Монголоведение (Aug 2022)
Schools in Kalmyk Steppe of Astrakhan Governorate, Mid-to-Late 19th Century
Abstract
Introduction. The topic remains understudied and is thus relevant enough to historical science. Despite the over a century has witnessed a dozen of publications examining schooling in prerevolutionary Kalmykia in various perspectives and detail, the bulk of them only partly approach the issue as a background phenomenon within wider insights into history of culture and education on broader timescapes. And only two related articles have been published in recent times. Furthermore, the problem is being actualized in connection with contemporary contexts: present-day Russian society utterly needs a new national educational trajectory of its own. In this regard, a historical review of schooling formation and development in sparsely inhabited specific regions with a nomadic population may be useful enough. Goals. The article aims to characterize the school system of Kalmyk Steppe (Astrakhan Governorate) at its initial stages. So, the paper primarily seeks to introduce newly discovered archival sources into scientific circulation. Materials and Methods. The work employs a complex of general scientific and special historical research methods, of which the principle of historicism, system-oriented analysis and interdisciplinary approach are of paramount importance, the three to identify actual conditions and development trends of Kalmyk Steppe’s school system and determine the latter’s place in the structure of value-based orientations inherent to Kalmyk nomadic society. The study focuses on documentary materials contained in the Collection of the Kalmyk People’s Executive Department (National Archive of Kalmykia), the former to largely include annual reports of the Astrakhan Governor on respective conditions in Kalmyk Steppe. Results. The article characterizes Kalmyk schools by numbers of students, teachers’ staffing levels, and disciplines taught. Conclusions. Initially, Kalmyk schools were meant to train translators for administrative structures. Hence, largest numbers of students were registered in the 1860s–1870s. At the same time, the Central Kalmyk College was educating future teachers for the few ulus schools. This accounts for both the set of required disciplines taught and the teaching staff employed.
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