<p><br />

Exercises<br />

in the private women’s gymnasium of Yevseeva. Gymnasium students in<br />

uniform with white collars and caps, as well as two teachers or class<br />

mistresses, perhaps, foreigners, can be seen in the photo.</p><br />

<p><br />

In the<br />

early nineteenth century women’s education in private, chiefly<br />

closed institutions was spread in Dnieper Ukraine. The main idea was<br />

to provide a proper education and knowledge of general subjects for<br />

daughters of gentry, merchants, and military officers. The<br />

educational process was arranged so as to comprise elements of<br />

science, art, and ethics. In this photo one can see an element of a<br />

dancing lesson; this is clear due to a characteristic position of the<br />

feet, clothes and arrangement of the girls.</p><br />

<p><br />

There is<br />

a ground, paved with split stone, in the yard of the gymnasium<br />

located on Oleksandrivska (now Hrushevskoho, Sahaidachnoho and<br />

Volodymyrsky Uzviz) street. Behind the group of gymnasium students,<br />

there is a wooden pergola, twined round with grape vines or some<br />

other climber like ivy or wisteria.</p><p>Olga Martyniuk</p>