Deaf-Mute School

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DEAF-MUTE SCHOOL is one of the oldest deaf-mute pedagogical schools in Russia. It was founded as an experimental institution by Empress Maria Fedorovna (who sponsored it until 1810) in Pavlovsk in 1806. From 1810 it was situated in the Bip Fortress and from 1820 in St. Petersburg, at Vyborgskaya Side, at 18/54 Gorokhovaya Street in the building that was bought by the Treasury for the Deaf-Mute School in 1817 (built in the late 18th century, rebuilt in 1817-20, architect G. Quadri, and in 1844-47, architect P.S. Plavov). In 1828 it became a part of the Empress Maria's Institutions Office (designed for 24 pupils). The first director (in 1810) was J.B. Joffre, a student of the deaf-mute pedagogue R.A. Sikara. In the mid-19th century the School opened classes in handicraft, cooking, typography, workshop and library. In 1860, the director Y.T. Speshnev was the first to introduce studies in oral (articulatory) speech. In 1896-1901, the director A.F. Ostrogradsky leveled education programs for boys and girls and in 1900 closed the mimic faculty. In 1901, the so-called natural method of lip reading was implemented, which taught lip reading skills from continuous speech rather than from a teacher's articulation. The educational program consisted of Divine Law, Russian, arithmetic, geography, history, the overview of natural sciences and physics, drafting, drawing, modeling and a practical knowledge course, consisting of manual labour for boys and handcrafts for girls. The curriculum was designed for 9 years; children were accepted at the age of 7-9 years. The school staff consisted of 120 people on scholarship and 42 people who paid. Pedagogues were also trained there to teach deaf-mutes. Among the teachers were the deaf-mute pedagogues G.A. Gurtsov (director since 1824), V.I. Fleri (director since 1838), I.Y. Seleznev (director since 1865), N.M. Lagovsky. At the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900 the Deaf-Mute School received an honorary diploma for quality education. In 1900, a farm was created for the Deaf-Mute School at Murzinka country house (near Rybatskoe village). The educational building-chapel was constructed for the Mariinsky School (1903, architect I.A. Pretro). The buildings of the school and workshops were preserved (17 and 21 Progonny Lane). After 1917, the Deaf-Mute School became a part of the Soviet education system. In 1918, it was transformed into the Deaf-Mute Institute (with an affiliated school). In 1924-38 it acquired regional status. Until 1948 it was the Central Boarding School for Children Hearing and Speech Disorders, then after 1948, it became the Leningrad Boarding School #1 for Deaf Children. Since 1969 it has been situated on the territory of Lensky's former summer residence (4 Engelsa Avenue).

References: Лаговский Н. М. С.-Петербургское училище глухонемых (1810-1910): Ист. очерк. СПб., 1910; Векслер А. Ф. История Рыбацкого от его основания до наших дней // Рыбацкая слобода: Лит. и ист.-краевед. альм. СПб., 1995. [№ 1]. С. 34-35.

Е. М. Balashov, A. F. Vexler, K. Davidovskaya. Fleri Viktor Ivanovich
Gurtsov G.A.
Joffret J.B.
Lagovsky Nikolay Mikhailovich
Maria Fedorovna, Empress
Ostrogradsky A.F.
Plavov Peter Sergeevich
Pretro Ippolit Alexandrovich
Quadri Domenico
Seleznev I.Y.
Sikara R.A.
Speshnev Ya.T.
the Lanskys
Engelsa Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 4
Gorokhovaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 18/54
Progonny Lane/Saint Petersburg, city, house 21
Progonny Lane/Saint Petersburg, city, house 17
Выборгская сторона
Лаговский Н. М. С.-Петербургское училище глухонемых (1810–1910): Ист. очерк. СПб., 1910
Векслер А. Ф. История Рыбацкого от его основания до наших дней // Рыбацкая слобода: Лит. и ист.-краевед. альм. СПб., 1995 Empress Maria's Department of Institutions