Tsarskoye Selo In the theater school, among other disciplines, we were taught acrobatics, fencing, dance, stage movement, rhythm. And if the role is to fence, then I fence myself, before that rehearsing a duel with a professional fencer. But, for example, boxing

Tsarskoye Selo. Petersburg Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, the Pushkins stayed for several days at the Demut Hotel, and then moved to Tsarskoe Selo. Alexander Sergeevich and Natalya Nikolaevna really liked the small dacha with a mezzanine near the park. Those few months that

1. Tsarskoye Selo In the indistinct light of a lantern, Silver glass and air, Snowflakes curl. Very clean. The path is cleaned. Bench And the pale profile of a schoolboy. Odi profanum... It's me. I do not remember the first date, But I remember this silence, Oh, the first cold of the universe, Oh, awakening in captivity! Spirit,

TSARSKOE Selo (PUSHKIN AND INNOKENTY ANNENSKY) Saritsa, the Russian fiefdom of Sarchaz, as the Swedes called the Duderovsky churchyard of the Novgorod district, only in the 18th century becomes a magnificent country residence of the imperial palace - Tsarskoye Selo. Saritsa, this is also Sarizgof or

The city of Pushkin is located south of St. Petersburg. The city received its name, given to him in honor of the great Russian poet, whose life was closely connected with these places, only in 1937. Until 1918 it was called Tsarskoye Selo.

Tsarskoye Selo has been the grand summer residence of Russian emperors for two centuries. However, the origin of the name of this city is much more interesting than it might seem at first glance - it has nothing to do with the Russian word "tsar".

Initially, the Swedes owned the Tsarskoye Selo lands. In the place where the royal residences would grow in the future, there was the Sarskaya manor, which Peter I presented to his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna in 1710. After the final expulsion of the Swedes from the conquered territory, the Sarsky manor was renamed Sarskoye Selo. The Finnish name was changed to the more familiar Russian in 1717, when the construction of the stone palace began. it was from that moment that the Sarskoye village began to be called Tsarskoye. After some time, on the site of a modest manor, a brilliant country residence of Russian autocrats grew up, one of the most beautiful palace and park ensembles in Europe.

The next owner of Tsarskoe Selo was the daughter of Peter I, Elizaveta Petrovna.

Under her leadership, the architect Mikhail Zemtsov was involved in the construction work in Tsarskoe Selo, who was instructed to draw up a project for the enlargement and restructuring of the Catherine Palace. Many other outstanding architects worked on the palace, for example, Trezzini and Rastrelli. Thanks to their efforts, the Catherine Palace became one of the most significant monuments of the palace and park architecture of St. Petersburg.

The next mistress of Tsarskoe Selo was Catherine II, who preferred it to all other country residences. In her reign, the Alexander Palace was built, and the Agate Rooms, the Cameron Gallery and the Grand Duke's Corps were added to the Catherine Palace. The parks of Tsarskoye Selo during this period were expanded and decorated with many new buildings and monuments in honor of the empress's associates.

During the reign of Paul I, Tsarskoye Selo was abandoned and construction stopped there. Under Alexander I, it was resumed, and continued under Nicholas I. It was by the decision of Alexander I that the famous Lyceum was opened in Tsarskoye Selo in 1810, which became its symbol and the embodiment of the memory of the young years of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin.

The last owner of Tsarskoye Selo was Emperor Nicholas II, who permanently lived here, in the Alexander Palace, from 1905.

In 1917, the history of Tsarskoye Selo as the residence of Russian emperors ended. His palaces were turned into museums, and children's institutions were located in the best houses and dachas of the city. In 1918 the city received a new name - Children's Village. Nineteen years later, in 1937, the city was renamed again, the next renaming was associated with the centenary of the death of Pushkin.

During the Great Patriotic War the palaces and parks of Tsarskoe Selo suffered greatly. Much was burned and destroyed, a huge number of valuable exhibits were stolen. The story of the Amber Room, a unique monument of artistic culture that was lost during the war, deserves special attention.

