Abstract: The subject of this research is the analysis of didactic works used in the late XVIII — early XIX centuries in the educational process of the first Russian institutes for women — the Educational Society of Noble Maidens and School of the Order of St. Catherine in St. Petersburg. The new secular upbringing and education – one of the core ideas of the European Enlightenment, at that time was perceived in Russia as a state task, which required the establishment of closed educational institutions, such as cadet corps and institutes for women. The primary method for distribution of pedagogical ideas was moralizing literature of the Western European educators, which were translated into the Russian language and became available for the audience; and the second half of the XVIII century marks the emergence of publications of the Russian authors. This article is first to follow the sequence of changes of textbooks and “books for reading” selected for the students of the Educational Society of Noble Maidens and School of the Order of St. Catherine in St. Petersburg using hermeneutic method, as well as conduct their historical-comparative analysis based on the principle of historicism. The translated works of the Western European educators were replaced by the curriculum specifically created for the Russian female students at the request of the Empress Maria Feodorovna, which included the advanced ideas of both Western and national educators. It was another step in a difficult path towards establishment of the national pedagogical system.

Abstract: The subject of this research is the foundation of women’s education system in the Russian Empire, namely of the Office of the Institutions of Empress Maria, which totaled up to three dozen by the early XX century. Actualization of the knowledge about the best examples of the Russian school in the past is determined by the fundamental importance of education in the context of ongoing modernization of the country. The topic of Women's institutes of Imperial Russia, which existed for over 150 years, is poorly studied. Despite the extensive source base, in the historical literature one can often come across improper names of the institutes, determination of their departmental affiliation, class composition of the students, as well as incorrect dating and topography. Using the historical-systemic and typological analysis, the author determines and clarifies the conceptual framework of the problematic as a necessary research toolset. The author's contribution to selected topic consists in discovery of a wide variety of sources, including those introduced into the scientific discourse for the first time, accurate names of the institutes and variations in the official documents and everyday practice., their renaming and the causes. The article also traces the dynamics of changes in the class and confessional composition of students since the establishment of the institutes until the beginning of the XX century. Subordination and departmental affiliation at different stages of the history of these institutes is clarified.