Initially, in ancient Russia, education did not play an important role, since besides the children of rich boyars and noble families, no one else could study science. The main part of the population was made up of peasants, who day and night were engaged in the cultivation of their land, and the land of their own owner. But the situation began to change during the baptism of Rus.
Experts and historians have calculated that the very first schools in Russia were established back in 988 in the city of Kiev. Such information is fully consistent with the famous annals of "The Tale of Bygone Years." It turns out that the birth of education in Kievan Rus began only when Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich began to carry out the baptism of the people. In addition, the name of this particular prince was indicated in the annals as the founder of the first school in Kievan Rus. By his decree, he ordered in the noble and boyar families to collect all the children and send them to schools for teaching books. But training was perceived by many as torture. Mothers did not yet understand where and why they were going to send their children. That is why, they greatly mourned them, and said goodbye to the children, as if they were leaving for certain doom.
The school created by Prince Vladimir was called the “Book Doctrine” , and was a real palace educational institution. It taught not only literacy, but also other sciences. About 300 students studied at this school, and all of them were divided into small groups, each of which was taught by its own teacher. After that, most often schools could be seen at monasteries and temples. For the first time, the term “school” itself appeared in Russia only in 1382, when, according to European traditions, this term began to mean educational institutions where people were taught crafts and were given specialized knowledge.
It should be noted that only boys could conduct training at school during the reign of Prince Vladimir, and the book was the first subject for their education. It was believed that men should be more savvy in communication, and girls should not know the letter, as they will become future housewives, and their responsibilities will include only the correct possession of the household. And for this, knowing a letter is not necessary.
And only in May 1086 did the very first female school appear in Russia, the founder of which was Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavovich. Moreover, his daughter, Anna Vsevolodovna, at the same time headed the school and studied science. Only here, young girls from wealthy families could learn to read and write and various crafts. At the beginning of 1096, schools began to open throughout Russia. The first schools began to appear in such large cities as Murom, Vladimir and Polotsk, and most often they were built at monasteries and temples. Thus, priests were considered in Russia the most educated people. From the 15th century, institutions at monasteries ceased to be built, and private schools appeared, which at that time were called "masters of literacy . "
Despite such an increase in the construction of educational buildings, the school was still not widespread throughout Russia. Education in Kievan Rus was organized systematically and everywhere. That is why, the first schools in Russia, although they existed, did not flourish and gradually began to fade. And only at the beginning of the 17th century the study of sciences and arts in schools began in a new way. In the era of Peter the Great , the first school was opened in Kiev in systematic sciences, which the tsar himself called a new step in the education of each person. True, so far only children from noble families have been able to get here, but there are more people who want to send their children to school. In all 17th-century schools, teachers taught subjects such as grammar and Latin.
It is with the era of Peter 1 that historians associate significant transformations in the educational sphere. At this time, not only school institutions were opened, which were an order of magnitude higher than the very first schools, but also new schools and lyceums. The main and required subjects for study are mathematics, navigation and medicine.