributed both by the imperial family (by the way, the Kakhovskys were boarders of Nicholas I), and simply by rich people. I. I. Betskoy, who initially headed the Educational Society, taught ten girls from each appointment, putting special capital in their name in the bank. And in 1770, Chamberlain E.K. Shtakelberg bequeathed the money received for the estate to pay for the maintenance of girls from poor families of the nobles of Livonia in Smolny and the issuance of benefits to them upon graduation. They made annual contributions for the support of scholarship holders Orlova and Golitsyn, Demidov and Saltykov. Smolyanka, trained on someone's private capital, wore a ribbon around their neck, the color of which was chosen by the benefactor. So, among the scholarship holders of Paul I they were blue, at the Demidovskys - orange, Betsky's protégés were tied green, and Saltykov - raspberry. For those who could not get any scholarship, relatives paid. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was about 400 rubles a year. The number of places for such students, however, was still limited.

In 1765, the Alexander School for girls of non-noble origin was opened, which provided education according to a reduced program, and later became the Alexander branch of the institute.

After the accession, however, many remnants of the class relationship still remained. long time. For example, the best graduates were not given maid of honor ciphers and were not presented to the court, at church services the place of the “philistines” was next to the nannies and maids, when meeting with the pupils of the Nikolaev half, it was supposed to curtsy first, and guess which half of the park in winter for convenience walks alleys were lined with boards ...?

Initially, the course in the noble Nikolaev half was designed for 12 years, later it was reduced to 9. They studied at Aleksandrovskaya for 6 years. In order to limit any extraneous influence on the pupils, all these years the girls lived at the institute without a break, seeing their relatives only during short hours of official meetings under the watchful eyes of cool ladies and not being able to visit the house even during the holidays. The tradition of strict isolation was interrupted only in the second half of the 19th century.

Go to new class, respectively, recruitment and release, occurred every three years. This made it very difficult to work with those who were lagging behind - they found it inhumane for her and uncomfortable for themselves to keep the girl in the class for another three years. The unsuccessful one was simply transferred to a weak department and rarely called, but the certificate was issued one way or another. Such girls, who consider Alexander Nevsky the Polish king and limit the period of the Seven Years' War to ten years, but who have papers on graduation from the most prestigious women's educational institution, greatly undermined the prestige of the alma mater. In the early 1860s, with the light hand of Ushinsky, the pupils of both parts of the Smolny began to study for 7 years (Grade VII was the youngest) and transferred to a new class every year, then other institutions borrowed the innovation. By the way, having tested high school students, he selected 30, in his opinion, hopeless ones and formed a separate class from them, which (for the first time in the history of Smolny!) was released without certificates after a year of study.

The conditions of stay at the institute were strictly regulated. Its closeness was controlled in the first place: parents could visit girls only in certain days and only with permission from management. In 1764, 60 girls of 5-6 years old were admitted to the "Educational Society" for the first time. Training and education went “by age” (by age groups): at first, when the training lasted 12 years, there were four ages, then, when the training period was reduced to 9 years, there were three ages. The girls of each age group wore dresses certain color: the youngest (5-7 years old) - coffee color, so they were often called "coffee houses", 8 - 10 years old - blue or blue, 11 - 13 years old - gray, older girls went in white dresses. The daily routine was also quite strict: getting up at 6 o'clock in the morning, then lessons, then a little time for walking under the supervision of a lady assigned for this. Girls were taught reading, spelling, languages, the basics of mathematics, physics, and chemistry. In addition to general education subjects, it was necessary to learn everything that virtuous mothers should be able to do: sewing, knitting, dancing, music, secular manners.

The Empress constantly kept in her field of vision everything that concerned the Smolny Institute. A few years after its founding, she wrote to Voltaire: “These girls ... have exceeded our expectations; they have time miraculously, and everyone agrees that they become as amiable as they are enriched with knowledge useful to society, and with this they combine the most impeccable morality. In another letter to the same Voltaire, it was said: “... we are very far from the idea of ​​forming nuns out of them; we educate them so that they can adorn the families they enter, we do not want to make them either cutesy or coquettes, but amiable and able to raise their own children and take care of their own home.

Another important decision about the classes of pupils of this age was that they were appointed daily, in turn, to teach in the lower grades, which meant accustoming them to the pedagogical practice necessary for future mothers-educators. AT common system education included questions about the physical development of children and care for their health. It was considered useful for children to move on fresh air both summer and winter. Pupils spent a lot of time in the garden on the banks of the Neva. In winter they went skating, skiing from the mountains; in summer - bast shoes, tags - for the younger ones, ball, tennis, croquet - for the older ones. In 1840, in addition to pedagogical gymnastics, medical gymnastics was introduced. And from the beginning of the twentieth century, compulsory gymnastics was introduced for everyone. Rhythmic gymnastics was introduced in grades 6-7. The charter required that "the girls have a clean and tidy appearance", that "fresh and ventilated air should be in the rooms."
In 1853, daily labor classes appeared: lessons in cutting, sewing, embroidery, knitting, and turning. Throughout the training, economy and home building were studied with applied classes. Girls 12-15 years old were taught housekeeping in practice. Teaching was entrusted to twenty-four foreign teachers, mostly French women, for there were not enough Russian teachers even for men's schools. Naturally, the teaching was in foreign languages. Only the Law of God was taught by a priest, and Russian literacy was taught by nuns. Drawing, music and dancing were taught by teachers.

Catherine II often visited the institute, corresponded with the pupils, delved into all the affairs of the Educational Society, and granted the institute a lot of personal funds. Smolny graduates contributed greatly to the enlightenment of Russian society. It was they who, creating families or, due to circumstances, forced to raise other people's children, instilled in them a love of culture, respect for the history of their country, and a thirst for knowledge. The Educational Society for Noble Maidens marked the beginning of women's education in our country, on its basis and in its likeness, not only women's institutes and gymnasiums of the Department of Institutions of Empress Maria, but also women's institutions of other departments of Russia and even beyond its borders were subsequently created.

