Smolny Institute

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SMOLNY INSTITUTE situated at 1 Smolny Passage, the first and most privileged institute for noble young ladies. Empress Catherine II ordered the foundation of the institute in 1764 as the private Society for the Education of Young Noble Ladies. It was designed by I. I. Betsky for 200 daughters of the hereditary nobility and situated in Novodevichy (Smolny) Convent with a separate house built facing south by architect G. Quarenghi in 1806-08. The course of studies was originally twelve years, from six to eighteen years of age. It was then reduced to nine years to be taken from nine years of age. Charges were divided into three age groups differing in the colour of their apron: dark brown for the junior group, blue for the intermediate group, and white for the senior group. They were taught divine law, languages, drawing, history, geography, and arithmetic, elements of physics, dancing, music, manners, needlework, and housekeeping. A petty bourgeoisie department was opened in 1765, reorganised into Alexandrovsky School in 1842 and Alexandrovsky Institute in 1891. A two-year teachers' class was established in 1848 to provide training for teachers. The form-master of Smolny Institute in 1859-62, K. D. Ushinsky effected a number of reforms reducing the course of studies to seven years, introducing a new curriculum with a higher emphasis on Russian, geography, history, natural science, physics, and chemistry, improving the teachers' training system, etc. The institute was closed in the summer of 1917, charges transferred to other education institutions.

Reference: Черепнин Н. П. Императорское воспитатательное общество благородных девиц: Ист. очерк, 1764-1914: В 3 т. СПб.; Пг., 1914-1915; Жерихина Е. И. Смольный: История зданий и учреждений. СПб., 2002.

Е. М. Balashov. Betskoy (Betsky) Ivan Ivanovich
Catherine II, Empress
Quarenghi Giacomo
Ushinsky Konstantin Dmitrievich
Smolny Passage/Saint Petersburg, city, house 1
Черепнин Н. П. Императорское воспитатательное общество благородных девиц: Ист. очерк, 1764-1914: В 3 т. СПб.; Пг., 1914-1915
Жерихина Е. И. Смольный: История зданий и учреждений. СПб., 2002 Smolny Institute
1764
1765
1808