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Entries / Bestuzhev's Courses

Bestuzhev's Courses


Categories / Science. Education/Educational Institutions

BESTUZHEV'S COURSES, St. Petersburg Higher Women’s (Bestuzhev's) Courses, the first ever Russian institution of higher education for women. Opened in 1878 on the initiative of A. N. Beketov, N. V. Stasova, M. V. Trubnikov and A. P. Filosofova. They were named after their official founder and first director Professor K. N. Bestuzhev-Ryumin. The courses were held at 31-35 Tenth Line of Vasilievsky Island (1873-1909; architects A. F. Krasovsky, V. R. Kurzanov, V. N. Pyasetsky, Y. K. Khofer) and at 41-43 Sredny Avenue of Vasilievsky Island (1913-14; architect V. P. Tseidler). Bestuzhev's Courses consisted of the following departments: the Department of Philology and History, the Department of Physics and Mathematics (the Department of Natural Science) and the Special Department of Mathematics. The Department of Law was added in 1906. The apprenticeship lasted for three to four years. At first only women of 21 years of age with a secondary education were accepted to study. Later the courses accepted all the women graduates from gymnasiums without any age limitation. Students were charged for their education, they received no state support. The activities of the courses were supported by the Society for the Financing of Higher Women’s Courses. Many teachers worked on a volunteer basis. I. A. Baudouin de Courtenay, A. P. Borodin, S. A. Vengerov, O. A. Dobiash-Rozhdestvenskaya, F. F. Zelinsky, D. I. Mendeleev, D. N. Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky, V. P. Ostrogorsky, S. F. Platonov, A. N. Strannolyubsky, I. M. Sechenov were among the lecturers. In 1886-89, admission to Bestuzhev's Courses was ceased by order of the Minister of People's Education. The Department of Natural Science was closed, tuition fees were increased and the independence of the courses was abolished in 1889. The courses regained their autonomy again in 1906. Students acquired the right to choose their subjects rather than having to follow a strict curriculum. Graduates received the right to teach at female academies and at lower levels in male educational institutions. N. K. Krupskaya, P. Y. Kochina, P. F. Cudelli, Z. A. Matsulevich-Virenius, N. V. Pigulevskaya, K. N. Samoylova, K. V. Trever, E. I. Time, O. D. Forsh were among the students of Bestuzhev's Courses. Bestuzhev's Courses were transformed into the Third Petrograd University in 1918. The university was included in the structure of the Petrograd State University in September 1919.

References: Санкт-Петербургские высшие женские курсы за 25 лет, 1878-1903: Очерки и материалы. СПб., 1903; Санкт-Петербургские высшие женские (Бестужевские) курсы, 1878-1918: Сб. ст. 2-е изд., испр. и доп. Л., 1973; Федосова Э. П. Бестужевские курсы - первый женский университет в России (1878-1918 гг.). М., 1980.

А. P. Kupaygorodskaya.

Persons
Baudouin de Courtenay Ivan Alexandrovich (born Jan Nechislav)
Beketov Andrey Nikolaevich
Bestuzhev-Ryumin Konstantin Nikolaevich
Borodin Alexander Porfirievich
Cudelli Praskovya Frantsevna
Dobiash-Rozhdestvenskaya Olga Antonovna
Filosofova Anna Pavlovna
Forsh Olga Dmitrievna
Khofer Yakov Karlovich
Kochina Pelageya Yakovlevna
Krasovsky Alexander Fedorovich
Krupskaya Nadezhda Konstantinovna
Kurzanov Vladimir Rodionovich
Matsulevich-Virenius Zh.A.
Mendeleev Dmitry Ivanovich
Ostrogorsky Viktor Petrovich
Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky Dmitry Nikolaevich
Pigulevskaya Nina Viktorovna
Platonov Sergey Fedorovich
Pyasetsky Vladimir Nikolaevich
Samoylova Konkordia Nikolaevna
Sechenov Ivan Mikhailovich
Stasova Nadezhda Vasilievna
Strannolyubsky Alexander Nikolaevich
Time Elizaveta Ivanovna
Trever Kamilla Vasilievna
Trubnikova Maria Vasilievna
Tseidler Vladimir Petrovich
Vengerov Semen Afanasievich
Zelinsky Faddey (Tadeusz-Stephan) Franzevich

Addresses
10th Line of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 31
10th Line of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 33
10th Line of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 35
Sredny Ave of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 43
Sredny Ave of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 41

Bibliographies
Санкт-Петербургские высшие женские курсы за 25 лет, 1878-1903: Очерки и материалы. СПб., 1903
Санкт-Петербургские высшие женские (Бестужевские) курсы, 1878-1918: Сб. ст. 2-е изд., испр. и доп. Л., 1973
Федосова Э. П. Бестужевские курсы - первый женский университет в России (1878-1918 гг.). М., 1980

The subject Index
State University, St. Petersburg

Chronograph
1878


Beketov A.N., (1825-1902), botanist, morphologist

BEKETOV Andrey Nikolaevich (1825-1902), botanist, morphologist, Corresponding Member (1891) and Honorary Member (1895) of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Grandfather of A.A. Blok

Butlerov A.M., (1828-1886), chemist

BUTLEROV Alexander Mikhailovich (1828-1886), organic chemist, Member of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1874). Graduated from Kazan University in 1849. From 1868, held a professorship at Petersburg University

Central St. Petersburg State Historical Archive

CENTRAL ST. PETERSBURG STATE HISTORICAL ARCHIVE (18 Pskovskaya Street) was founded in 1936 as Leningrad Regional Historical Archive, in 1941 it was renamed the Leningrad State Regional Historical Archive

