Education and Science in the 19th Century in Russia

The 19th century for Russia was a turning point, when at the beginning of the century the power passed to Alexander I after the reign of Paul I, when science and education began to develop rapidly, which required great changes. All these changes of the 19th century can be divided into the first and second half.

Russia on the eve of the 19th century

In the legacy of the young emperor went to the state, which has undergone significant changes in comparison with previous periods. There are several important factors that point to the majesty of the country:

1. The territory was enlarged due to the annexation of the Crimea, Kazakhstan, the Baltic, Right-bank Ukraine and Western Belorussia. As a result, the population also increased, about 40 million people, of whom 90% were peasants. The urban population also increased, especially in St. Petersburg and Moscow, which, of course, affected the development of science in the 19th century in Russia.
2. The Romanovs became major owners and had a certain independence from other estates of the country.
3. The budget grew more than threefold in comparison with the 18th century.

However, at the time of the arrival of the power of Alexander I, Russia was a country where all modernization under the overtaking plan took place at the expense of its own people, and science, education and culture received very little time.

The development of science in the first half of the 19th century

To tell about the development of science in the first half of the century can be obtained from the results obtained by famous scientists at that time, thanks to which one can see such outstanding achievements today.

Science in the 19th century in Russia is, first of all, mathematics, physics and chemistry.

At the Kazan University, the professor of mathematics Nikolai Lobachevsky was able to develop a new theory in geometry, which was called "non-Euclidean." Doctor Nikolai Pirogov was able to take a long step in medicine, while studying surgery for a long time. He was able to use it in the war, first using ethereal anesthesia and plaster bandage.

In physics, the main direction of study at this time was electricity, and it was here that the discoveries were made. Boris Jacobi discovered the method of electrotype, and then created several electric motors and telegraphs. A physicist Vasily Petrov was able to show how it is possible to use electricity for lighting and melting metal, by examining the electric arc and charge in a rarefied gas.

Developed in this period and a science such as astronomy, so in 1839 was opened Pulkovo Observatory, where he worked astronomer Vasily Struve, who discovered the concentration of stars in the plane of the Milky Way.

Schools, gymnasiums and universities

At the very beginning, science and education of the 19th century in Russia underwent changes, and already in 1803 a decree was issued to divide the whole country into 6 educational districts, each of which was to be built by the university. However, in 20 years only three higher educational institutions were opened, including the Moscow, Kazan and Petersburg universities. Nicholas I did not support the idea of education, and under his rule no university was opened. In addition, he believed that children of serfs should not be trained on an equal basis with all.

A good education could be obtained, but only to noblemen, in lyceums, such as Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg and Demidovsky, who was in Yaroslavl.

It was better with the technical schools. At the beginning of the century, only the Mining Institute was opened, a little later the Forest Institute was founded. Nicholas I was well-versed in engineering and military education, so technological establishments were opened in St. Petersburg and Moscow, as well as the Artillery and Engineering academies.

Education for Women

A good trend was the continued education of women, which was laid under Catherine II, to bring up good and kind wives and mothers. Therefore, institutes were opened in many cities for girls of noble origin: Nizhny Novgorod, Astrakhan, Saratov, Irkutsk, of course, Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Humanitarian knowledge

The humanities of the 19th century in Russia, in the first half, with a high public interest began to develop in history, and the Moscow Society of History and Antiquities was established. Also interest was shown to the general history and linguistics, including Slavic studies, Sinology, which served as the launch of the production of books and periodicals.

Publishing became very popular, and in 1809 68 magazines of various subjects and 9 newspapers were printed. Due to the opening and development of printing houses, translation activity has appeared, and citizens began to get acquainted with foreign literature.

We should also mention Russian literature when the country learned about Pushkin, Nekrasov and Turgenev. During this period, problems such as the plight of a small man from the bottom were raised, but at the same time people's traditions were sung in oral and written form.

Science, education (19th century, second half, Russia)

The second half, when feudalism was replaced by capitalism, presupposed a higher level of development, not only among literate people, but also among ordinary workers, and education in the first place should have touched those industries that are connected with ordinary life.

