From the history of a private school for girls in Bălţi

Based on the analysis of archival documents the article reflects the history and activity of the girls' school of A.L. Chudnahovskaia - E.I. Genshke in Bălţi. In the development of the school there are three stages. According to archival sources of 1884, it was established instead of a second category school (four-year training system) headed by Zinaida Negruş. Due to financial difficulties the school was closed after ten years of operation. Parents of children enrolled in it appealed to local authorities through an official I.A. Marandich to request the continuation of the school, as they are unable to send their children to schools located in other cities. After several consultations with teachers from local schools, I.A. Marandich asked Augustina Chudnahovskaia, the former teacher of French and German from the Negruş's school, to get permission from the Department of Public Education to open a new school similar to the previous one. Thanks to perseverance of the director of popular schools P.C. Borzakovekov, it was decided to open in Bălţi a similar four-year school. The new school began its work on 5 September 1894. The teaching staff was formed from the former school's teach- ers working more on enthusiasm than for money. The amount of money left of the school fees was equally shared among all the teachers. At the beginning of their activities they were paid 5-6 rubles a year for a teaching subject. Their work brought good results. For 10 years of its activity the school had 270 students, 77 of which attended the full course of study. On average, each year the school had an enrollment of up to 27 students. The greatest difficulties in the development of this institution emerged during its reorganization in a gymnasium. The first query on the matter was sent to the authorities in 1899, but was not satisfied. Subsequent attempts in 1901 also failed. Only in 1904, the school was reorganized in a progymnasium for girls providing four-year courses. Later, in 1908, the progymnasium was reorganized in a gymnasium school providing seven-year courses. In the archival docu- ments the school appears under two names - the gymnasium of A.L. Chudnahovskaia and the lyceum of E.I. Genshke.