Dobiash-Rozhdestvenskaya O.A., (1874-1939), historian

DOBIASH-ROZHDESTVENSKAYA Olga Antonovna (1874-1939), historian, palaeographer, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1929). Wife of D.S. Rozhdestvensky. Lived in St

Favorsky А.Е., (1860-1945), chemist

FAVORSKY Alexey Evgrafovich (1860-1945), chemist, member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1929), Hero of Socialist Labour (1945). He graduated from the department of natural science of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of St

Fersman А.Е., (1883-1945), geochemist

FERSMAN Alexander Evgenievich (1883-1945), geochemist and mineralogist, member (1919), vice-president (1927-29) and the Presidium member (since 1929) of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR

Filosofova A.P. (1837-1912), public figure

FILOSOFOVA (nee Dyagileva) Anna Pavlovna (1837, St. Petersburg - 1912, St. Petersburg), a public figure. The wife of member of State Council V.D. Filosofov (1820-94) and the mother of critic and publicist D.V. Filosofov (1872-1940)

Flittner N.D. (1879-1957), Eastern Studies scholar

FLITTNER Natalia Davydovna (1879, St. Petersburg - 1957, Leningrad), Historian of the East, Egyptologist. Ph.D. (Doctor of History) (1940). Graduated from the Department of History and Philology of Higher Women’s Courses (Bestuzhev courses) in 1904

Grevs I.M. (1860-1941), historian, regional ethnographer

GREVS Ivan Mikhailovich (1860-1941), historian, regional ethnographer, pedagogue and public figure. Lived in St. Petersburg since 1873. Grevs graduated from Larin Gymnasium (1879) and the Department of History and Philology of St

Kareev N.I. (1850-1931), historian

KAREEV Nikolay Ivanovich (1850-1931, Leningrad), historian, sociologist, corresponding member of St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1910), honorary member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1929)

Karsavin L.P. (1882 -1952), philosopher, historian

KARSAVIN Lev Platonovich (1882, St. Petersburg -1952), religious philosopher and historian-mediaevalist, Ph.D. (Doctor of History) (1916), Doctor of Theology (1918). The brother of T.P. Karsavina

Khvolson О.D., (1852-1934), physicist

KHVOLSON Orest Danilovich (1852, St. Petersburg - 1934, Leningrad), a physicist, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences from 1895, honorary member of the Russian Academy of Sciences from 1920 and the Academy of Sciences of the USSR from

Krasovsky A.F. (1848-1918), architect

KRASOVSKY Alexander Fedorovich (1848-1918), architect. In 1865-70, he studied at the architectural department of Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. In 1871-72, he went on to study at the St

Lines of Vasilievsky Island (entry)

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October General Political Strike of 1905

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Panina S.V. (1871-1957), political figure

PANINA Sofia Vladimirovna, (1871, St. Petersburg - 1957), countess, educator and patron of the arts, political and public figure. Came from the family of Count Panin. Panina was one of the wealthiest women in Russia

Platonov S.F., (1860-1933), historian

PLATONOV Sergey Fedorovich (1860-1933), historian, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1920). He lived in St. Petersburg from 1869. Graduated from the faculty of history and philology of the University of St. Petersburg in 1882

Shcherba L.V., (1880-1944), linguist

SHCHERBA Lev Vladimirovich (1880, St. Petersburg - 1944), philologist, member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR from 1943 and the Academy of Pedagogical Science of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1944

Shishmarev V.F., (1875-1957), philologist

SHISHMAREV Vladimir Fedorovich (1875, St. Petersburg - 1957, Leningrad), philologist, member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR from 1946. A. N. Veselovsky's student

Somov A.I., (1830-1909), art historian

SOMOV Andrey Ivanovich (1830, St. Petersburg - 1909, ibid.), art historian, museum worker and collector. He graduated from Larin's gymnasia in St. Petersburg and the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of St. Petersburg University (1854)

State University, St. Petersburg

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Struve P.B. (1870-1944), economist

STRUVE Peter Berngardovich (1870-1944), economist, sociologist, essayist, public figure and politician, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences from 1917. He graduated from Petersburg University with a major in law in 1895

Travelling Art Exhibitions, Society for

TRAVELLING ART EXHIBITIONS, The Society for (TPHV), an artistic association. It was established in 1870 by St. Petersburg and Moscow artists N. N. Ge, I. N. Kramskoy, K. E. Makovsky, G. G. Myasoedov, V. G. Perov, I. M. Pryanishnikov, A. K

Tyrkova A.V. (1869-1962), the public and political figure

TYRKOVA (in marriage Williams) Ariadna Vladimirovna (1869, St. Petersburg - 1962) was a public and political figure, journalist, and writer. She studied at the Private Gymnasium of Princess A.A

Vengerov S.A., (1855-1920), historian of literature, bibliographer

VENGEROV Semen Afanasievich (1855-1920, Petrograd), historian literature, bibliographer, public figure. Since 1868, Vengerov lived in St. Petersburg, where he graduated from the Faculty of Law of Petersburg University in 1879

Vladimirskie Courses

VLADIMIRSKIE COURSES (St. Petersburg University public courses), an educational institution, founded in 1870 by a group of female education activists, who later established Bestuzhev Courses

Zhebelev S.A., (1867-1941), historian

ZHEBELEV Sergey Alexandrovich (1867, St. Petersburg - 1941, Leningrad), historian, Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1927). Graduated from the Faculty of History and Philology of Petersburg University in 1890