Russia's Educational Policy Aimed at the Poles and the Polish Territories Annexed during the Reign of Tsar Alexander
Russia's Educational Policy Aimed at the Poles and the Polish Territories Annexed during the Reign of Tsar Alexander

Summary/Abstract: The beginning of the 19th century in Russia marks the establishment of the modern system of education, to much extent based on the standards set by the National Commission of Education. Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski , then a close associate of Alexander I, used the young tsar’s enthusiasm for reforming the country, including the educational system. The already implemented reforms encompassed also the territories of the Russian partition. The unique feature of the Vilnius Scientific District created at that time was the possibility of teaching in the Polish language in all types of schools. It was the school superintendent Prince A. J. Czartoryski who deserved credit for that - due to his considerable influence upon the tsar’s policy towards the Poles. After the change in the position of the superintendent (1824) and the death of Alexander I (1825), the authorities’ policy on the Polish educational system became stricter, and after the fall of the November Uprising Polish educational institutions practically disappeared. The source base of the text is constituted by the archival materials stored in the State Historical Archives in Kiev and Vilnius as well as in the Library of The Vilnius University. Monographic studies of such authors as e.g. D. Beauvois, L. Janowski, M. Rolle and S. Truchim turned out helpful to this work.

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