September 20, 1878
В Petersburg The Bestuzhev Courses opened—the first university-type higher education institution for women in Russia.
The courses accomplished a task of historical importance: they introduced thousands of women to the light of knowledge, instilled in them a love of science and a desire for noble deeds.
(graduate Lidiya Fotieva, Lenin's secretary)
Women began attending lectures at Moscow universities as early as the late 1850s: university regulations did not directly prohibit them from doing so.
With the beginning of liberal reforms Aleksandra II Women's struggle for the right to higher education has intensified.
The first courses for women appeared several years before Bestuzhev's. However, officials were reluctant to approve them, providing no subsidies, and graduates receiving no diplomas.
The Bestuzhev Courses became the most famous and long-lasting women's university—its graduates were able to receive degrees on an equal basis with men.
Seeing ladies at university lectures has now become as commonplace as seeing them at concerts.
(Nikolai Chernyshevsky)
The organizers of the courses were the leaders of the women's movement (Filosofova, Stasova, Trubnikova) and public figures with scientists (Mendeleev, Sechenov, Butlerov). The unofficial name comes from the surname of the first director, a historian Konstantin Bestuzhev-Ryumin.
Tuition was charged—50 rubles per year (one ruble could buy a cartload of straw). The courses were also financed by voluntary donations and membership fees. The state allocated three thousand rubles per year. Many teachers worked unpaid.
The courses were housed in the building of the Aleksandrovskaya Girls' Gymnasium on Gorokhovaya Street (later, a building was constructed for them on Vasilievsky Island). Classrooms, laboratories, a library, and a dormitory were equipped for the students.
In the year the courses opened, 468 regular students and 346 non-regular students were enrolled. These were women over 21 years of age with a secondary education. Later, they began accepting high school graduates without any age limit.
At first the students whistled, looked sideways, said all sorts of stupid impudent things, then they got used to it and stopped
(listener Antonina Blummer)
There were no entrance exams, but a certificate of political reliability might be required among the documents.
The course of study lasted three years (later it was increased to four).
In my entire 40-plus years of teaching, the best exam I have ever given was to a female student, not a male student.
(Ivan Sechenov)
In 1886, admission to the courses was stopped: the government was concerned about the political reliability of the students. Investigations continued for three years.
Oversight of the courses was tightened, and the director was now appointed "from above." Gatherings of female students outside of the courses were banned, and the position of inspector was introduced. The number of female students was reduced, and the natural sciences department was closed (teaching human and animal physiology, natural history, and histology was prohibited).
Tuition fees were raised to 200 rubles per year. Proof of financial means and written parental permission were required for admission. Students could only live at home or with relatives, not in private apartments.
The permanent manager Nadezhda Stasova A whole galaxy of old teachers were removed from their positions and fired.
After the 1905 revolution, the courses were given back their autonomy, and a year later the Bestuzhevs had their own law department.
The Bestuzhev Courses became a fully-fledged higher education institution only in 1910—the State Council equated their completion certificates with university diplomas.
The Higher Women's Courses existed for 40 years (in 1918, they became part of the First Petrograd University). During this time—32 cohorts—approximately seven thousand women graduated. Among the "Bestuzhevka" students were renowned scientists, writers, and public figures.
The first female astronomer and employee of the Pulkovo Observatory Maria Zhilova, one of the first female chemists in Russia Vera Popova, the first female climatologist in Russia Evgenia Rubinstein. In addition, the graduates became Nadezhda Krupskaya, Lenin's two sisters (Olga and Anna Ulyanov), Blok's wife and Mendeleev's daughter Lyubov Blok, founders of women's magazines Concordia Samoilova и Praskovya Arian.