The very first institutes were fenced off from the influence of the family, but not from the world in general. They were often taken out for walks and court events; ceremonial dinners and performances were held within the walls of Smolny. In the 19th century, the concept changed and they tried not to let the pupils go into a different, non-barracks life. If once a year they were taken out to the Tauride Garden, then under strict control, doing everything to prevent contact of institute girls with other walkers. Several times a year (on the name day of the emperor and empress, on New Year) balls were held, at which all the pupils and the authorities were present. For several hours, the girls danced with each other, not being able to laugh or fool around so as not to be punished. Occasionally (and by no means everywhere) balls were held with the invitation of gentlemen-relatives (kinship was considered a prerequisite), and in some places (oh licentiousness!) And pupils of friendly male educational institutions (Kuprin's "Junker"). And with the outbreak of the First World War, these few holidays also ceased: it was considered prejudiced to have fun when battles were going on.

Pupils of the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens at a dance lesson. 1901

The main thing was done: "The very question was touched upon, the moral task of the school was indicated, the ideal of social benefit and human dignity was set, - for the first time the need for proper female education was declared." A "new breed" of people, significantly different from the rest of Russian society, was created, and this was recognized by the society itself. For the first time, educated women appear in the Russian family, who brought a stream of new light and air into the shelter of grandfather's prejudices - new healthy and humane principles contributed to the emergence of interest in education and aroused the desire to imitate. The idea of ​​women's education and positive experience were used in the newly formed gymnasiums, and then in the creation of a women's university - Higher Women's Courses (Bestuzhev). In no country in the world has the government paid so much attention to women's education - this is an indisputable fact.

However, pupils of many institutes complained about poor nutrition, sometimes poor in quality, more often poor in quantity. In some places, in addition to the main portion of food, you could take as much bread as you like, but Smolyanka women were not spoiled with such luxury.

The usual menu of the mid-19th century in Smolny:
- Morning tea with a bun
- Breakfast: a piece of bread with a little butter and cheese, a portion of milk porridge or pasta
- Lunch: thin soup without meat, for the second - meat from this soup, for the third - a small pie
- Evening tea with a roll

During fasting, the diet became even less nutritious: for breakfast they gave six small potatoes (or three medium ones) with vegetable oil and slurry porridge; pie.

In this way, they fed not only during long fasts, but also every Wednesday and Friday. At one fine moment, more than half of the girls ended up in the infirmary with a diagnosis of "exhaustion" - fasting was reduced ... to one and a half months a year. Wednesdays and Fridays have not been cancelled.
If the girl had pocket money, then it was possible, by paying a special fee, to drink tea in the morning with more nutritious food in the room of the educators, separately from other institutes, or to agree with the servants and buy something from the food at an exorbitant price. However, the latter was severely punished by cool ladies.

“September 1859 6 days Sunday. Frishtik: bread with butter and sausage, grated potatoes. Lunch: rice soup, steak with cucumbers, brushwood cake.

September 7, Monday: Frishtik: bread with butter and beef, barley milk porridge. Lunch: borscht with sour cream, beef with potato sauce, drachona with sugar.

September 8, Tuesday: Frishtik: semolina milk soup, beef pies. Lunch: root soup with pies, roast veal with kras salad. cabbage, confectionery cake, muscat lunel wine.

September 9, Wednesday: Frishtik: buckwheat milk porridge, fried potatoes. Lunch: lazy cabbage soup, beef with carrot sauce, pancakes with jam.

Thursday, September 10: Frystik: bread with butter and cheese, macaroni and butter. Lunch: pearl barley soup, potato clonflash, sugar patechu.

September 11, Friday: Frishtik: milk noodles, porridge pies. Lunch: pea soup with breadcrumbs, fried beef with boiled potatoes, cheesecakes with sugar.

September 12, Saturday: Frishtik: jelly with horseradish, millet milk porridge. Lunch: rice soup, beef with cabbage sauce, carrot pies.
"Reest Kushan for pupils of the Society of Noble Maidens"

Family visits were limited to four hours per week (two visiting days). It was especially hard for girls brought from afar. They did not see their relatives for months and years, and all correspondence was strictly controlled by cool ladies who read letters before sending and after receiving.

The main criterion for the selection of cool ladies, who are obliged to monitor the worthy upbringing of girls, was usually unmarried status. At a time when a successful marriage was the main (and, accordingly, the most desirable) event in a woman's life, the disorder of her personal life had a very negative effect on her character. Surrounded by young girls, realizing that life did not live up to expectations, the aging person began (consciously or not) to take revenge on her wards, forbidding everything that was possible and punishing for the slightest offense. Corporal punishment for pupils was not accepted, however, with those who committed any misconduct, they did not particularly stand on ceremony: shouting, scolding, punishment - such was the usual arsenal of means and methods of institute pedagogy.

It was possible to earn a reprimand for any deviation from the rules: talking too loudly at recess, a carelessly made bed, a bow tied on an apron that was not according to the charter, or a curl that had escaped from a strict hairstyle. Complete obedience to the rules and customs of institutional life was highly valued here, as indicated by the very definition of pupils who were distinguished by obedience and excellent behavior - “parfettes” (distorted French “parfaite” - perfect). Any violation of the order was a deviation from the institute's "good manners" and was considered "bad behavior."

Therefore, naughty and stubborn people were called "moveshki" ("mauvaise" - bad). Even the appearance of the students was strictly regulated: the same hairstyles, different for different ages(younger girls were often cut short, and older girls were forced to pin up their hair strictly), neat shape.

It consisted of a dress with a short sleeve and a neckline, an apron (apron), a cape and armlets with ribbons. The color of the form depended on the class of study. Initially, under Catherine II, the pupils wore, respectively, dresses of brown (“coffee” class, the youngest), blue, gray and white flowers. The first three ages were given white aprons, the oldest were given green ones. With a decrease in the period of study in the Nikolaev half, gray dresses were "reduced", and the white class began to be given green with a white apron. There was no blue class in the Alexandrovskaya half. The same colors - coffee, blue, green - were most often used in other institutes. Pepiniers usually wore gray dresses. (Pepinieres were called girls who remained after completing the main course to receive further education and further career growth to a cool lady. They were given an additional course in pedagogy and used as assistant teachers as practice).

