The Tsarskoye Selo Imperial Lyceum became the most legendary educational institution in Russia right after its foundation. The initiator of his appearance was Emperor Alexander I, a brilliant teaching staff and a talented director with his pedagogical, personal talents brought to light several generations of Russian thinkers, poets, artists, and military men. Graduates of the lyceum made up the Russian elite not so much in origin as in the implementation of the principles of selfless service to the Fatherland in any field.
Base
The Tsarskoye Selo Imperial Lyceum was opened during the reign of Alexander I, and more specifically, a decree on its foundation was signed by the highest authority in August 1810. The foundation of a higher educational institution was in the "liberal years" of the sovereign's rule. The lyceum was to become the first example of an educational institution with a European approach to education nurtured on Russian soil.
The Tsarskoye Selo Imperial Lyceum, from other higher schools, was distinguished by the absence of physical punishments, a friendly relationship between teachers and students, a rich curriculum designed to build personal views and much more. It was planned that the Grand Dukes, the younger brothers of the ruling king, Nikolai and Mikhail, would study at the Lyceum, but later they decided to give them a traditional home education.
Living conditions
A four-story new building was provided for the lyceum - the outbuilding of the Tsarskoye Selo Palace. The premises of the first floor were intended for the medical unit and board. On the second floor there were classes for junior students, the third was given to senior students, and the upper, fourth floor, was occupied by bedrooms. There was a modest, almost Spartan setting in the personal bedchairs; the furniture consisted of a wrought-iron bed fitted with canvas, a stationery table for classes, a chest of drawers and a table for washing.
A two-light gallery was located for the library, which was located above the arch. The ceremonial hall for celebrations was on the third floor. The services, the church and the director’s apartment were located in a separate building next to the palace.
Learning idea
The concept and curriculum were developed by an influential courtier, adviser to Alexander I in the first half of his reign, M. M. Speransky. The main task was to educate civil servants and the military of a new formation from the children of the nobility. Speransky’s idea was to Europeanize Russia, and for this, officials with a different mindset, with internal freedom and an appropriate level of humanitarian education, were needed.
The selection of lyceum students was very strict, boys from noble families aged 10 to 12 years were accepted, who had to successfully pass the entrance exams, confirming an adequate level of knowledge in three languages (Russian, German, French), history, geography, mathematics and physics. The full course was six years of study, divided into two levels, each of which was given for three years.
Humanities and the military
The main direction of education is humanitarian, which made it possible to instill in the student the ability to further independent learning, critical thinking, logic, and comprehensively develop the talents inherent in the child. For six years, teaching was conducted in the following main subjects:
- Learning native and foreign languages (Russian, Latin, French, German).
- Moral sciences (foundations of logic, the law of God, philosophy).
- Exact sciences (arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, physics).
- The humanities (Russian and foreign history, chronology, geography).
- Basics of graceful writing (rhetoric and its rules, works of great writers).
- Art (fine, dancing).
- Physical education (gymnastics, swimming, fencing, horse riding).
In the first year, students mastered the basics, and in the second year, they went from the basics to the in-depth development of all subjects. In addition, throughout the training a lot of attention was paid to civil architecture and sports. Those who chose military affairs additionally read hours on the history of wars, fortifications, and other specialized disciplines.
The entire training and educational process took place under the vigilant supervision of the director. The teaching staff consisted of seven professors, a priest taught the law of God, six teachers of fine arts and gymnastics, two adjuncts, three supervisors and a tutor monitored the discipline.
The first enrollment of students was carried out under the supervision of the emperor himself, out of 38 people who submitted documents and passed the competition, only 30 students were accepted at the Lyceum in Tsarskoye Selo, the list was approved by the royal hand. Alexander I carried out the patronage of the institution, and Count Razumovsky A.K. was appointed head of the lyceum with the rank of commander in chief. By post, the count was supposed to be present at all exams, which he did with pleasure, knowing in the face and names of all students.
Principles
The tasks of the lyceum director were comprehensive, this position was entrusted to V.F. Malinovsky, who was educated at Moscow University. According to the charter of the institution, the director was obliged to live around the clock in the lyceum and pay attention to students and the whole process tirelessly, he was personally responsible for the students, for the level of teaching and the general condition of the lyceum's life.
