Gentry Corps: concept and definition

By order of the Empress Anna Ioannovna in St. Petersburg, the institution of a noble corps was established. The year 1732 was the first training period in it. The corresponding decree was issued in 1731, on June 29. Let us further consider what the nobility was like.

Year 1732

In the initial stages of the work of the institution, teachers were accepted without testing. Since 1736, the best pupils began to be involved in teaching. The gentry building was opened in 1732, on 17 February. On this day, the institution accepted 56 pupils. In June, there were already 352. All were divided into three companies. In 1734, on June 8, the first issue was held. The first land gentry building was located in the house of the favorite Peter the Great Menshikov. Wardens, teachers, some officers and a priest were to live in the same building. In 1752, the Naval Gentry Corps was established on the basis of the Academy

Appointment

The establishment of a noble corps was necessary for training not only military, but also general educational disciplines. He trained both soldiers and civilian officials. This is the first Russian gentry corps significantly different from European. At the initial stages, various changes and changes were made. A significant contribution to the activities of the institution was made by I. I. Betskaya and M. I. Kutuzov.

General Education Sciences

Among the subjects that were taught in the gentry building, were:

• geography;
• history;
• artillery;
• mathematics;
• fencing;
• fortification;
• horseback riding;
• Latin, German, French;
• rhetoric;
• grammar;
• calligraphy;
• heraldry;
• dancing;
• Morals and others.

In addition, daily classes were planned for "soldier's exer- ciation" - repeated repetition of a certain skill. However, it was subsequently established to conduct them once a week, so that they did not interfere with the assimilation of other disciplines. The children of the nobles, who learned to write and read, were accepted into the corps, that's why it was called the nobility, that is, the noble family. The age of the pupils was from 13 to 18 years.

Organization of training

The land gentry corps was divided into two companies. In each there were 100 pupils. In the rooms lived for 6-7 people. One of them was appointed "the charterer in the kamradstvo" (senior). In addition, appointed on duty throughout the corps (lieutenant and captain). They were forbidden to leave the building. The establishment of a noble corps was accompanied by certain difficulties. It had a training system developed by Minich. It should be noted that it was far from perfect. Teachers rarely explained this or that material. Basically they demanded the memorization of sections. The same applied to independent work. The educational process was boring and monotonous, not awakening interest among pupils. However, there have been attempts to diversify classes by introducing visual elements. To teach the pupils to foreign languages, the cadet, for whom relatives, for example, was German, were placed in a room next to a Russian nobleman. Pupils were divided into groups of disciplines, which they studied. The entire course included 4 classes: 1st was senior, and 4th - junior. Training in 1-3 cells. Lasted 5-6 years. The graduate, depending on the class in which he studied, was awarded a military rank or civil rank.

Moral education

The opening of the gentry corps was at the post-Petrine time. Most of the teachers and supervisors remembered the orders introduced by the emperor. Accordingly, they were transferred to the nobility (gentry) corps. The pupils were treated as "lower ranks". The demands that were made against them did not actually differ from those that were set for the soldiers. Pupils were also punished for violations of rules and regulations. This situation continued until the land gentry cadet corps was headed by I. I. Betskoi.

Brief biography of the new leader

I. I. Betskoi was illegitimate son of Trubetskoi - prince, who fell into the captivity during the Northern War. By tradition, which existed in that era, the father gave the child part of his family name. Along with this, the son of the famous prince received an excellent education and a great fortune. Betsky's military career began in Denmark. However, he subsequently moved to Russia. In Moscow, Betsky founded the First Orphanage for Orphans. From this moment began his work as a teacher. Catherine II was very much approving of his idea of educating people of the "new breed". By the time the head of the noble corps was appointed, Betsky had already had quite a lot of pedagogical experience and formed views. In addition to the Orphan Home, he was the director of the Commercial School and the Institute of Noble Maidens. Catherine strongly supported his undertakings, believing that noble children should be properly educated, prepare them for state and military service.