Even the men who were allowed before the eyes of institute girls were tried to be optimized. Teachers were recruited mainly from married people, but if a bachelor came across, then either at an age, or of a very plain appearance, often with physical disabilities, so as not to introduce immaculate girls into temptation.

However, this did not help much - usually anyone who had at least some relation to the institute had fans. This was due to a very specific institutional tradition - adoration, that is, the desire to find an object of worship, an idol in the face of someone who comes to hand. A friend, a high school student, a priest, a teacher, an emperor… Only classy ladies were not favored, but this was a consequence of the fear of being suspected of frank sycophancy. The adorer gave gifts to the object of love for the holidays, experienced all sorts of ritual torments in order to be “worthy”, for example, she cut out the initials of the “deity” with a knife or gouged out with a pin, ate soap or drank vinegar as a sign of love, sneaked into the church at night and prayed for well-being of the adored, rendered various practical services: she repaired feathers or sewed notebooks. The adoration of the emperor, encouraged by the leadership, generally crossed all boundaries - the institute girls collected and carefully stored "pieces of roast, cucumber, bread" from the table at which the king dined, stole a scarf that was cut into small pieces and distributed among the pupils who wore these "talismans" on your chest. “Do what you want with me,” Alexander II told the pupils of the Moscow Alexander Institute, “but don’t touch my dog, don’t try to cut his hair as a keepsake, as it was, they say, in some establishments.” However, they say, the girls not only cut off the wool with pet Alexandra, but they even managed to cut expensive fur from a fur coat in several places.

Let's try to imagine that perfect image Ladies, mothers of a new generation of people, which enlightened Europeans saw in tarballs. First of all, she was the bearer of the ideal of nobility and purity, she believed that this ideal was feasible despite adversity and hardship. real life accepting them steadfastly, without murmuring and bitterness. In society, she was cheerful and laid-back, striking with her elegant taste and vivid imagination, witty speech, development and charm of the “graceful mind”. She is a role model for others. We find all these features in the best Smolyanka women - Nelidova, Rzhevskaya, Pleshcheeva ...

Subsequently, both home and private education was guided by this image, this ideal. And already the women and girls of the 1820s to a large extent created the general moral atmosphere of Russian society, they were able to introduce new ideas, new aspirations into it. They read Voltaire, Rousseau, Goethe, at the same time comprehending the ideals of love, fidelity, bestowal, the moral duty of a woman to her children, husband and society. Among them were court ladies, writers, educators, mistresses of aristocratic salons, and mothers and wives who remained unknown - they all brought something new, bright, and alive to the environment to which they returned after graduation. A new one appears female image that becomes reality. Those who were called "tender dreamers" brought up the heroic generation of Decembrist wives. They set a high spiritual bar and had a tremendous impact on the formation of not only the Russian female character; in their literary and musical salons, those who in the future made up the flower of Russian culture - Pushkin, Lermontov, Turgenev, Tolstoy ...

or here for example. But for someone it may be unexpected such information - The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made - October 8, 2013, 20:05

Didn't the nymphs of the goddesses appear before us here?
Or the angels themselves descended from heaven,
To dwell among mortals on earth,
That the eyes and hearts of all the spectators fed,
Like the rays of the sun, so their eyes shine,
With the beauty of heaven, the beauty of all nymphs is equal;
With the dislike of hearts, their innocence is obvious;
Of course, they are a deity in themselves.
How the garden was now adorned by their presence
So the whole Russian country will be painted.
The Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens is the first women's educational institution in Russia, which laid the foundation for women's education in the country.
The Institute was founded on the initiative of I. I. Betsky and in accordance with the decree signed by Catherine II on May 5 (April 24), 1764. The purpose of its creation was, as usual, the most good - “to give the state educated women, good mothers, useful family and society." Another thing is that over time, initially giving good results (especially against the backdrop of the then social situation), the system degenerated into a self-sustaining swamp, categorically opposed to any changes.

It was then, a hundred years later, that ironic remarks began to be heard about "simplicitous fools", "gentle white-handed women" and "sentimental young ladies", who believe that "rolls grow on trees" and "after the tour of the mazurka, the gentleman is obliged to marry," and the word " college girl" has become synonymous with excessive sentimentality, impressionability and narrow-mindedness.

Initially, in order to enter the institute, it was necessary to pass exams (a little from French, even less from Russian, plus the presence of a certain religious upbringing) and pass a selection by origin, which significantly reduced the number of applicants.

Say, in the first sets, only the daughters of those nobles whose births were included in the III, V and VI parts of the noble family books, or those who had ranks of at least 9th class (captain) in military service or 8th grade (college assessor) in the civil. However, few of the nobility were willing to doom their daughters to 12 years of study without leaving, after which the difficult question arose of the further marriage of an overly educated girl. That is why the main composition of the students was well-born, but poor. By the way, after 1825, many children of the Decembrists studied at institutes: both daughters of Kakhovskiy, for example, completed the course with silver medals. They say that when the princesses came to the institute, the daughters of the emperor and the daughters of the leaders of the uprising played merrily together.

"Foreigners" also studied here: Shamil's granddaughter and daughters of Georgian princes, princesses of Montenegro and Swedish aristocrats. Despite the fact that, according to pretentious official sources, the head of Smolny, Princess Liven, said to the young classy lady: “You may not yet know the traditions of Smolny. It is necessary to demand double and triple from the princess, because the fate of her subjects will depend on her character, ”the attitude towards them, of course, was not usual. For example, although the august persons wore uniform institute dresses and went to regular lessons, they were provided with other accommodation and their own kitchen, the girls spent their holidays on the estate of the head of the institute, and went to the imperial family for holidays.
Smolny Institute. Dormitory. Graduation album of the institute in 1889.

In addition to "state" places for pupils, a fairly large number of girls were supported by special scholarships contributed by both the imperial family (by the way, the Kakhovskys were boarders of Nicholas I) and simply rich people. I. I. Betskoy, who initially headed the Educational Society, taught ten girls from each appointment, putting special capital in their name in the bank. And in 1770, Chamberlain E.K. Shtakelberg bequeathed the money received for the estate to pay for the maintenance of girls from poor families of the nobles of Livonia in Smolny and the issuance of benefits to them upon graduation. They made annual contributions for the support of scholarship holders Orlova and Golitsyn, Demidov and Saltykov.

