Raevsky, Sergey Alexandrovich

He came from the clan of the Kharkov small-local nobility, one of the branches of the noble clan of the Raevskys ^[1]

In 1863, he graduated from the 1st Kharkov Gymnasium as one of the best graduates and entered the Physics and Mathematics Department of Kharkov University . Already in his second year, he began to combine study with the unpaid work of a teacher in the first female school. Then he continued his pedagogical activity as a mathematics teacher at a real school.

In 1869 he became a member of the newly opened Kharkov Literacy Society. At the same time, Maria Dmitrievna Ivanova opened a private school of drawing and painting in Kharkov, in which Raevsky began to teach drawing. Very soon, Sergei Raevsky and Maria Ivanova got married and after a while the school moved to the house built by Raevsky (6 Chernyshevskaya Street), where it was located until the construction of the school building on Kaplunovskaya Street ^[2] . In 1872, their son Alexander was born, who became a famous designer of steam locomotives .

Raevsky organized popular readings in Kharkov and as the permanent chairman of the Commission of Popular Readings, extended its activities on the device of readings to county towns and villages of the Kharkov province . He also took an active part in the Society of Correctional Shelters. He entered service on August 17, 1874.

In 1879, he was first elected vowel of the Kharkov City Council . On his initiative, a trade school and in 1886 an art museum were opened in Kharkov. Working in a real school, and then as the district inspector of the school district, Raevsky rose to the rank of full state adviser (from 01.01.1898). During this period he was awarded the orders of St. Stanislav 2nd degree (1887), St. Anne 2nd degree (1890) and St. Vladimir 4th degree (1894).

On the initiative of Raevsky, with the support of the governor G.A. Tobizen and financial assistance P.I. Kharitonenko (allocated 2 thousand rubles), on June 4, 1900, the Society laid the foundation for literacy of the building of the People’s House, the grand opening of which took place on February 2, 1903 - he became the 3rd in Russia: the first was opened in Nizhny Novgorod , the second in St. Petersburg . Lectures were given in the People’s House, concerts were held: on March 5, 1903, and on April 30, 1905, F. I. Chaliapin spoke here. In the People’s House there were evening schools and a drama circle, led by ethnographer I.M. K. S. Stanislavsky came here. At the international exhibition in Brussels, the Kharkov People’s House was awarded an honorary diploma. In 1901, Raevsky was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir of the 3rd degree, in 1904 - the Order of St. Stanislav of the 1st degree.

From March 28, 1906 to March 31, 1908, S. A. Raevsky was a trustee of the Kharkov educational district; in 1907 received the Order of St. Anne of the 1st degree; in 1908, retired with the production of the rank of Privy Councilor ^{[ specify ]} .

Raevsky became a member of the cadet party . He continued to pursue various improvements in the field of public education: he filed a note on the introduction of universal primary education in the province, petitioned for the opening of higher women's courses, and set up correctional shelters.

In 1919, he welcomed the entry into Kharkov of the troops of A.I. Denikin . The new administration, headed by General V.Z. Mai-Mayevsky, held elections to the City Duma, where S. A. Raevsky was also elected. However, this deputies lasted less than six months, until the arrival of the Red Army . In April 1921, he was one of the defendants in the case of the “National Center”, whose members supported the White Guard authority - among 23 investigated vowels of the Duma was Raevsky. At the trial, it turned out that opening one of the sessions of the City Duma, as the oldest vowel, Raevsky made a speech in which he spoke of the need for help from the Volunteer Army in repelling the enemy. The court decision was surprising: in spite of the prosecutor’s calls for harsh measures, vowels were either conditionally convicted or acquitted, regarding Raevsky: “... taking into account his many years of work in the field of educating the broad working masses, it is considered justified in court.”

• Raevsky, Sergey Aleksandrovich // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Raevsky Sergey Alexandrovich // List of civil ranks of the IV class: Rev. until June 1, 1900 - S. 1473.
• Raevsky Sergey Alexandrovich // List of civil ranks of the IV class: Rev. March 1, 1907 - S. 663.