The Teaching of Latin at Tobolsk Principal People’s School (1789–1810): Historical, Pedagogical and Methodical Aspects

In this article, the authors investigate the teaching Classical Languages during the first years from the foundation of Principal People’s Schools in the Russian Empire in the reign of Ekaterina II. The activity of Tobolsk Principal People’s School (1789–1810) is taken as an example. The main sources for the article are archival materials and historical investigations not only of modern time but those of XIX century. First, the beginning of the School’s existence enjoyed sincere enthusiasm of officials, teaching staff, and sponsors. Latin and German languages were among obligatory subjects. However, literally a few years later the School encountered serious problems due to economic instability and imperfectness of organization of admission and educational processes that led to a drastic decrease in the number of students registered. Living and teaching conditions of teachers gradually became harder. As a result, the first printed Siberian journal Irtysh transforming into Hippocrene was closed in two years. In addition, authors analyze main Latin coursebook Orbis sensualium pictus by J. Comenius and the Regulations for People’s Schools with special emphasis on practical and methodical recommendations for language teachers. Despite of reputation of coursebook with progressive approach, its usage in Schools was one of the reasons why classical education was introduced with great methodical mistakes. The accent on permanent learning by heart of a huge amount of words, which are mostly irrelevant to students’ life, made lessons boring routine. The authors claim that it was far from the blameless way of the realization of educational reforms in 1780s in Siberia. At the same time, it is noteworthy that those reforms created the necessary basis of the formation of systematic secondary education in Russia and that of transition to the system of Classical gymnasia.