Smolyanka, trained on someone's private capital, wore a ribbon around their neck, the color of which was chosen by the benefactor. So, among the scholarship holders of Paul I they were blue, at the Demidovskys - orange, Betsky's protégés were tied green, and Saltykov - raspberry. For those who could not get any scholarship, relatives paid. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was about 400 rubles a year. The number of places for such students, however, was still limited.
Smolny Institute teachers.

The daily routine at the institute was strict: getting up at 6 o'clock in the morning, then - 6 or 8 lessons. Play time was very limited. The girls lived in dormitories for 9 people with a lady assigned to them. In addition, there was also a cool lady who monitored the behavior of girls in the classroom.

With the exception of the first years of the Smolny and short period Ushinsky's inspectorate, dialogues between teachers and girls were not encouraged. It was not supposed to ask questions on the topic being studied either.
Smolny Institute. In the sewing workshop. Graduation album of the Institute in 1889.

Grades were made on a twelve-point scale, ratings were compiled based on performance results and intermediate insignia were issued - somewhere cockade bows, the colors of which indicated the success of the wearer, somewhere - laces with tassels that were tied to the hair.

Physical education lessons (a little gymnastics) and dancing were obligatory. However, considering that within the walls of the institute it was forbidden to run or play outdoor games, and daily walks were short, an excess physical activity did not have.
A. Belousov, Meadow in front of the Smolny. Girls on a group walk

The ability to curtsey gracefully in the Smolny of the 19th century was valued more than success in mathematics, for good manners they forgave failures in physics, but they could be expelled for vulgar behavior, but certainly not for unsatisfactory grades. The only science considered sacred was the study of the French language.
Smolny Institute. Girls in class.

Family visits were limited to four hours per week (two visiting days). It was especially hard for girls brought from afar. They did not see their relatives for months and years, and all correspondence was strictly controlled by cool ladies who read letters before sending and after receiving.

The main criterion for the selection of cool ladies, who are obliged to monitor the worthy upbringing of girls, was usually unmarried status.
Harp lesson. Graduation album of the institute in 1889.

Corporal punishment for pupils was not accepted, however, those who committed any misconduct were not particularly ceremonious: shouting, scolding, punishment - such was the usual arsenal of means and methods of institute pedagogy. Punishments were considered common when the violator was disgraced in front of the entire institute: they took off their apron, pinned an untidy piece of paper or a torn stocking to a dress, and left them to stand in the middle of the dining room during lunch.

It was very difficult for children suffering from, say, enuresis - such a pupil had to go to breakfast with a wet sheet over her dress, which was considered a terrible shame not only for her personally, but for the entire dormitory. After that, the girls, so that such a misfortune would not happen again, usually woke up a classmate at night. There were a lot of people in the room, each student pushed the unfortunate woman a couple of times, one can imagine how “positively” this method affected the nerves of an already humiliated child.
Smolny Institute. Needlework lesson.

It was possible to earn a reprimand for any deviation from the rules: talking too loudly at recess, a carelessly made bed, a bow tied on an apron that was not according to the charter, or a curl that had escaped from a strict hairstyle. Complete obedience to the rules and customs of institutional life was highly valued here, as indicated by the very definition of pupils who were distinguished by obedience and excellent behavior - "parfettes" (distorted French "parfaite" - perfect). Any violation of order was a deviation from the institute's "good manners" and was considered "bad behavior." Therefore, naughty and shrews were called "movies" ("mauvaise" - bad). Even the appearance of the students was strictly regulated: the same hairstyles, different for different ages (the younger girls were often cut short, and the older ones were forced to pin their hair strictly), a neat shape. It consisted of a dress with a short sleeve and a neckline, an apron (apron), a cape and armlets with ribbons.
Smolny Institute. Singing lesson. Photo 1889

The color of the form depended on the class of study. Initially, under Catherine II, the pupils wore, respectively, dresses of brown ("coffee" class, the youngest), blue, gray and white. The first three ages were given white aprons, the oldest were given green ones. With a decrease in the period of study in the Nikolaev half, gray dresses were "reduced", and the white class began to be given green with a white apron. There was no blue class in the Alexandrovskaya half. The same colors - coffee, blue, green - were most often used in other institutes. Pepiniers usually wore gray dresses. (Pepinieres were called girls who remained after completing the main course to receive further education and further career growth to a cool lady. They were given an additional course in pedagogy and used as assistant teachers as practice).
Smolny Institute. Pupils in the classroom.

Graduates passed exams in all subjects. The real tests, on which the awards were distributed, were inspectors, public (in some institutes with the presence of royal people) - a mere formality: the best students told memorized tickets in advance.

Based on the results of the training, awards and codes were issued. The cipher is the metal monogram of the reigning empress; it was worn on the left shoulder on a bow of white ribbon with a colored stripe. The color of the stripes depended on the educational institution. In the event that an institute girl who had a cipher complained to the ladies-in-waiting, to whom the cipher was assigned as a sign of a court rank, then the bow was double, from the institute's ribbon and the blue maid of honor. (This often happened in the Nikolaev half of the Smolny, in other institutes - almost never). Gold and silver medals of various sizes (or orders) were also awarded.
Code for the best graduates of the Smolny Institute.

The very first institutes were fenced off from the influence of the family, but not from the world in general. They were often taken out for walks and court events; ceremonial dinners and performances were held within the walls of Smolny. In the 19th century, the concept changed and they tried not to let the pupils go into a different, non-barracks life. If once a year they were taken out to the Tauride Garden, then under strict control, doing everything to prevent contact of institute girls with other walkers. Several times a year (on the day of the name day of the emperor and empress, on New Year's Eve), balls were held, which were attended by all the pupils and the authorities.