A new stage of work

Betsky was headed by a noble cadet corps in 1765, on March 7. Already in 1766 he drafted the Charter. In accordance with the new document, companies were liquidated. Under the Charter, 5 ages were introduced. In each of them there were 5 branches, on which children and noblemen studied, and raznochintsev. The latter was supposed to train teachers. On an equal footing, they were to be trained with the Cadets. Thus, Betskoi tried to bring certain classes closer to a certain extent, in order to avoid disagreements between them in the future.

Young department

In the gentry corps began to take boys 5-6 years. At each established age they had to study for 3 years, but they were issued in 20 years. However, during 15 years of stay in the institution, parents were forbidden to demand the return of the child. Nevertheless, there were a lot of people who wanted to give their offspring to their upbringing. The fact is that the nobles of that time did not recognize either the Academy of Sciences, the Greco-Latin Academy, or any other educational institution. They considered them unworthy of their children. However, Betsky began to give preference to those boys whose parents were wounded or killed in the war, and also impoverished and could not afford a decent education for their child at their own expense. It is worth noting that this principle of admission of pupils was preserved later. The first (young) age was under the supervision of warders. They walked with the boys, took care of their health, accustomed them to several foreign languages, instilled in the children good manners. In this department there was also a priest and a deacon. In addition to the church service, they conducted classes under the law of God. There were also teachers of Russian language, dance and drawing in the department. The juvenile pupils occupied a separate building.

Second age

It included children aged 9-12 years. Pupils were under the supervision of male tutors. They should not have treated the children severely. Their duties included teaching children to self-service themselves, suggesting "love of virtue and goodwill." Teachers and tutors were required to note the children's abilities, their inclinations and inclinations. The observation was to be carried out both during lessons and during rest periods. This was necessary for the subsequent determination of the sphere in which a child could be involved. In addition to the disciplines, the study of which was started at a young age, children 9-12 years of age were taught history, chronology, geography, geometry and arithmetic, mythology, Old Slavonic language.

Children 12-15 years old

The organization of this department was almost the same as the previous one. According to Betsky's idea, the cadets at this age were to lead to the perfection of discipline, the study of which had been started earlier. In addition, they were taught Latin, the basics of civil and military architecture, accounting. In the third department, general education was completed.

4th and 5th instars

In these departments the study and life of pupils changed. From the age of 15, the officers were watching the children. They had to ensure that the children did not spend time in idleness. They were required to deal firmly with the Cadets, but not inspiring them with fear. The command of the 4th and 5th branches was carried out by the lieutenant colonel. Captains - his assistants - taught the pupils military discipline. Among them were fortification, defense and siege of fortresses, artillery, statutes. The drill training was conducted by non-commissioned officers. Since 1775, chemistry and physics have been introduced as compulsory subjects. To study them, special rooms were equipped. In addition, attention was paid to jurisprudence and civil architecture, the knowledge of German, Latin (or Italian) and French languages was deepened. Pupils also practiced horse riding, fencing.

Theatrical art

Teachers of declamation were invited to the gentry building. Among them were Russian artists (Plavilschikov, for example), and foreigners. It is worth noting that theatrical art in the institution was very popular. It even formed the Society of Lovers of Literature. Its organizer was Alexander Sumarokov, who graduated from the Artillery Engineering Gentry Corps in 1740. After a while he was a major literary man. One of the founders of the professional Russian theater, Fedor Volkov, was also a pupil of the corps and was a member of the Sumarokov Society.

Exams

They were held every 4 months. At the end of the year was the final exam. It was held publicly in the presence of the empress herself, or ministers, generals, spiritual, civil nobles. Subsequently, the order was changed. Thus, only 2 annual public examinations were held in the middle of March and September. It was attended by one of the senators, some professors and teachers. For each discipline, the maximum and minimum points were set - from 1/8 to 128. For example, for a "Russian letter" the pupil could get from 1/8 to 2, grammar - from 1 to 96, arithmetic - from 1 to 32 and etc. After the delivery of all items, points were added. The result was determined by the best pupils. They were awarded medals, different books, drawing instruments. All achievements and awards were entered in the form. They were taken into account in the distribution after graduation.

