<p>

Exercises

in the private women’s gymnasium of Yevseeva. Gymnasium students in

uniform with white collars and caps, as well as two teachers or class

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

<p>

In the

early nineteenth century women’s education in private, chiefly

closed institutions was spread in Dnieper Ukraine. The main idea was

to provide a proper education and knowledge of general subjects for

daughters of gentry, merchants, and military officers. The

educational process was arranged so as to comprise elements of

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

dancing lesson; this is clear due to a characteristic position of the

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

<p>

There is

a ground, paved with split stone, in the yard of the gymnasium

located on Oleksandrivska (now Hrushevskoho, Sahaidachnoho and

Volodymyrsky Uzviz) street. Behind the group of gymnasium students,

there is a wooden pergola, twined round with grape vines or some

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