The Amber Room was presented to Peter I by the Prussian king. During the German occupation, it was dismantled and taken to Germany, where it disappeared without a trace. The Amber Room was searched for for many years, but the search did not lead to anything. It was decided to restore it according to the surviving documents and photographs. Work on the creation of amber panels was carried out for 25 years, and was completed in 2003, for the celebration of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg.

The program of the competition is always very rich, but in no case can you just come to Tsarskoye Selo and not get acquainted with its unique sights! No wonder our city is called the “city of muses”, a great many writers, poets, artists, artists drew their inspiration from Tsarskoye Selo. The organizers of the competition have prepared an educational program for the participants: this includes a sightseeing tour of the city, a visit to the magnificent Catherine Palace, an excursion to the Imperial Lyceum, where the great poet Alexander Sergeevich studied, and much more! Hurry up to plunge into this unique atmosphere!

The Museum of the Imperial Nikolaev Tsarskoye Selo Gymnasium opened in the city of Pushkin

Tsarskoye Selo is, in fact, our Fatherland. Pushkin is right a thousand times over. More precisely, these are dreams come true about what our Fatherland should be like. Tsarskoe Selo is a kind of collection of the best. The natural beauty of the place, architecture, military glory, technical discoveries, talented residents - all this happily coincided in this small county center of Imperial Russia, and the light of this best still illuminates our beloved suburb of St. Petersburg.

IN early XIX century, the famous Lyceum was opened in Tsarskoye Selo, but this is not the only educational institution, whose graduates glorified Russia. In 1865, the Mariinsky Women's Gymnasium began to operate in Tsarskoye Selo, and a little later, at the request of the residents of the city, as well as nearby Pavlovsk and Gatchina, it was decided to open a men's gymnasium - the Imperial Nikolaev Gymnasium. The new educational institution received its name in memory of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich and Tsesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, the son of Emperor Alexander II who died early. The opening of the Nikolaev gymnasium took place on September 8, 1870, the celebration took place in the presence of Alexander II, the most august persons and high dignitaries.

The gymnasium building was also chosen according to Highest Resolution. It was the building of an unfinished almshouse - on the corner of Malaya and Naberezhnaya streets, in a quiet corner of Tsarskoe Selo. Architects - Ippolit Monighetti and Alexander Vidov - the creators of many remarkable buildings in Tsarskoye Selo. In October 1872, the house gymnasium church was consecrated in the name of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Later, the building changed its appearance according to gymnasium needs, there were also dramatic times in its existence when the building was simply destroyed. But these disruptions began already in the 20th century. In the meantime... So far, ignorant of the cataclysms of the 20th century, the Tsarskoye Selo, and the inhabitants of the surrounding area, rejoiced at the birth of a new gymnasium. It was an era when in Russia all strata of society began to deeply understand the value of a good education. Capitalism flourished in the country.

The empire needed engineers, scientists, researchers, however, writers, historians, and teachers also needed Russia. She also needed competent, decent officials. It was such noble, talented and multifaceted personalities who were brought up within the walls of the Nikolaev gymnasium.

In the gymnasium great importance attached additional education. From November 1888, music lessons were introduced here, thanks to which it was possible to organize an orchestra consisting of 40 orchestra members. The orchestra repeatedly performed at gymnasium concerts with unfailing success, and in December 1889 played in the presence of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. The repertoire included the most complex classical works.

Along with the lessons of church singing, since 1888 they began to teach secular choral singing. And how much joy the schoolchildren brought to participation in real opera performances of Antigone and Oedipus Rex, staged based on the tragedies of Sophocles. And they played these performances in the original language!

Family literary and musical evenings were also held in the gymnasium. The program of such evenings included the music of Russian and foreign composers performed by the orchestra, choir, and individual performers.

... The directors of the Nikolaev gymnasium were the best teachers in Russia. For the entire pre-revolutionary, almost half a century, period of the history of the gymnasium, only five directors changed in it: I.I. Piskarev, L.A. Georgievsky, I.F. Annensky, Ya.G. More, K.A. Ivanov.

