Geoscience Education in Old and New Russia

Abstract

At the beginning of this century, the subject called “natural history” was taught in all types of Russian schools. Approximately one-third of that course was geology. The first decades after the October Revolution of 1917 became a sort of “golden age” in the history of geoscience education in Russia. After the second world war, geology disappeared from school curricula and some of its topics were integrated into courses called “science” and “physical geography.” Today the goal of many Russian geologists would be to return geology to Russian schools as an independent discipline. It is also important to organize and present teachers' refresher courses in the geosciences and, of course, to improve teacher training.