“They say these walls whisper secrets” I begin. We stand before the Smolny Institute of the Russian Academy of Education. This imposing building holds centuries of stories within its walls. It wasn’t always a university.
The Smolny Institute started as the Imperial Educational Society of Noble Maidens. Founded in 1764 by Empress Catherine the Great. It was a revolutionary institution. Europe’s first public school for girls. Catherine wanted educated women. Women who would be good mothers and valuable members of society. She drew inspiration from Enlightenment thinkers like Montaigne Locke and Fénelon.
The girls who attended were incredibly young. Entering at just six years old. They stayed for twelve years. Parents signed a contract promising not to reclaim their daughters. Catherine aimed to transform young girls. To remove them from ignorant environments. To return them to society as refined women. A new generation.
A year after its founding a section for non-noble girls opened. Architect Yuri Felten designed the building for this ‘bourgeois’ school. The Institute evolved. In 1796 it joined the Office of the Institutions of Empress Maria. A new building was constructed in 1806 specifically for the Smolny Institute. This accepted daughters of the nobility and those of comparable social standing. It prepared them for court and social life.
In 1848 a two-year pedagogical class began training schoolteachers. The ‘philistine’ department later became the St Petersburg Alexander School and ultimately the Alexander Institute. From 1859-1862 Konstantin Ushinsky served as class inspector. He implemented important reforms. Including a revised curriculum focused on Russian language literature and sciences. Sadly his reforms were reversed after he left.
The October Revolution in 1917 drastically changed things. The institute under the leadership of Princess Vera Golitsyna relocated to Novocherkassk. The last class graduated in 1919. With the Russian Civil War escalating the institute fled to Serbia. It continued educating girls until 1932.
The empty Smolny Institute building then became Lenin’s headquarters. A symbol of the Bolshevik victory. This building has witnessed monumental shifts in Russian history. From educating young noblewomen to becoming the center of revolution. The Smolny Institute’s legacy is a powerful reminder of Russia’s transformation. A legacy which continues to this day in the form of the Smolny Institute of the Russian Academy of Education. A testament to the enduring power of education and the evolution of society.