The most famous director was I.F. Annensky is a poet, translator, connoisseur of ancient languages, author of numerous pedagogical works.

This year marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Innokenty Fedorovich Annensky, and he died suddenly - on December 13 (according to the new style), 1909, at the Tsarskoselsky railway station. They buried their beloved principal in the gymnasium church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin…

Petersburg teachers considered it an honor to teach at the Nikolaev Gymnasium, despite the fact that they lectured at universities, had scientific degrees and awards. Here are their noble names. Russian language teacher A.A. Smirnov, mathematicians S.E. Alekseev, calligraphy and drawing by A.V. Zakharov - they served in the gymnasium for more than a quarter of a century. F.P. Krutikov, historian, State Councilor. M.I. Rostovtsev, teacher of ancient languages, academician, writer, Russian and American historian, archaeologist. P.P. Mitrofanov, teacher of ancient languages, one of the largest researchers in the history of Austria, assistant professor at Petrograd University. B.V. Warneke, teacher of classical languages, Doctor of Philology, Corresponding Member of the German Archaeological Institute. G.V. Forsten, teacher of history, Doctor of World History, one of the founders of the Department of Contemporary History of the Imperial St. Petersburg University. S.A. Manstein, teacher of classical languages, publisher teaching aids with an original technique, a real secret adviser.

Since the mid-1890s, the Imperial Nikolaev Gymnasium has become one of the most prestigious educational institutions. Beginning in 1900, those who passed the exam began to receive diplomas externally at the gymnasium. The number of graduates-medalists increased: in 1906 and in 1907 - 20 medals each, in 1916 - 14. To get gold medal, should have exemplary behavior, "excellent" in Latin and ancient Greek languages ​​\u200b\u200band mathematics, as well as GPA 4.5 in all other disciplines. The names of the medalists were placed on marble plaques in the assembly hall of the gymnasium.

Students of the Nikolaev gymnasium subsequently made up the color Russian science and culture. IN different time F.I. studied there. Shcherbatskaya, orientalist-Indologist, academician, honorary member of the scientific societies of Great Britain, Germany, France; P.G. Svetlov, professor, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, one of the founders of Russian embryology; N.N. Kalitin, Professor, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, geophysicist, founder of Soviet actinometry, one of the scientific supervisors I.V. Kurchatov; I.V. Seliverstov, member of the Russian and International Electrotechnical Commissions, assistant to M.A. Bonch-Bruevich in the creation of scientific radio laboratories; A.B. Vasenko, one of the creators of the high-altitude balloon, a prominent specialist in the field of aerostatics and aerology; V.Yu. Vize, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, oceanologist, polar explorer, expedition member G.Ya. Sedov to the North Pole; G.A. Ivashentsov, author of theoretical works on medicine, chief physician of the hospital named after S.P. Botkin; A.I. Lapchinsky, military aviation theorist, chief of staff of the air forces, brigade commander; A.A. Beckman, "the first midshipman of free Russia", secretary, translator of the naval commission at the conclusion Brest Peace; S.S. Waldner, designer, creator of high-speed monorail air train; A.A. Vilenkin, lawyer, politician, full St. George Knight; G.P. Chebotarev, professor at Princeton University (USA), honorary doctor of one of the Belgian universities, honorary member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), laureate of the Prize. Carla Terzaghi, author of theoretical works on soil mechanics, L.E. Arens, biologist, poet, Knight of St. George...

One of the sons of the famous Russian poet Konstantin Konstantinovich Sluchevsky, Nikolai, later an energy engineer who was shot by the Bolsheviks in 1920, graduated from the Imperial Nikolaev Tsarskoye Selo Gymnasium. The students of the gymnasium were famous in Soviet time cultural and literary figures - actor M.I. Tsarev, director N.P. Akimov, poet V.A. Rozhdestvensky, art critic N.N. Punin...

Tsarskoye Selo is always an outlet for those who love poetry and understand its significance in our lives. Walk through the streets and parks of Tsarskoye Selo, and you will hear the lyres of poets, inspired by Tsarskoye Selo history and Tsarskoye Selo air, ringing.