Tsarskoye Selo Imperial Lyceum was staffed with the best teachers of its time, all had higher education, scientific degrees, loved their job and the younger generation. Teachers were free to choose methods of presenting knowledge, one principle had to be strictly observed - lyceum students should not have any idle time.
Daily schedule
A regular school day was built on a strict schedule:
- The morning began at six o’clock, time was allocated for hygiene procedures, gatherings, prayers.
- The first lessons in classes started from seven to nine in the morning.
- The next hour (9: 00-10: 00) students could devote to a walk and a snack (tea with a bun, breakfast was not supposed).
- The second lesson began at 10:00 and lasted until 12:00, after which, for an hour, the schedule included a walk in the fresh air.
- Lunch was served at 13:00.
- In the afternoon, from 14:00 to 15:00, students were engaged in fine arts.
- From 15:00 to 17:00 classes in classes followed.
- At 17:00, children were offered tea, followed by a walk until 18:00.
- From six o’clock until half past eight in the evening, students engaged in the repetition of the material covered, were engaged in auxiliary classes.
- At 20:30, dinner was served, followed by free time to relax.
- At 22:00 it was time for prayer and sleep. Every Saturday, students attended the bathhouse.
The lyceum in Tsarskoye Selo differed from other educational institutions also in that it was mandatory for the teacher to obtain knowledge and understanding of his subject from each student. Until the material was mastered by all students in the class, the teacher could not start a new topic. In order to achieve efficiency, additional classes were introduced for lagging students, new teaching approaches were sought. The lyceum had its own system of control over the level of acquired and acquired knowledge, each lyceum student wrote reports, answered oral control questions.
Often, the teacher considered it a blessing to leave the student alone in his subject, Pushkin was not forced to thoroughly know the mathematical sciences, Professor Kartsov said: “You, Pushkin, in my class it all ends with zero. Sit back and write poetry. ”
Lyceum life
The lyceum in Tsarskoye Selo was endowed with another feature - complete closeness, the lyceum students did not leave the walls of the institution throughout the school year. There was also a uniform uniform for everyone. It consisted of a dark blue caftan, a stand-up collar and a cuff of sleeves, which were red, he was fastened with gold-plated buttons. To distinguish between senior and junior courses, buttonholes were introduced, for the senior course they were sewn in gold, for the younger, silver.
In the lyceum where Pushkin studied, much attention was paid to education. The students respected not only the people of their class, but also the servants, serfs. Human dignity does not depend on origin, it was suggested to every student. For the same reason, children practically did not communicate with their relatives - everyone was the heirs of serfs and at home they often could see a completely different attitude towards dependent people; in the noble environment, neglect of serfs was commonplace.
Brotherhood and honor
Despite the fact that the lyceum students had a tight schedule of study and occupation, in their memoirs, everyone recognized a sufficient amount of freedom. Students lived according to a specific code of laws, the charter of the institution was posted in the corridor of the fourth floor. One of the points claimed that the community of students is a single family, and therefore in their midst there is no place for swagger, bragging and contempt. Children came to the Lyceum from an early age, and it became their home, and the comrades and teachers were a real family. The situation in the imperial Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum was friendly, united.
For lyceum students, a system of rewards and punishments was developed that excluded physical violence. The guilty mischievous men were put in a punishment cell for three days, where the director personally came to conduct a conversation, but this was an extreme measure. For other reasons, more gentle methods were chosen - deprivation of lunch for two days, at which time the student received only bread and water.
The Lyceum of Brotherhood sometimes independently rendered a verdict to the behavior of its participants, those who retreated from honor and violated dignity. Pupils could boycott a friend, leaving him in complete isolation without the ability to communicate. Unwritten laws were observed no less holy than the charter of the Lyceum.
First edition
The first pupils of the Tsarskoye Selo Imperial Lyceum left the walls of the educational institution in 1817. Almost everyone got a place in the state apparatus, according to the results of exams, many went to the high ranks, many high school students chose military service, equal in status to the Page Corps. Among them were people who became the pride of Russian history and culture. The poet A. Pushkin brought great fame to the lyceum; no one before him had treated his school and teachers with such warmth and trembling. He devoted many works to the Tsarskoye Selo period.