Interesting Facts

In the gentry building, a "talking wall" was created. It wrote various aphorisms, the thoughts of the ancients. After the end of the classes, Earl Anhalt, walking with pupils in the park, explained the meaning of the written, discussed with the Cadets, trying to ensure that they not only remembered, but also understood the meaning of the sayings. The institution also collected a large library of foreign and domestic literature. The building had its own botanical garden. It was attended by plants not only from Russia, but also from a number of other countries. Of particular importance in the upbringing were the personal conversations of the chief with the young men. Well-trained students Betskoi, and later Anhalt was invited to his home for tea. Young cadets visited Catherine II.

Learning Disadvantages

It is worth noting that for 15 years the inmates were practically in hothouse conditions. As a result, they were actually cut off from reality. Young people, having received excellent education and upbringing, faced severe enough realities of feudal Russia. Often they were lost, not knowing how to apply all that they have been taught for so many years. Despite the fact that among the graduates there were many generals, officers, statesmen, most of them left the service, returning to their estates.

Kutuzov's Directorate

At the end of the XVIII century, events outside Russia were dramatic enough. At that time, the military glory of Napoleon, glittering in campaigns in Europe, reached its peak. Many in Russia understood that the time will come when Russia will also need to defend its borders. For this, the country needed competent and trained officers capable of leading soldiers. The gentry corps that used to be popular at that time solved this problem only partially. In 1794, M. Kutuzov came to replace the deceased Count Anhalt (successor of Betsky). He began his work with the reorganization of the institution. Instead of 5 ages, four Musketeers and one grenadier company were introduced. In each there were 96 pupils. In the juvenile department, training sessions were canceled. Kutuzov believed that very strong, physically healthy soldiers could well absorb knowledge and serve in the army. In this regard, in the junior department, boys were tempered during walks, active outdoor games in all weathers every day.

Discipline

Creation of a noble corps was conceived initially for the preparation of persons in two directions - military and civilian. However, after a while the situation changed. During the period of Kutuzov's Directorate, the study of the military sciences acquired a clearly expressed practical character. Classes for senior departments were postponed for 2 months to the camps. Subsequently, they became traditional in other military educational institutions. In summer camps, the inmates woke up at 6 am on drums. The same signal was used to announce the beginning and the end of classes, lunch, breakfast, supper. The camp practiced a variety of tactical techniques, conducted shooting classes of artillery weapons and rifles. Pupils learned to do topography of the terrain, work with maps, recognize different signals, rebuild at the command. In their free time, the cadets were engaged in physical training, swimming, sunbathing. Successful students were set as an example. Kutuzov noted their orders. Those who did not have a good time in the disciplines, had to study subjects during the rest. Kutuzov used not only methods of persuasion, but coercion.

New organization of the educational process

During the leadership of Kutuzov, a class-based system was established. The groups began to unite pupils of approximately the same level of knowledge and age. The transfer to the next grade was based on the results of successfully passed examinations in specific subjects. The institution introduced summer and winter vacations. For many years the class grew into a united family. This sense of camaraderie manifested itself in further service. When assigning cadets after graduation, it was prescribed to be guided by impartiality.

Conclusion

At the first acquaintance with the pupils, Kutuzov said that he would treat them like soldiers, and not as children. This phrase disconcerted them. However, after the release, saying goodbye to them, said that despite the fact that they did not like him at the very beginning for his words, he sincerely wishes them happiness and will be highly awarded for their love for them by their honor, fame and Devotion to the Fatherland. Kutuzov was able to solve many issues in the education and training of future officers. He sought to realize the key task, which consisted in the training of professional, competent commanders of cavalry and infantry units, which could resist the accumulated military experience and strength of the army of Napoleon. Subsequently, students Kutuzov perfectly proved themselves in the battles in the Patriotic War of 1812