Today, few residents of the city of Pushkin do not know that Anna Andreevna Akhmatova studied at the Mariinsky Gymnasium in Tsarskoe Selo, and Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilyov, one of the most mysterious and tragic Russian poets, studied at Nikolaevskaya. But this is today. And for many decades the name of Nikolai Gumilyov was forgotten because of his political convictions. Traveler, explorer, warrior - Gumilyov is still largely not understood and studied today. Already in the post-Soviet period, a plaque appeared on the building of the Nikolaev gymnasium, indicating that the poet studied here. They began to talk about other gymnasium students whose fate was tragic - wars (many students of the gymnasium were participants in the First World War and had high military awards), repressions, executions, exile ... However, thank God, much is returning to normal. IN early XXI century, we again need that moral, spiritual support that we created in Russia in ancient times - including the Nikolaev Tsarskoye Selo gymnasium, the fate of which is no less dramatic than the fate of many of its students. In 1918, the gymnasium was closed, and the Detskoselskaya unified first labor school began to operate in the building. The Soviet school professed different principles than the Imperial Gymnasium, but this is a topic for a separate discussion ... Over the past century, various, mostly educational, institutions were located in a beautiful building on Naberezhnaya Street.

For a long time the gymnasium building existed without proper repair and restoration. And by the end of the last century, it completely lost its beautiful appearance ... However, thanks to the efforts of caring people, a worthy appearance was returned to the architectural monument.

Now there is a Children's Center for Technical Creativity and Information Technologies (TsTTiIT) of the Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg, headed by a teacher, historian Dmitry Sergeevich Kovalev. Young residents of the city of Pushkin (and not only, many children come to the Center from other districts) come here with pleasure to engage in numerous creative associations.

Foreign languages, journalism, Information Technology- all this is taught with love to their pets by talented teachers.

But sooner or later - both teachers, and students, and parents of students, and even casual visitors - begin to think about WHAT WALLS they were lucky to work and create in. This amazing feeling can be called the energy of history... That is how the idea of ​​creating a gymnasium museum arose.

And on September 8 of this year, on the day of the 145th anniversary of the Imperial Nikolaev Tsarskoye Selo Gymnasium, the museum was opened ... This wonderful action lasted almost five hours, where the main event was, of course, the performances of the descendants of the gymnasium. It was thanks to these people that the museum began to be filled with the most interesting artifacts - photographs, books, archival records - telling about the bright fates of graduates of the gymnasium. At one time, a Petersburger Kirill Iosifovich Finkelstein (now living in the USA), whose grandfather Kirill Pavlovich Afanasiev graduated from the Nikolaev Gymnasium in 1910, became interested in the stories of his family. The search began, the study of his own archive ... K.I. Finkelstein wrote two books dedicated to the Nikolaev Gymnasium. And now he does not leave his work. Alas, he was unable to attend the opening of the museum, but sent a video message to the participants of the meeting.

And how gratifying it was to see and hear those descendants who, fortunately, arrived on September 8 in Tsarskoye Selo. This is the grandson of a graduate of the gymnasium I.I. Werner - Professor of the Russian State Pedagogical University Alexei Leonidovich Werner, and the granddaughter of a graduate and teacher of the gymnasium, candidate of biological sciences Alisa Evgenievna Grabovskaya-Borodina. A great friend of the museum is art historian Anna Genrikhovna Kaminskaya, granddaughter of N.N. Punin and L.E. Arens.

It was Anna Genrikhovna and a teacher from Novosibirsk, Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vygranenko (the creator of a literary monographic site dedicated to I.F. Annensky) who became the guests of honor of the evening, who cut the red ribbon symbolizing the opening of the gymnasium museum.

Silence often reigns in museums, but behind this silence there is always the hum of history. And of course - the constant study of modernity, communication with a variety of people. A lot of effort was given by the teachers of the CTTiIT so that the fate of the students began to come to life within the walls of the old gymnasium.

