Cultural and Educational Life of Jews in Kyiv Governorate in the 1860s – 1870s

Abstract

The article deals with cultural and educational life of Jews in Kyiv governorate in the 1869–1870s, primarily with the activities of Jewish public schools and private schools in the context of the Russian Empire’s national policy. The scientific novelty of this paper is due to the introduction into scientific circulation of documents of the Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine (Kyiv). The author focuses on strengthening of state supervision over cultural and educational life of Jews in Kyiv governorate, creation of private educational institutions, Jewish communities’ educational activities, aimed at preserving and intergenerational transmission of Jewish culture’s religious traditions and values. After the suppression of Polish national liberation uprising (1863–1864) by force methods, the next stage of planting the Russian preponderance in the Western and South-Western provinces was the eradication of spiritual influences of "enemy elements", to which along with the Poles Jews were also classified. In the context of implementing the Russification ethno-national policy, state Jewish schools were established as a transitional link between the traditional system of Jews’ primary education and educational institutions of the Russian Empire. Of particular importance is the study of education’s influence on the preservation of Jewish communities’ mode of cultural life, on the one hand, and on their socio-psychological integration into the Christian society, on the other, and of the dynamics of Jewish youth’s educational level. The investigation of Jewish communities’ transformation, their communication with the social environments and state institutions is becoming relevant. In general, owing to the study of the ethnocultural development of Jews in Central and Eastern Europe, it becomes possible to understand the relationship between the processes of assimilation and preservation of original cultural traditions.