Private National Schools in Irkutsk (Mid Xix – Early Xx Centuries)

The study of problems related to the study of the rich historical and pedagogical heritage of the Russian regions is of great importance as a direction for scientific research. An attempt is made to fill the existing information gap in the history of the development of private education in Irkutsk. Previously unknown documents which are stored in the Russian State Historical Archive and the State archive of the Irkutsk region are introduced for scientific use. Materials of pre-revolutionary periodicals are used. Statistical data on the national structure of the Irkutsk population in 1864, 1884, 1909 are submitted. Organizational and pedagogical aspects of the activity of the national schools are considered. In the middle of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries their custodians were individuals, religious communities (madrassas, Jewish, Evangelical and Lutheran, Roman Catholic elementary schools) and national societies (Latvian and Armenian schools). These schools were a part of city educational space. They taught children of a certain religion in their native language. Schools financing questions, problems of interaction between founders and local administration, difficulties of teacher’s staff selection are revealed. The main attention is paid to the educational process organization. The education content characteristic, educational work forms examples, children introduction to national traditions and customs are given.