P.S. Milena Vsevolodovna Rozhdestvenskaya, philologist, professor at St. Petersburg State University, daughter of the poet Vsevolod Aleksandrovich Rozhdestvensky, very much regretted that she could not be at the opening of the museum of the gymnasium where her father studied due to official employment. “However, I hope that we will have many more meetings,” Milena Vsevolodovna told me in a telephone conversation. “The museum has just opened. And it will have many visitors. Now, when our education system is going through better times, in the museum of the Tsarskoye Selo Nicholas Gymnasium, both adults and children will receive excellent examples of how important education and culture are in the life of any person ... ".

Special for the Centenary

Now our education is undergoing changes, the introduction of the “Bologna system” continues, the first results of which should have followed by 2010. But both students and schoolchildren continue to surprise parents with completely non-fundamental knowledge. In connection with the results that our attempts to wedge into the European educational process, we involuntarily think about the role of education in human life, about the role of the school in which the child spends a significant part of his life and is saturated with a variety of information and influences.

There are not many educational institutions whose good name is known to the general public; and it is not at all easy to recall such an institution, the memory of which is alive many years after the termination of its existence. However, on October 19, we remember the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, which entered the history of our Fatherland - having raised the "sun of Russian poetry."

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Lyceum. According to the new style, this is October 31, however, thanks to a poem by Alexander Pushkin (this is where the greatness and power of the word is!), it is not possible to transfer the date to our so-called “new style” introduced by the Bolsheviks.

The lyceum was established by Emperor Alexander I, about whom Pushkin said in a memorable poem "October 19":

“Hurrah, our king! So! let's drink to the king.

He is a human! they are dominated by the moment.

He is a slave of rumors, doubts and passions;

Forgive him the wrong persecution:

He took Paris, he founded the Lyceum."

The decree on the founding of the Lyceum was signed in August 1810, and the first enrollment took place in 1811. Thus, a higher privileged closed educational institution for children from noble families was created. It was assumed that it was here that the Emperor's younger brothers, Grand Dukes Nikolai and Mikhail, would study. This circumstance was decisive in choosing the location of the educational institution: it was placed in a four-story wing of the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, specially rebuilt by the architect V. Stasov. The palace was connected to the building of the Lyceum by a special covered passage.

Soon, the future director V. Malinovsky received requests from thirty-eight families who expressed a desire for their children to study at the new Lyceum.

The course of study at the Lyceum lasted 6 years. Over the years, lyceum students were invited to study the following sciences: moral (the law of God, ethics, logic, jurisprudence, political Economy); verbal (Russian, Latin, French, German literature and languages, rhetoric); historical (Russian and general history, physical geography); physical and mathematical (mathematics, the beginnings of physics and cosmography, mathematical geography, statistics). The curriculum also included fine arts and gymnastic exercises (handwriting, drawing, dancing, fencing, horseback riding, swimming). Graduates received the rights of those who graduated from the university and civil ranks of 14-9 classes. For those who wish to enter military service additional military training was conducted, and they were granted the rights of graduates of the Corps of Pages.

Ivan Pushchin describes the daily routine of the lyceum student in this way: “We got up at the call at 6 o'clock, got dressed, went to prayer in the hall. We read the morning and evening prayers aloud in turn. From 7 to 9 hours - class. At 9 - tea; walk - up to 10. From 10 to 12 - class. From 12 to one - a walk. At lunch time. From 2 to 3 - either calligraphy or drawing. From 3 to 5 - class. At 5 o'clock - tea; up to 6 - walk; then a repetition of lessons or an auxiliary class. On Wednesdays and Saturdays - dancing or fencing. Bath every Saturday. At half past 9 o'clock, the call for dinner. After dinner until 10 o'clock - recreation. At 10 - evening prayer - sleep.

The creation of an educational institution of this kind was actually an unprecedented event. Indeed, for the first time, the goal was set for teachers not just to “stuff” young pupils with knowledge, but to grow personalities, an elite that would serve for the good of the Fatherland. One of the sections of the Lyceum Charter “Fine Writings, or Literature” read: “... when guiding pupils in literature, the professor must carefully avoid empty school decorations and, occupying pupils with objects appropriate to their age, first make them think, and then look for expressions of these thoughts in the word and never tolerate them using words without clear ideas.