For several hours, the girls danced with each other, not being able to laugh or fool around so as not to be punished. Occasionally (and by no means everywhere) balls were held with the invitation of gentlemen-relatives (kinship was considered a prerequisite), and in some places (oh, licentiousness!) And pupils of friendly male educational institutions ("Junker" Kuprin). And with the outbreak of the First World War, these few holidays also ceased: it was considered prejudiced to have fun when battles were going on.
Pupils of the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens at a dance lesson. 1901

Teachers were recruited mainly from married people, but if a bachelor came across, then either at an age, or of a very plain appearance, often with physical disabilities, so as not to introduce immaculate girls into temptation.
Smolny Institute. At leisure. Photo 1889

However, this did not help much - usually anyone who had at least some relation to the institute had fans. This was due to a very specific institutional tradition - adoration, that is, the desire to find an object of worship, an idol in the face of someone who comes to hand. A friend, a high school student, a priest, a teacher, an emperor... Only classy ladies weren't favored, but this was a consequence of the fear of being suspected of outright sycophancy. The lover gave gifts to the object of love for the holidays, experienced all sorts of ritual torments in order to be “worthy”, for example, she cut out the initials of the “deity” with a knife or gouged out with a pin, ate soap or drank vinegar as a sign of love, made her way to the church at night and prayed for well-being of the adored, rendered various practical services: she repaired feathers or sewed notebooks.

The adoration of the emperor, encouraged by the leadership, generally crossed all boundaries - the institute girls collected and carefully stored "pieces of roast, cucumber, chl :)" from the table at which the king dined, stole a scarf, which was cut into small pieces and distributed among the pupils who wore these " talismans" on his chest. “Do what you want with me,” Alexander II told the students of the Moscow Alexander Institute, “but don’t touch my dog, don’t try to cut his hair as a keepsake, as it was, they say, in some establishments.” However, they say that the girls not only cut off the hair from Alexander's pet, but even managed to cut expensive fur from a fur coat in several places.
Smolny Institute. Drawing lesson. Graduation album of the institute in 1889.

The usual menu of the mid-19th century in Smolny:
- Morning tea with a bun
- Breakfast: a piece of chl:) with a little butter and cheese, a portion of milk porridge or pasta
- Lunch: thin soup without meat, for the second - meat from this soup, for the third - a small pie
- Evening tea with a roll
During fasting, the diet became even less nutritious: for breakfast they gave six small potatoes (or three medium ones) with vegetable oil and porridge, for lunch there was soup with cereals, a small piece of boiled fish, aptly nicknamed "dead meat" by hungry college girls, and a miniature lean pie.
Smolyanki in the dining room. Graduation album of the institute in 1889.

In this way, they fed not only during long fasts, but also every Wednesday and Friday. At one fine moment, more than half of the girls ended up in the infirmary with a diagnosis of "exhaustion" - fasting was reduced ... to one and a half months a year. Wednesdays and Fridays have not been cancelled.

If the girl had pocket money, then it was possible, by paying a special fee, to drink tea in the morning with more nutritious food in the room of the educators, separately from other institutes, or to agree with the servants and buy something from the food at an exorbitant price. However, the latter was severely punished by cool ladies.
Smolny Institute. Teachers.

It was warmer in the infirmary than in the huge dormitories, enhanced nutrition was given out, and many girls arranged "vacations" for themselves, feigning the corresponding illnesses. However, many did not have to pretend.
Usually there were two rooms: a spare infirmary, which was used during epidemics or for the seriously ill, and the usual one, where all the other patients were placed.
Smolny Institute. Medical checkup. Graduation album of the institute in 1889.

The specific attitude towards the few men and the absurd opinion of the institute girls about the rules of decency caused a lot of trouble for the doctors. The very idea of ​​undressing in the presence of a person of the opposite sex made shy girls endure pain to the end. Periodically - tragic.
Smolny Institute. The last issue of 1917.
Smolny Institute. Rolling down the hill. Photo 1889
Smolny Institute. Admission is an exam for knowledge of good manners. Graduation album of the institute in 1889.
Girls for sewing.
Choir of pupils of the Smolny Institute.
Smolny Institute. Tea with guests. Graduation album of the institute in 1889.
Smolny Institute. Gymnastics lesson. Photo 1889
Smolny Institute. Washing room. Photo 1889
On the skating rink. Photo 1889
Alexandrinsky Institute for Noble Maidens. Nicholas I gave consent to the establishment of the Institute of Noble Maidens in the provincial Orel. So he answered the request of the Oryol nobles, who in 1851 decided that the need for such an elite educational institution was ripe. Of course, noble girls were sent to study at the institutes of Moscow and St. Petersburg, but these cases were still not massive.
Meanwhile, education has long been a necessary part of the upbringing of a class noble corporation. The institutes for noble maidens, opened by decree of Catherine II back in 1764, were called upon to spiritualize the moral needs of the noblewoman, to give her a first-class, albeit specific, education. It included teaching languages, Russian literature, music, dancing, drawing, needlework, but even then the basics of mathematics and physics were considered mandatory for study. They taught very well in the institutes, and the education was of high quality.
To open the institute, the Oryol nobles had to collect 220 thousand rubles. Nicholas I allowed income from the estates of the late Countess Anna Alexandrovna Orlova-Chesmenskaya to be added to this amount. Her estates were located in the Moscow, Oryol and Yaroslavl provinces.
A place for the institute was taken in the noble part of the city on Polesskaya Square, where until 1847 there was a wooden theater. At the beginning of 1865, the building of the institute was completely rebuilt. On February 6, 1865, it was consecrated by His Grace Polycarp in the presence of the Governor N. V. Levashov, the institute’s trustee A. M. Apraksina, and numerous guests. The first head of the Oryol Institute was Agnes Alexandrovna von Wessel.



Photos from the graduation album of Vera Isakova - 1913, the last happy year Russian Empire. Its first page is dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. On the second we see the trustees of the Institute, a portrait of A. A. Orlova-Chesmenskaya, a photograph of His Grace Gregory, Archbishop of Orlovsky and Sevsky, the head of the institute Natalia Nikolaevna Vasilchikova-Levenshtein (by the way, the mother-in-law of the writer Ivan Novikov, author of novels about Pushkin); institute inspector (in other words, head teacher), state councilor Yevgeny Nikolaevich Tikhomirov and two class ladies of graduation - Elizaveta Nikolaevna Bonch-Bruevich and Anna Pavlovna Belikova.

