On May 5, 1764, in St. Petersburg, the first school for noble ladies was opened. The creation of this elite school was the idea of Ekaterina the Great - one of the most distinguished Russian rulers. Only young girls from the best families were accepted to this boarding school. The education was free, but the students were selected by the Headmistress and approved by Ekaterina herself.

Smolniy Institute

Smolniy was referred to as "a greenhouse for raising delicate and beautiful flowers." The mission of these young ladies was not only to develop their best qualities and get the best European education, but also to pass their education, traditions, moral values and the purity of their hearts to their children and grandchildren. Ekaterina, being a very wise ruler, understood that the morality and culture of a nation is cradled in its families, particularly in the mothers. A cultured and moral mother will raise cultured and moral children.

Girls studied beaux arts (fine arts), literature, history, foreign languages, arts and aesthetics. They learned music and each of them played at least one musical instrument. The girls also studied science, physics and mathematics. But, the main purpose of the school was to prepare excellent wives for noble gentlemen. All girls learned housekeeping and domestic management, cooking, sewing, knitting, a general knowledge of medicine, and much more.

Girls were under the very careful control of their teachers and Headmistress. Unlike the typical schools of the day, no corporal punishment or abuse of any kind was allowed in Smolniy. Girls were raised in respect, high self-esteem and great spiritual and traditional values. They were considered to be the "gems of the country," its future and great hope. And, there was a reason for this.

Smolniy Cathedral

The girls were prepared not only to be excellent wives, but also the wise and devoted mothers of their children. These young women were isolated in the school from bad influences of any kind and were taught to be "pure and honest in their hearts, devoted and faithful, joyful and polite, modest and kind." They were raised in Christian values.

Noble young women were taught to be helpers for their husbands and were prepared not only for the good times, but for the worst times, as well. They all learned to be survivors - to never give up. The rules and discipline in the school were very strict. Girls came out of gymnastics to a cold shower and often took baths in the cold Neva river. They slept on hard beds and lived a very spartan life. As a result all of this rigorous training, they became real survivors. It's no surprise that the legendary wives of the "Decembers" were graduates of this school of noble ladies. When their husbands were banished to Siberia after a failed revolt, although they were each granted the right to remain in St. Petersburg and retain their social positions, each woman followed her husband into the harsh life of Siberia, a testimony of the courage, loyalty & devotion to their husbands.