And one of the teachers of the Lyceum, Professor A.P. Kunitsyn, loftily and ardently expounded a thought close to this in his “Instruction to Pupils”, read on October 19, 1811 at a solemn event dedicated to the opening of the Lyceum in Tsarskoye Selo: “Would you not strive to be the last of your kind? Do you want to mix with the crowd of ordinary people, crawling in the unknown and every day being swallowed up by waves of oblivion? Not! May this thought not corrupt your imagination! Love for glory and Fatherland should be your leaders! But with these lofty virtues, preserve this innocence that shines on your faces, this simple-heartedness that overcomes cunning and deceit, this frankness, which presupposes an immaculate conscience, this meekness, which depicts the calmness of the soul, not overwhelmed by strong passions, this modesty, which serves a transparent veil of excellent talents.

I must say that the creators of the Lyceum largely managed to fulfill the task: really bright, original and boldly thinking people came out of this educational institution. Sometimes they thought so young and free-thinking that their ideas ran counter to the policy of the state. So, while still lyceum students, I. Pushchin, V. Kuchelbecker and V. Volkhovsky visited the secret political circle of the future Decembrists A. Muravyov and I. Burtsev "The Sacred Artel" in Tsarskoye Selo. The first two subsequently became Decembrists and were convicted. After the December uprising in 1825, stricter control was established in the Lyceum over pupils and teachers.

And although in the minds of a Russian person, the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum is associated primarily with the name of Pushkin and his classmates, the Lyceum gave Russia a huge number of worthy, outstanding graduates. Let's remember at least a few.

For 33 years of existence of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, 286 people graduated from it. Many of them joined the ranks of the bureaucracy. Russian Empire(A. M. Gorchakov, A. K. Gire, N. K. Gire, A. V. Golovnin, D. N. Zamyatnin, N. A. Korsakov, M. A. Korf, S. G. Lomonosov, F H. Steven, D. A. Tolstoy), others devoted themselves scientific activity(K. S. Veselovsky, Ya. K. Grot, N. Ya. Danilevsky). The historical glory of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum was brought, first of all, by the graduates of 1817 - the poets A. S. Pushkin, A. A. Delvig, the Decembrists V. K. Kyuchelbeker, I. I. Pushchin.

There is a famous painting by I. Repin in 1911 (written, as we see by the date, on the centenary of the first admission to the Lyceum) “A. S. Pushkin at an act at the Lyceum on January 8, 1815”, in which the young poet reads his poem “Memoirs in Tsarskoye Selo”, and Gavriil Derzhavin (1743-1816) listens to him, standing up, about which Pushkin later, in the novel in poems "Eugene Onegin" (1823-1831), writes: "Old man Derzhavin noticed us and, descending into the coffin, blessed ..." About the impression that reading made on the old poet (in fact, a year and a half before his death), he writes in his Pushkin’s lyceum comrade Ivan Pushchin wrote in his memoirs: “Derzhavin crowned our young poet with his sovereign blessing... were silent."

Special words should also be said about His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov (1798-1883), who became a famous diplomat throughout Europe, Chancellor of the Russian Empire, and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was a year older than Pushkin, studied at the Lyceum at the same time as Alexander Sergeevich and lyceum years remained a close friend of the great poet. Pushkin dedicated to him biased lines:

You, Gorchakov, are lucky from the first days,

Praise to you - fortune shine cold

Didn't change your free soul:

All the same you are for honor and friends.

Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky; 1873-1965; First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in 1936-1964) in his treatise "Pushkin in his attitude to religion and the Orthodox Church", written on the 100th anniversary of the death of the poet, referring to the words of the prince Urusov, notes that it was on the advice of Gorchakov and with his assistance that Pushkin burnt without regret the poem “Monk” compiled by him in imitation of Barkov, which could have left a stain on his memory. For outstanding activity in the field of Russian statehood, A. M. Gorchakov was awarded the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called - the highest award of the Russian Empire.