However, development took place in difficult conditions, when feudalism was still preserved in places, there were persecutions from the autocracy, and Russian scientists, writers and artists had a very difficult time.

It is worth noting that the revolutionary movement helped advance science far ahead when Chernyshevsky, Dobrolyubov and Herzen fought for the time to free people from serfdom. All this spurred the scientists to make great discoveries for the good of the people.

Famous Scientists

The second half of the 19th century is characterized from the point of view of science as the development of natural sciences, such as physics, mathematics, chemistry, zoology and geography. Such a demand was determined by the needs of life, the modernization of production and the desire of scientists to glorify the state with achievements and discoveries, in order that such was the history of Russian science. The 19th century, first of all, "gave" such scientists as Pafnuti Chebyshev, who tried to link the problems of mathematics with the natural sciences and made discoveries on the theory of machines and mechanisms.

A bright representative of the academic world was a woman, Sofya Kovalevskaya, who could not get proper education in Russia and went abroad, where she received a doctorate in mathematics. However, she represented Russia, and her works were recognized throughout the world.

Science in the 19th century in Russia has achieved brilliant success in physics, thanks to such scientists as Alexander Stoletov, who studied magnetism and photoelectric phenomena, and also was a teacher for thirty years, heading the chair of Moscow University.

Separately it is worth noting the Russian chemist-scientist Dmitry Mendeleyev, who discovered the periodic law of chemical elements.

Reforms in Education

After a lot of factories and factories appeared in the country, which required literate people who could write, read, understand cars, they needed changes in education.

A number of reforms were carried out, which helped to create two-grade and four-grade elementary schools in church schools. Also opened zemstvo primary schools, where there was a more extensive training program, and Sunday schools for adults who studied the letter after work.

The science of the second half of the 19th century in Russia required the expansion of the network of education in secondary and higher institutions. In the cities (Tomsk, Odessa, Riga, Kharkov, Kiev) universities, technical institutions and several agricultural academies were opened.

But tsarism hampered education, and too few primary schools were opened, so Russia was at one of the last places in the literacy of the population. By the end of the century, the literate population was only 28%, and among women it was only 17%.

Schools for Women

As mentioned above, only representatives of the nobility in the first half of the century received at least some education, where they were taught languages, the right manners and housekeeping. Science in the 19th century in Russia for women was something unreal and incomprehensible, the main thing for them was to learn how to read, write and beautifully express themselves.

Primary and secondary schools for ordinary women almost did not exist until the 60-ies. Educational institutions began to appear in the 70's, but very slowly, and admission to universities was completely closed to women of any class.

Thanks to the social movement, several women's gymnasiums were opened, medical courses, but before the revolution of the 20th century women were not in equal position.

The development of the humanities of the 19th century in Russia

A peculiar feature for the country was that against the backdrop of the illiteracy of most of the population there was a high rate of development of science, where outstanding discoveries for the whole world took place.

The main thing that has been done in the humanities is the creation of a collection of works on the history of Russia from ancient times to the present (the second half of the 19th century), which was created by Academician Sergei Solovyov, in 29 volumes. This collection and today remains the most complete about the history of the country.

In this period appeared the well-known explanatory dictionary of Vladimir Dal, where more than 200 thousand words were collected. In addition to words, proverbs and sayings were included in the book, as well as special terminology.

The study of Russian literature was conducted by the writer A.N. Afanasyev, the work of the Russian philosopher, who also studied ancient Russian literature and folklore, Academician Buslaev, gained fame.

Humanitarian science in the 19th century in Russia came under the influence of complex socialist processes, when there was political instability, a change in power was brewing, and people were looking for ways to further develop the country, which also manifested itself in literature, divided into three areas: critical realism, proletarian literature and modernism .

Results of the 19th century

For Russia, the 19th century was rich in events, very diverse, heterogeneous and contradictory in all spheres of life, beginning with the life of the peasants, who became free only by the end of the century, and ending with the reign of the four kings, where everyone succeeded in something, Then there was a complete failure. However, the science of the first half of the 19th century in Russia, like the second, is characterized by the desire of scientists to reach unprecedented heights, despite all the difficulties that hampered development. Throughout the century, there have been discoveries, thanks to which today technologies in all areas are at the highest level.