Ushinsky Konstantin Dmitrievich became famous primarily as the Russian founder of pedagogy, and then as a writer. However, the life of this talented person was not long, the disease took away all his strength, he was in a hurry to work and do as much as possible for others. In 1867, he returned to his homeland from Europe and a few years later, in 1871 (according to the new style), he died, he was only 47 years old.
Konstantin Ushinsky really did a lot for Russia. His passionate dream, recorded in his personal diary from his youth, was to become useful to his Fatherland. This person dedicated his life to the correct upbringing and enlightenment of the younger generation.
Konstantin Ushinsky: a brief biography
Kostya was born in Tula on February 19 in 1823 in the family of a petty nobleman - a retired officer, a veteran of the war of 1812. The biography of Ushinsky, Konstantin Dmitrievich, indicates that he spent his childhood in the town of Novgorod-Seversky, located in the Chernigov province, in a small parental estate where his father was sent to work as a judge. His mother died very early, at the time he was 12 years old.
After graduating from the local gymnasium, Konstantin became a student of the law faculty of Moscow University. He graduated with honors. Two years later, he became an acting professor of cameral sciences at the legal lyceum of Yaroslavl.
However, his brilliant career was interrupted very quickly - in 1849. Ushinsky was fired for the "riots" among students, this was facilitated by his progressive views.
The beginning of pedagogical activity
Konstantin Ushinsky was forced to work in a small official position in the Ministry of the Interior. Such activity did not satisfy him and even aroused disgust (he wrote about this in his diaries).
The writer received the greatest pleasure from his literary work in the magazines Library for Reading and Sovremennik, where he placed his articles, translations from English and reviews of materials published in foreign print media.
In 1854, Konstantin Ushinsky began to work as a teacher, then as an inspector of the Gatchina Orphan Institute, where he manifests himself as an excellent teacher, an expert on the basics of upbringing and education.
Proceedings
Under the influence of the development of the socio-pedagogical movement in 1857-1858. Ushinsky writes in his “Journal for Education” several of his articles, which became turning points in his fate, authority and fame immediately came to him.
In 1859, he received the position of inspector of the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens. In this famous institution, closely connected with the royal family, the atmosphere of ingratiation and servility flourished at that time. All training was carried out in the spirit of Christian morality, which ultimately came down to instilling secular manners, worship of tsarism and a minimum of real knowledge.
The reform
Ushinsky immediately carried out the reform of the institute: despite the resistance of reactionary teachers, he introduced a new curriculum. Now the main subject has become the Russian language and literature, as well as the natural sciences. At the lessons of physics and chemistry, he introduced experiments, since these visual principles of teaching contributed to a better assimilation and understanding of topics. At this time, the best teachers were invited - methodologists in literature, geography, history, etc., and these were Vodovozov V.I., Semenov D.D., Semevsky M.I.
An interesting solution was his introduction of a two-year pedagogical class in addition to the general educational seven classes, so that the pupils would be better prepared for useful work. He also introduces into the practice of pedagogical work conferences and meetings for teachers. Pupils receive the right to relax on vacation and on holidays with their parents.
All these events were very pleased Konstantin Ushinsky. A biography for children will be interesting also because he wrote a lot of amazing tales and stories for them.
Children's anthology
At the same time, in 1861, Ushinsky created the children's book “Children's World” in Russian for the lower grades in two parts, which also contained material on natural science.
In 1860-1861 he is editing the Journal of the Ministry of Education, completely changing the uninteresting and dry program there and turning it into a scientific and pedagogical journal.
Mr. Ushinsky Konstantin Dmitrievich devotes all his time to this matter. A brief biography indicates that his works have brought many benefits to society. He writes and places enough reactionary articles in magazines. For such arbitrariness, the author could not help but pay. Harassment began on him; his colleagues accused him of political unreliability and free thought.
Experience in Europe
In 1862, he was dismissed from the Smolny Institute. And then the Tsarist government sends him abroad on a long business trip to study European women's education. Ushinsky takes this trip as a link.
However, he gets to work, studies everything with great interest and visits a number of European countries. In Switzerland, he is especially scrupulously studying the formulation of primary education. Konstantin Ushinsky presents his conclusions and generalizations in the textbook for classroom reading, “Native Word,” and the training manual for him. Then he prepares two volumes of "Man as a subject of education" and collects all the materials for the third.
Sickness and misfortune
In his last years, he acted as a public figure. He published many articles on Sunday schools and on the schools of artisan children, he was also a member of the pedagogical congress in Crimea. In 1870 in Simferopol, he visited several educational institutions and eagerly met with teachers and their pupils.
One of the teachers I.P. Derkachev recalled that in the summer of 1870, Ushinsky, on returning home from the Crimea to the farm of Bogdank of the Glukhovsky district (Chernihiv region), wanted to call on his friend N.A. Korf in Yekaterinoslavshchina. One of the reasons was his cold, and then the tragic death of his eldest son Paul. After this, Ushinsky and his family moved to live in Kiev and bought a house on Tarasovskaya. And immediately with his sons, he goes to be treated in the Crimea. On the way, Ushinsky, Konstantin Dmitrievich, catches a cold and stops in Odessa for treatment, but soon dies, it was in January 1871 (according to a new style). He was buried in Kiev in the Vydubychi Monastery.
Beloved women Ushinsky
The wife of K. D. Ushinsky was Nadezhda Semenovna Doroshenko. He met her back in Novgorod-Seversky. She was from an ancient Cossack family. Ushinsky married her in the summer of 1851 during a business trip in this city. They had five children.
The daughter Vera (after Poto’s husband) in Kiev, at her own expense, opened a male City School, named after her father. The second daughter, Nadezhda, on the proceeds from her father’s labors, created an elementary school in the village of Bogdanka, where Ushinsky once lived.