The album presents us with teachers, many of whom were in the rank of state councilors. It was almost a general's rank. So, a teacher of history and geography in 1910 - 1912. was the State Councilor Nikolai Vladimirovich Menshikov, by the way, who kept the 7-grade Oryol Women's Commercial School named after him. It was located on Vvedenskaya Street (now November 7). Menshikov was replaced by a graduate of the University, Viktor Alekseevich Preobrazhensky, who lived in the prestigious Skoropadsky house on the banks of the Orlik, where after the revolution and before the war the regional committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, the regional committee of the Komsomol and the editorial office of Orlovskaya Pravda would be located. Now this place is the Banking School. Physics and cosmography were led by State Councilor Vladimir Fomich Sobolevsky. He also taught the same subjects at the theological seminary. The Russian language and literature was taught by State Councilor Matvey Pavlovich Azbukin, from a family of well-known Oryol educators. Azbukin was the author of the Little Reader, published in Orel in 1912. Judging by the postcards of his pupils, he knew how to teach them to express their thoughts correctly, and write without errors. Mathematics for girls was led by Antonina Alexandrovna Kedrova, German - Erich Eduardovich Kurtz, who lived in the house of Hermut (the famous house of Liza Kalitina), French - Victorina Frantsevna Debiol.



The owner of the album is Vera Isakova.

Vera had girlfriends at the Institute. Among them are the names of Zinaida Dobroserdskaya and Lelya Grabbe, from the family of General Grabbe. Already under the Bolsheviks, in 1918, Zina wrote to Vera from the city of Litina, Podolsk province, asking what happened to the institute, with her classmates, whether the pupils were sent home. There is no information about the fate of Zina. But it is known that one of the first beauties of the issue, Liza Naryshkina, from those same Naryshkins, whose ancestry went back to Peter I, died in 1915 from transient consumption, which was triggered by a cold. Her brother Alexander, a graduate of the Orel Cadet Corps, died near Dvinsk in 1916. And only the youngest in this family, Kirill Tikhonovich Naryshkin, lived to an advanced age.
In 1913, nothing seemed to foretell future storms, but the echoes of the first revolution were heard within the institute's walls. Here the girls write their credo in the album:
In us, the will of the mind is weak,
Our desires are arbitrary.
No matter what fate promises us -
We are always dissatisfied
- so thought L. Likhareva. Her classmate M. Polozova, probably from the family of the Oryol provincial leader of the nobility M.K. Polozov, the owner of the land at Zmiyovka, philosophically remarks: “There are many treasures at the bottom of the sea, But the ocean will not give them away.” But N. Sakharova already writes differently: “Struggle is the joy of life!” Poor girls! Four years later, in 1917, they all learned what real wrestling is. She brought them no joy. After the revolution, they hid that they studied at the Institute, but they differed too much from others - in culture, knowledge, bearing, educated calmness, attitude to life in general. Some of the former pupils of the Institute paid, probably, for all this with crippled destinies. The building of the institute was destroyed during the retreat of the Germans from Orel in 1943. And in that prosperous 1913, the girls were photographed as a keepsake. Photo artist seated, as expected, all of them. Vera Isakova is not in the group photo: she was late! The rest dutifully took their places near the classy ladies. And so they passed into eternity - in their ceremonial capes and aprons. ..
And a few more photos of the teachers of the Alexandrinsky Institute for Noble Maidens.

Photos of graduates Kyiv Institute noble girls. Portrait of pupils with cool ladies of the Kyiv IBD. An interesting group photo of graduates of the Smolny in 1901, with inscribed surnames. Moscow Ekaterininsky IBD.
Pupils of the Moscow school of St. Catherine (Catherine Institute) 1902-1903.
Poltava Institute of Noble Maidens. Anastasia Gaevskaya, pupil of the Poltava IBD. 1898 Mentor of the Institute of Noble Maidens. Poltava. Khmelevsky. Group photo of the Odessa Institute of Noble Maidens. Moscow Mariinsky IBD and its graduates. Institute teachers.
Kharkov IBD. Maria Petrovna Bok (nee Stolypin, 1885-1985) - eldest daughter Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin. Further, I'm sorry, there are a lot of photos without a caption.

The Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens became the first women's educational institution in Russia, and its opening marked the beginning of an era of reforms in the field of education. Not the last role in this was played by Ivan Betskoy - the president of the Academy of Arts, the trustee of the Smolny Institute and the Moscow Orphanage, the head of the Land Gentry Corps. It was according to his project that the Educational Society for 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. The charter and the staff of "this Educational Society" were attached to the decree.

From coffee to white

In many ways, the Smolny Institute was similar to modern schools. Girls from noble families were admitted there from the age of six, and the training lasted 12 years and was divided into four "ages" of three years. Depending on the age of the student"tars" were required to wear uniform dresses: juniors - coffee color, 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 gold monogram with the empress's initials.

At the same time, about 200 girls were trained at the institute. In 1765, an educational institution for girls of other classes (except serfs) was opened at the Smolny Institute, where it was possible to receive general education according to a simplified program and learn the basics of home economics.

Employment Guaranteed

Girls from noble families after graduation received service at court, some became ladies-in-waiting. The educational program of the institution, drawn up 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, dances, music, secular manners, needlework and housekeeping. Particular emphasis was placed on foreign languages ​​and the Law of God, and graduates were required to know "the rules of good upbringing, good manners, secular manners and courtesy." AT staffing 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 they could only see their relatives on weekends and holidays and only in the presence of the boss. The girl did not have the right to leave the institution before the age of 18 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 signs were provided: an orange bow "For Labor" and a silver and enamel "Sign of Institutions of the Office of Empress Maria Feodorovna". Girls who were brought up in the petty-bourgeois department of the institute could later count on the position of governesses.

Imperial reform

Changes in the charter of the institute began after the death of Catherine. Paul I entrusted his wife Maria Fedorovna 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 Fedorovna, an hourly schedule of teaching 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, "Smolyanka" took intermediate exams, and at the end of the year they had a final exam.

Girls began to be admitted to 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 advent of Maria Feodorovna, girls began to be prepared more as wives than maids of honor, therefore, instead of the book “On the Positions of a Man and a Citizen”, which was read in Catherine's time, they began to read “Paternal advice to my daughter”. Almost all the innovations of Maria Fedorovna existed at the institute until its closure in 1917.

new breed

Education, of course, was not the only goal of the Smolny Institute. Establishing this institution, Ekaterina made sure that the charter included not only professional requirements for teachers and the "Smolyanka" 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 transfer knowledge to the pupils, but also to set an example for them to follow.

