Ivan Nezhelsky, a Borisoglebsk-born photographer, was an author of a photo of Mariinskaya Women’s Gymnasium. The photographer changed the course of photo history of his native town. While previously photographers from the bigger cities were invited, with appearance of its own specialist there was no longer any necessity to do so. Ivan Nezhelsky came from a peasant family. In 1888 he founded his own photo atelier. He became famous for his portrait photography and various city views. It’s notable that the wooden house where the photographer used to live survived to this day.
The gymnasium was built in 1899 in downtown Borisoglebsk. Its look is very picturesque, even a little mythic, and reminds of the European castles of the 16th – 17th centuries. Its exterior contains elements of Renaissance with its rustic ground floor. The first floor is decorated with corner rustic work. The walls were made of brick finished with stucco.
The three-grade Mariinskaya Gymnasium stationed itself in the two-storey building. In a couple years the educational institution was transformed into the eight-year gymnasium. It was named after the Empress Maria Alexandrovna, the wife of Tsar Alexander II.
The gymnasium offered tuition on a fee-paying basis, at the same time the girls of all social groups could study there. It’s important to note that the gymnasium administration sometimes made decisions to release some students from the fee. It’s an interesting fact that most of the girls came from peasant and petit bourgeois families. According to its occupancy rate, Mariinskaya gymnasium was one of the biggest in its educational district. Upon graduation the graduate could apply for a teacher’s position. It’s no surprise that most of the teachers in Borisoglebovsky uyezd and in nearby colleges were the graduates of the gymnasium.
The preserved students’ schedule show that they studied religion, Russian and Church Slavic languages, arithmetic, geography, history, handwork, French language, and more. A big library was open for the students as well.
In 1918 Mariinskaya Gymnasium suffered the same fate as many other educational institutions. It was transformed into the Soviet school. During the World War II the school didn’t function. However, at the end of the tragic events it was reopened and started to accept new students.
At the moment it functions as Municipal Educational Institution Borisoglebskaya Gymnasium № 1.
