ВОСПИТАТЕЛЬНАЯ СИСТЕМА СМОЛЬНОГО ИНСТИТУТА БЛАГОРОДНЫХ ДЕВИЦ

Abstract

The article is devoted to the characteristics of the educational system of the Smolny Institute for noble maidens, the first educational institution for women in Russia, which laid the foundation for female education in the country. The pedagogical essence of this educational system is to create environment which enables to develop the personality of each of the subjects of this system. Despite major differences in the Institute educational system at different stages of development of the educational institution, one can talk of a holistic educational system of the institution. This is evidenced by the presence of systematically important connections which ensured the continuity of pedagogical influences at all stages of the existence of the educational institution, as well as by the development of originally established traditions. Special features and development stages of the institute educational system, indicating its different states, are considered. During the long period of its functioning, the Smolny institute went through periods of rise and fall, of heyday and decline, of different approaches to the organization of educational process (from a rigid sociocentric approach to a more humane homocentric one). But it always remained a major center of female education in the country, where interesting pedagogical ideas were given rise to, original pedagogical experience was formed. Many of its graduates in no small way contributed to the development of the cause of education in the country. Special attention is paid to the renewal of the Smolny institute educational system during the time when K. D. Ushinsky worked there as a class inspector. The article emphasizes that the Smolny Institute established itself as a phenomenon due to the fact that there was developed an original educational system, which changed throughout more than 150 years, yet abided by the initially set goal of training highly competent, «perfect» citizens of their Motherland, true Smolyan women.