Almost all students in the first set became the pride of the country and glorified the Tsarskoye Selo Imperial Lyceum. Famous graduates, such as: Kuchelbeher V.K. (poet, public figure, Decembrist), Gorchakov A.M. (outstanding diplomat, head of the foreign affairs department under Tsar Alexander II), Delvig A. A (poet, publisher), Matyushkin F F. (polar explorer, Fleet Admiral) and others contributed to history, culture, and the development of the arts.
Lyceum student Pushkin
It is impossible to overestimate the influence of Pushkin on Russian literature; his genius was discovered and brought up within the walls of the lyceum. According to the memoirs of classmates, the poet had three nicknames - the Frenchman (a tribute to excellent knowledge of the language), Cricket (the poet was an agile and talkative child) and the Mix of Monkey and Tiger (for the ardor of temper and tendency to quarrel). At the Lyceum where Pushkin studied, exams were held every six months, it was thanks to them that talent was noticed and recognized back in school years. The poet published his first work in the journal Vestnik Evropy, being a lyceum student, in 1814.
The situation in the Imperial Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum was such that the student could not feel his calling. The entire educational process was aimed at identifying and developing talents, teachers facilitated this. In his memoirs, in 1830, A.S. Pushkin notes: "... I began to write from the age of 13 and to print almost from the same time."
In the corners of the Lyceum passages,
Muse began to be me.
My student cell
Hitherto alien to fun
Suddenly lit up - Muse in it
I opened the feast of my ideas;
Sorry, cold science!
Sorry, the games of the first years!
I have changed, I am a poet ...
Pushkin's first known public appearance took place on an exam when moving from an elementary course to a senior, final course of study. The public exams were attended by eminent people, including the poet Derzhavin. The poem “Remembering Tsarskoye Selo”, read by a fifteen-year-old student, made a tremendous impression on the guests present. Pushkin immediately began to read a great future. His works were highly appreciated by the lights of Russian poetry, his contemporaries - Zhukovsky, Batyushkov, Karamzin and others.
Alexander Lyceum
After accession to the throne of Nicholas I, the Lyceum was transferred to St. Petersburg. Tsarskoye Selo was a haven for lyceum students from 1811 to 1843. The educational institution moved to Kamenoostrovsky Prospect, where the premises of the former Alexandrinsky orphanage were allocated for students. In addition, the institution was renamed the Imperial Alexander Lyceum, in honor of its creator.
Traditions and the spirit of brotherhood also settled in the new building, no matter how Nicholas I tried to fight this phenomenon. The history of the Tsarskoye Selo Imperial Lyceum continued in a new place and lasted until 1918. Constancy was noted by the observance of unwritten rules, the current charter, as well as the emblem and motto - "For the common good." Paying tribute to its famous graduates, in 1879 on October 19, the first museum of A.S. was opened within the walls of the Alexander Lyceum Pushkin.
But with justification in a new place, some changes were introduced. According to the new curriculum, students began to be accepted and graduated annually, military disciplines were completely abolished, and the list of humanities expanded. The response of time and the changing environment were new departments - agriculture, civil architecture.
After the 17th year
In 1917, the last graduation of students took place. Until 1918, classes continued with large interruptions; the Alexander Lyceum was closed in May of that year. The famous library was partially sent to Sverdlovsk, most of it was distributed between libraries, lost or found refuge in private hands. It was possible to save about two thousand volumes from the general collection of books, and to localize them in the collection of the State Literary Museum in 1938. The collection that fell into the Sverdlovsk Library in 1970 was transferred to the Pushkin Museum Fund.
The building of the Alexander Lyceum was used for various purposes. In 1917, it housed the headquarters of the Red Army and other organizations. Before the start of World War II and after it, there was a school on the premises, then the building was placed at the disposal of the SPSTU. Now the building is a college of management and economics.
A terrible fate befell many lyceum students and teachers of the Alexander Lyceum. In 1925, a case was fabricated in which, among others. the last director of the Lyceum Shilder V. A and the prime minister Golitsyn N. D. were accused of creating a counter-revolutionary organization. All accused of conspiracy to restore the monarchy, and there were 26 of them, were shot. So sadly completed the story of the Imperial Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. Pushkin was his singer and genius, the rest of the lyceum students are history and pride.
Modern pedagogy is increasingly inclined to the idea that the ideas laid down by Speransky are the best education option for the younger generation, which will be useful to apply today.