In the famous portraits of Levitsky, the "Smolyanka" are modest and cheerful - as it should be according to the charter of the institute. Photo: Creative Commons

“The charter urgently demanded that children always look cheerful, cheerful, contented and “free actions of the soul.” Therefore, it was instructed not to make objects of boredom, grief and disgust out of the sciences, and to facilitate the assimilation of knowledge by all means, while paying attention to the degree of development and abilities of each girl individually, - 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 educators themselves, starting with the boss. In dealing with children, the following are required: "meekness, decency, courtesy, prudence, justice, and also unfeigned cheerfulness and lack of unnecessary importance in addressing."

Shame in front of the whole class served as a means of correcting the guilty, “so that the shame of one would always serve to refrain others from such acts.” But this measure was applied only in very important cases, which included the slightest violation of decency during prayer or during church services. “Obviously, here there is a question not only about secular manners, but about the development of that 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 graduations have 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 beloved of Maxim Gorky and the heroine of Nina Berberova's book The Iron Woman. In 1911, Nina Komarova graduated from the institute - the future poetess Nina Khabias, a student of Alexei Kruchenykh and one of the first futurists.

Karl Bulla in 1917 photographed the last pupils of the Smolny Institute. 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 commit 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 daughter of King Nikola I of Montenegro and his wife Milena Vukotic, Princess Elena of Montenegro graduated from the Institute, who, married to Victor Emmanuel III, became the Queen of Italy and Albania, Empress of Ethiopia. Her sisters, Grand Duchess Milica Nikolaevna, Zorka Nikolaevna and Anastasia Nikolaevna, also studied here.

In 1848, Elena Burman graduated from the institute (married - Molokhovets) - the author of the book "A Gift to Young Housewives, or a Means to Reduce Costs in household"(1861) and a classic of Russian culinary literature. Even earlier, Elena Poltavtseva studied here - 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. Ekaterina Kern, the daughter of Anna Kern, the beloved of the composer Mikhail Glinka and the mother of academician Yuli Shokalsky, was also a graduate of Smolny.

It was believed that the most elegant ladies-in-waiting, respectable wives, and just great smart girls come out of the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens. After the girls got into this educational institution, they practically did not see their parents, and the conditions in which they lived were truly Spartan. Our review contains 30 photographs from Smolny, which will allow you to see how his pupils lived.

The Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens, which opened in St. Petersburg on May 5, 1764, became the first women's educational institution in Russia.

Empress Catherine entrusted the management of the institute to her personal secretary Ivan Ivanovich Betsky, who was the initiator of the opening of the Institute of Noble Maidens. He was educated abroad, talked a lot with encyclopedists and adhered to rationalistic views, being sure that the most important thing is education, education and again education!

True, Smolny clearly did not reach the educational institution, since the sciences there were studied superficially. The emphasis in the institution was on foreign languages, good manners and discipline. Reasoning women were not honored.

The charter of the Institute was sent "to all provinces, provinces and cities ... so that each of the nobles could, if he wishes, entrust his daughters in their young years to this established upbringing from Us." There were few people who wanted to send their children to prison for 12 years. Many doubted what I would teach their children there. But in 1764 the first recruitment took place.

True, instead of the estimated 200 students, only 60 girls 4-6 years old were recruited. These were children from low-income, but well-born noble families. A year later, the institute opened a faculty "for petty-bourgeois girls." Peasant girls were not accepted into the institution.

The main goal of the Smolny teachers was to make a “parfette” out of a girl (parfaite French - “perfect”). A girl could get a reprimand for the slightest deviation from the rules: an insufficiently neatly made bed, a loud conversation at a break, a stray curl, a bow tied on an apron that was not according to the charter.

For a torn stocking, for carelessness or for tricks, the girls were left to stand in the middle of the dining room while others dined. Girls were so carefully protected from vices that the seventh commandment about adultery was sealed in the Bibles.

The conditions at the institute were Spartan, since Betskoy was sure that a healthy mind is only in a healthy body. He believed that children should be accustomed to the cold, so in the bedrooms of Smolny the temperature was no more than 16 degrees. The girls slept on hard beds, in the morning they always went out to exercise and washed themselves with cold water from the Neva.

The diet in Smolny was, by today's times, more than modest. The daily menu looked like this:

Morning tea with a bun.
- Breakfast: a piece of bread with a little butter and cheese, a portion of milk porridge or pasta.
- Lunch: liquid soup without meat, for the second - meat from this soup, for the third - a small pie.
- Evening tea with a roll.

There were days when only French or German was spoken at the institute, and for what was said Russian word an inattentive girl was put on a cardboard tongue around her neck. She had to wander through the galleries of the institute and could not even sit down. This lasted until she heard Russian speech from someone else, and then the language switched to another victim.

At the second stage of training, geography and history were added, and at the third stage, reading moralizing and historical books, heraldry, architecture and physics. On the last step training repeated everything previously learned, paying special attention to the Law of God and housekeeping, which was to prepare the girl for a future family life. In addition, in Last year girls taught lessons in the lower grades to gain experience in raising children.

At the end of the institute, the six best students received a golden cipher - the metal cypher of the reigning empress. It was worn on the left shoulder on a white striped bow. Graduates were awarded gold and silver medals.

After graduating from the Institute of Smolyanka, they either arranged for a maid of honor at the court, or married off, or left at their own institute as a teacher or class lady.

Severe rules at the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens can only be compared with those that exist in choreographic schools. Ours allows you to immerse yourself in this atmosphere.

This experiment actually marked the beginning of women's education in Russia. We tell how noble maidens lived.

new breed

In the 18th century, the house-building traditions were the generally accepted norm of Russian society: they did not stand on ceremony with girls, they did not teach the sciences, their life scenario was predetermined.

However, Empress Catherine II, as a progressive ruler, decided that in Russia, following the example of France, an educational institution for girls of noble classes should appear. main goal institution was put "improvement of the breed of Russian fathers and mothers."

