Princess Aleksandra Alekseevna Obolenskaya (nee Dyakova; November 27 [ December 9 ], 1831 [1] , village of Cheremoshna , Orel Province - December 8 [20], 1890 [1] , St. Petersburg ) - champion of female education in Russia, founder of the female gymnasium in St. Petersburg . Her son V. A. Obolensky .
| Alexandra Alekseevna Obolenskaya | |
|---|---|
 1879 year | |
| Birth name | Alexandra Alekseevna Dyakova |
| Date of Birth | December 9, 1831 |
| Place of Birth | with. Cheremoshna , Mtsensk district , Oryol province , Russian Empire |
| Date of death | December 20, 1890 (aged 59) |
| Place of death | |
| A country | |
| Occupation | founder and director of her own gymnasium |
| Spouse | Andrei Vasilyevich Obolensky |
| Children | Vladimir |
Biography
Father - a retired colonel, landowner Alexei Nikolaevich Dyakov (1790-1837).
Mother, second wife A.N. Dyakova, Baroness Maria Ivanovna Dalheim de Limousin (d. 1833), graduate of the Smolny Institute, daughter of a French emigrant. After graduation, she was brought close to the court and became a maid of honor. She was patronized by Empress Maria Fyodorovna and soon married her out. After four years of marriage, having given birth to three daughters: Maria, Alexander and Elizabeth, she died after the last birth.
In 1836, A. N. Dyakov married for the third time to Elizabeth Alekseevna Okulova (1805–1886), an amateur singer and daughter, A. M. Okulov . A year and a half later, Dyakov died, and Elizabeth Alekseevna raised his daughters.
Alexandra Alekseevna received an excellent education and had a talent for drawing. She painted portraits of relatives and friends, accurately conveying the features of the portrait. In 1852, L.N. Tolstoy made an offer to Alexandra Dyakova and was refused. In his notes, he repeatedly wrote about his love for her .
In 1853, she married Prince Andrei Vasilyevich Obolensky (1825-1875), son of V.P. Obolensky . The Obolensky house in Kaluga was the site of frequent gatherings of a circle of leaders to free peasants.
Gymnasium creation
Arriving from St. Petersburg in 1868 with her husband from Kovno , Alexandra Alekseevna entered the circle of educated women ( A.P. Filosofova , M.A. Bykova, E.O. Likhacheva , M.V. Trubnikova ), in which the question of the opening of the Higher Women's Courses in St. Petersburg. Alexandra Alekseevna understood that educational institutions for girls did not provide sufficient preparation for the university. In 1869, she decided to open a first-class women's educational institution, approaching men's real schools, training in which would prepare for a university course.
Such competent persons as A. Ya. Gerd and A.N. Strannolyubsky were invited to draw up a teaching program in the new gymnasium. The budget of the gymnasium was designed for the first year in the amount of 8,000 rubles, of which half was given by Princess Obolenskaya, and half by the circle of founders. A significant part of the budget was made by private donations. Knowing how difficult it is to find a person who could be entrusted with managing the gymnasium, Princess Obolenskaya, despite her forty years, decided to pass the exam for the title of home teacher, which she passed. The training course of the newly opened (in November 1870) educational institution of the 1st category, which later became known as the " Gymnasium of Princess Obolenskaya ", was compiled by our best teachers. In its volume, it was equal to the course of male real schools with minor changes. It was divided into seven one-year classes, of which two younger ones were opened at the base of the gymnasium. With the founding of the gymnasium Prince. Aleksandra Alekseevna donated irrevocably significant capital in such a way that the institution could survive, even without any income, for at least two years and then expressed its willingness to replenish deficits that could be in the next years, until the school was provided with its own income. These incomes, no matter how significant they were later, in full force should, according to the founder, apply to the expansion and improvement of the gymnasium itself.
The peculiarity of the newly opened gymnasium was that the parents of the students of the children in it were allowed to participate in the pedagogical meetings of the institution and could verbally or in writing inform the council of the gymnasium of their comments on various pedagogical measures, opinions on the teaching of one or another subject, personal observations of the children.
As a woman sincerely religious, Princess Obolenskaya always highlighted the religious and moral principles of education. In close connection with this character trait, the princess’s pedagogical mood showed two features that left a deep mark on the entire educational system of her gymnasium. The first feature was the constant pursuit of truth, the second - the awareness of the weakness of their personal forces. She listened with the greatest attention to every statement about the shortcomings of the gymnasium, and she herself was always the most severe judge of these shortcomings.
Prince Obolenskaya was distinguished by an amazing ability to understand people perfectly, determining their abilities and talents. The best evidence of this is the choice of A. Ya. Gerd, for ten years (from 1879 to 1888 inclusive), who led the educational part of her gymnasium, as well as many teachers, between whom there are such names as P. I. Weinberg , mathematicians N. I. Bilibin and A. N. Strannolyubsky.
Since 1880, that is, from the time when the educational institution of Princess Obolenskaya was granted the rights of government gymnasiums, 502 students graduated from the course of seven classes, 440 were graduated from the VIII class with the names of home mentors and teachers. Meanwhile, the years took their toll and the princess, feeling a strong deterioration in her health, transferred the direct administration of the gymnasium to her daughter, Princess Maria Andreevna Meshcherskaya (1858–1915), but did not cease to live in the interests of the gymnasium and exert a comprehensive influence on her. Deprived of the opportunity to attend the gymnasium, sometimes for months without being able to personally participate in her daily life, the princess from her room did not cease to follow her, ardently interested in her every move.
The princess was notable for poor health, she had asthma and diabetes, every year she spent several months on the French Riviera to improve her health . Feeling the approach of death, the princess returned from Crimea to Petersburg, wanting to die in the circle of her children, within the walls of her gymnasium. December 8, 1890 Obolenskaya died.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 s: RBS / VT / Obolenskaya, Alexandra Alekseevna
Literature
- A.A. Petrov. Obolenskaya, Alexandra Alekseevna // Russian Biographical Dictionary : in 25 volumes. - SPb. - M. , 1896-1918.
- St. Petersburg Gazette, 1869, Nos. 40 and 42.
- Journal of the Ministry of Public Education, 1869, February;
- First-class women's educational institution, established by Prince. Obolenskaya in 1870, St. Petersburg, 1871;
- Herald of Europe, 1871, August;
- Russian School, 1891, February;
- Russian School, 1895, November;
- New Time 1890. No. 5310
- News 1890, No. 341 and 344.
- Likhacheva E.O. Materials for the history of female education in Russia (1856-1880). SPb., 1891.