Little known was the fact that ME Saltykov-Shchedrin studied at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum for 5 years. The fact that an outstanding writer has remained in the shadows is quite remarkable. G. P. Blok (cousin of the poet A. A. Blok) recalled in a letter on February 19, 1922 to the writer B. A. Sadovsky: “You ask how Shchedrin was treated in the Lyceum. No way. There was a stranger. With Pushkin rushed about. All legends, all traditions came from him. I saw his son Alexander at our anniversary in 1912. A small, hunched old man, bald, wearing glasses, with a gray beard, wearing a turquoise hussar dolman and a swarthy paternal profile ... In one of the rooms of the 1st (graduation) class, a stone was kept on a special table. They said that from the step of the stairs, on which Pushkin smashed a cool bell when he was released. From this the room was called "Kamenka", and breaking the bell became a tradition. It was the last act of a very long and complicated "farewell" ceremony. All of it is crowded, all the lyceum, and only in the evening, after prayer, the outgoing course is left alone at home. The fires are extinguished, a stone is brought. The senior in the course (according to the time spent in the lyceum) takes the course bell, with which they woke us up for 6 years, called us to lessons and lunch, and breaks it on a stone. The fragments are disassembled, embedded in gold and worn like key rings. My fragment was lost in the Treasury, along with my grandfather's gold breguet and my great-great-grandfather's amethyst signet with the coat of arms.

A. S. Pushkin composed several festive greeting poems on the occasion of the annual Lyceum Day celebrations. The last of them was written by the poet three and a half months before his own death, on October 19, 1836, and in this work, apparently, the poet has some foreboding of his impending death. At the celebration, the poet could not finish reading the poem aloud - tears interrupted his voice. Another read for him.

... And the first is fuller, friends, fuller!

And all to the bottom in honor of our union!

Bless, jubilant muse,

Bless: long live the Lyceum!

To the mentors who guarded our youth,

To all honor, both dead and alive,

Raising a cup of gratitude to your lips,

Remembering no evil, we will reward for the good.

“We learned little in the classroom, but a lot in reading and in conversation with the constant friction of minds,” recalled one of the first graduates of the Lyceum, Modest Korf.

In November 1839, E.A. Engelhardt wrote to M. D. Delarue that the greatest thing that can be wished to the “lyceum” is to preserve the “feeling of the Heart”, for “The Heart contains all the dignity of Man: it is a sanctuary, the custodian of all our virtues, which cold, prudent the head knows only by name and theory.”

At the end of 1843, the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum was reorganized into the Alexander Lyceum, and in January 1844 it was transferred to St. Petersburg.

And on May 29, 1918, by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars, the educational institution was closed. The vacated building was occupied by the Proletarian Polytechnic. Symbolic and indicative of that era.

Let's not forget that in honor of the 100th anniversary of Pushkin, the initiative of the poet I. Annensky (1855-1909), in those years the director of the Tsarskoye Selo Nikolaev male gymnasium, a monument to the poet Alexander Pushkin by the sculptor R. R. Bach was erected in Tsarskoe Selo.

A. Akhmatova (1889-1966) said about Pushkin, “A swarthy youth wandered along the alleys, / By the lake shores he was sad, / And we cherish for a century / Barely audible rustle of steps.”

Fortunately, these lines have been true for not a century, but for two whole years.

With one quatrain, Anna Andreevna linked together the elegiac structure of the Tsarskoye Selo romantic park (with its palace, pavilions, fountains, sculptures), with what resulted for Russia in the “rustle of steps” in the autumn alleys of the young genius, which eventually became audible to the whole world .

And although this great name alone does not exhaust either the essence of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, or its significance in Russian history and in the history of the national education system, for many of us it was Pushkin who made a vivid binding to the place and time, elegiacly saying before parting with the world:

My friends, our union is beautiful!

He, like a soul, is inseparable and eternal -

Unshakable, free and carefree

He grew together under the shadow of friendly muses.

Wherever fate takes us

And happiness wherever it leads

We are all the same: the whole world is a foreign land for us;

Fatherland to us Tsarskoye Selo.

Anna Minakova