The plan was ambitious: "To bring happiness to an individual and thereby raise the well-being of the entire state." The empress intended to take girls from families in order to protect them from ignorance and, placing them in an ennobling environment, to create a completely new type women who in the future will pass on their experience, skills and knowledge to the next generations.

The empress did not have daughters, and she became attached to some pupils, visited and even corresponded. Four letters of Catherine II to a certain girl Levshina have been preserved.

The Empress wrote: “My bow to the whole society<…>tell them that I am pleased to see their every kind of success, it gives me real pleasure; I will prove it to them when I arrive one evening to play with the company to my heart’s content.”

Strict regime

At the same time, about 200 girls were trained at the institute. At first, the institute's rules were harsh. Girls from noble families were accepted from the age of 6 for a period of study of 12 years. Parents signed a document that they would not demand their daughters back, they had the right to visit them at a strictly allotted time and only with the permission of the head.

From the middle of the 19th century, concessions began to be allowed, “petty-bourgeois girls” began to be admitted to the institute - they were settled in a separate building. Girls could go home for the holidays, and the training period was reduced to 7 years.

The future secular ladies lived like Spartans: they got up at six in the morning and had a strict daily routine, there could be up to 8 lessons per day. The young pupils went in formation - both to prayer and for a walk. The girls were tempered, so the temperature in the bedrooms did not exceed 16 degrees, they slept on hard beds and washed themselves with cold water.

The girls were fed simple meals and small portions. The usual menu of noble maidens looked like this: morning tea with a bun, for breakfast a piece of bread with a little butter and cheese, a portion of milk porridge or pasta, for lunch liquid soup without meat, for the second - meat from this soup, for the third - a small pie, and still had evening tea with a roll.

During Lent, the diet became even more meager: for breakfast they were given no more than six small potatoes with vegetable oil and slurry porridge, for lunch - soup with cereals, a small piece of boiled fish, which the hungry pupils called "dead meat", for its disgusting taste and appearance. , and a miniature lean pie.

The enrolled girls were divided into age groups. Under Catherine, there were four "ages", then they were reduced to three groups. Visually, the division was emphasized by the color of the dress: the younger ones (from 6 to 9) are coffee-colored, hence their nickname “kofulki”. Next came the color blue (from 9 to 12), the third age (from 12 to 15) wore gray dresses, and the graduates (from 15 to 18) wore white.

When choosing such colors, they were guided both by practical goals, because small ones get dirty more often, and globally spiritual ones: from indivisibility with the earth to high thoughts, befitting graduates. But regardless of the color of the dress, the style was modest and old-fashioned.

The most terrible punishment for the pupils was the deprivation of a white apron. They were punished mainly for inaccuracy, pampering in the classroom, stubbornness and disobedience. They took off the apron from the pupils, pinned an untidy piece of paper or a torn stocking to the dress and forced them to stand in the middle of the dining room during dinner.

It was very difficult for girls suffering from incontinence. Such a pupil was obliged to go to breakfast with a wet sheet over her dress, it was a shame not only for her personally, but for the whole group. The most exemplary pupils were called “parfettes” (from the French “parfaite” - perfect), and the naughty ones “movies” (from “mauvaise” - bad).

Education system

The main subjects that the girls studied were all kinds of art, the word of God, languages, exact sciences and the humanities. There was physical education with elements of gymnastics and dancing.

The ability to gracefully curtsey was valued more than success in mathematics, for good manners, teachers forgave bad marks in the exact sciences, and they could be expelled from the institute only for obscene behavior. Their "sciences" especially honored the study of the French language.

Institute girls were evaluated on a twelve-point scale. At the end of the year, they necessarily compiled a performance rating and issued intermediate insignia: cockade bows or laces with tassels that were tied around the hair.

The main purpose of education was not to teach, but to educate. Cleverness was not encouraged, a noble girl had to be modest, be able to behave with dignity, have impeccable manners and taste.

Inequality

Many children of the Decembrists attended the Smolny Institute, for example, the daughters of Kakhovsky completed the course with silver medals. Foreign high-ranking persons also studied here: Swedish aristocrats, Shamil's granddaughter and daughters of Georgian princes, princesses of Montenegro.

According to official sources, the head of Smolny at that time, Princess Liven, said to a young classy lady: “Perhaps you still do not know the traditions of Smolny. It is necessary to demand double and triple from the princess, because the fate of her subjects will depend on her character.

In practice, everything was different. Although the august persons wore uniform institute dresses and went to regular lessons, they were provided with other accommodation and their own kitchen, the girls spent their holidays on the estate of the head of the institute.

Girls from poor families who could not afford long-term education were supported by scholarships organized by the imperial family and rich people. They wore a ribbon around their neck, the color of which was chosen by the benefactor.

Star graduates

The first issue of Smolny was truly famous: the Empress knew almost all the girls by name, some she assigned to the court. In the future, the tradition continued: the best candidates of noble birth became ladies-in-waiting.

The maids of honor got a chance to successfully marry, because the circle of their acquaintances was made up of the most brilliant suitors of the country. Well, those who were less fortunate with the pedigree, after graduation, were looking for a place as a teacher or governess.

Of the famous graduates, one can recall the daughter of King Nikola I of Montenegro and his wife Milena Vukotic, Princess Elena of Montenegro, who, married to Victor Emmanuel III, became the Queen of Italy and Albania, the Empress of Ethiopia. Her sisters Grand Duchess Milica Nikolaevna, Zorka Nikolaevna and Anastasia Nikolaevna also graduated from the establishment.

In 1895, Ksenia Erdeli, People's Artist of the USSR, harpist, composer, teacher and founder of the Soviet school of harp performance, was a graduate of Smolny.

In 1911, Nina Komarova graduated from the institute - the future poetess Nina Khabias, a student of Alexei Kruchenykh and one of the first futurists.

The conceived plan of Catherine II ended in success. Girls who graduated from Smolny played an important role in enlightening and improving Russian society. They were brilliant teachers, wonderful mothers, selfless nurses.

Many Smolyanka women served the people: they opened women's schools and gymnasiums, built hospitals and hospitals for the poor. The October Revolution put an end to "noble education", and to this day there is no institution in Russia like the legendary Smolny Institute.