Figure 1.--This is an hand-tinted photographic portrait of a Russian school boy. I believe that boys at all public secondary schools, boys wore military styled uniforms. This boy has a particularluy elaborate uniform. He thus may have been a Kadet. The portrait is not dated, but one dealer suggested the 1880s. Click on the image to see the coat worn with the uniform. While this is a tinted rather than a colored print, we be believe the colors here areaccurately produced. A boy and the school would have wanted a realistic representation of the colors.

Russia was not much affected by the movement toward public schools tht began in Western Europe (18th century). A factor here was the Reformsation which did not have nuch impact on Russia. We are not sure at this time when Russian began funding state primary schools. Surely emancipation of the Serfs (1861) was a major milestone. Until that education in rural Russia was very limited. After emancipation, primary education begins to become more available to the former serfs. Educational oportunity, however, continued to be limited. Very few Russian children were able to advance to secodary schools. This was primarily limited to the middle class in the cities. We have few details at this time oin Government education policy. At the time of the Revolution (1917), large numbers of Russians were still iliterate. We suspect that the Orthodox Church played a major role in the schools. Girls were less likely to attend school. For the most part it was middle-class boys attending school. Rich children were educated at hone. Peasant and working class children often did not attend school. Many boys had their heads shaved. Russian revival style bloused tunic or military-style uniforms were often worn to school. A Russian artist has left us a fascinating image of a rural school about 1865. We are unsure at this time about the uniform regulations. Images of rural primary school show the children wearing their ordinary dress. Uniforms seem much more common in urban schools. We are not sure about primary schools. But all of the secondary schools we see shows the children wearing military uniforms. We are not yet sure to what extent there was military training. We think there was a cadet program.

Types of Schools

There were many different tyoes of schools in Tsarist Russia. The system was somewhat complicated. They can be best grouped as to who finznced them. The term public does not capture the idea used in the West where the government provided tuition free schools for the bulk of the population. The Tsarist state financed only a portion of the country's schools and we are not sure at this time just how large that portion was. Nor do we know if state funds were used for some of the non-state administered schools in Russia. The other schools were 2) religious, 3) self-rule units, and 4) private schools. The Ministry of Education established a variety of regulations and thus exercised a degree of control over the curriculum and other matters. An important aspect of educatiin t these schools, in a multi-national empire was the language of instruction.

Nationalities

Another issue in Tsarist education was schools outside the Russian heatland. Tsarist Russia was a huge sprawling multi-natiinal empire with a great multiplicity of ethnic groups and languages. Some of the national groups like the Lithuanians and Poles had a degree of autonomy depending on the circumstances as to how they were added to the Empire and the political institutions at the time. Tsarist language policy changed over time and with the different nationalities.

Gender

Girls were less likely to attend school, especially beyond the primary level. That said we we see some schools with large number of girl students. An example is a self rule unit school in Lithuania--1st Rotgof Volost Secondary School.

Social Class

For the most part it was middle-class boys attending school. Rich children were educated at hone. Peasant and working class children often did not attend school.

Hair Styles

Many Russian boys had their heads shaved. I am not sure if this was a sanitary measure or a kind of military descipline to complement th military style uniforms.

School Uniforms

Russian revival style bloused tunic or military-style uniforms were often worn to school. A Russian artist has left us a fascinating image of a rural school about 1865. We are unsure at this time about the uniform regulations. Images of rural primary school show the children wearing their ordinary dress. Uniforms seem much more common in urban schools. We are not sure about primary schools. But all of the secondary schools we see shows the children wearing military uniforms. There does not seem to have been one national style. Apparently each school established its on uniform. And the syles chasnged over time. We see a range of styles, some were fancier than others eith more military features. The caps in particular were military styles.

Military Training

Secondary schools had uniforms with some military styling. We are not yet sure to what extent there was military training at the regular secondary schools. There was an extensive Kadet program which did include military trining.

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Created: 11:34 PM 4/14/2007
Last updated: 4:44 AM 9/18/2011