| This threevolume
edition is one of main works of K.D.Alshevska, who was the wonderful woman,
Ukrainian progressive figure in the field of public education, pedagogue, author of
memoirs, children's writer. Khrystyna came from Chernigovshchina to Kharkov in 1861
when she was twenty. There she was comfortably off as the saying goes, she had a beloved
husband, children, rich and beatiful house. But it wasn't enough for her to be only a
wife, a mother, a lady of the upper ten. She watched all that backwardness and illiteracy,
in which working-people lived, and founded the Sunday school for women. Women of different
age were studying there, those who worked as maidservants, milliners, and those who worked
at factories, wifes and daughters of craftsmen. The educational course was in keeping with
the primary school program.
During long period since 1862 till 1870 the
school subsisted as illegal one, Alchevska gave lessons at home. Then the primary school
house used for Women's Sunday School. And in 1896 (in accordance with A.N.Beketov's
project, which he executed at his own charge) the own school house had been built in
Myronosytsky lane - now Sovnarkomovska str., 9. The school worked up to 1919, after that
an evening school for working youth was opened at the same building. Now the exposition
hall of Art Museum is situated there.
At first Khrystyna Danylivna herself was a
teacher in created school, but in the course of time she managed to carry along some other
persons by her own idea. There were a library and a collection of educational supplies, in
their developing such famous scientists took part as D.I.Bahaliy, V.Ya.Danylevsky and
others. As a matter of fact, just the generalised experience of working school resulted in
creation of bibliographical index - reader "WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO READ". It run
into 17 editions.
The school was the first, but not the last step
of Alchevska in the way of enlightenment. After school she organized The Literacy Society
in Kharkov, then the first public library (now V.G.Korolenko State Scientific Library).
More than a half of century she devoted to pedagogical activity, which had got high appreciation
of Ukrainian, Russian and foreign public figures in in the field of culture. Khrystyna
Danylivna was awarded by honorary diploma at Paris World Pedagogical Exposition in 1899.
She was also a vice-president of International League of Education.
And one more interesting fact. In 1899 Khrystyna
Alchevska set up the first in the world monument dedicated to Taras Shevchenko at her
estate in Kharkov (now the Public Relations Center is situated there). Such was this woman
- our renowned compatriot! |
