Jelena Lieven (1842–1917), was an Imperial Russian pedagogue. She was the principal of the

Smolny Institute The Smolny Institute (russian: Смольный институт, ''Smol'niy institut'') is a Palladian edifice in Saint Petersburg that has played a major part in the history of Russia. History The building was commissioned from Giacomo Quar ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

in 1895–1917.Согласно личному делу Е. А. Ливен, хранящемуся в ЦГИА СПб, она умерла 28 мая 1915 года в 1 час 55 мин дня (ф. 2. оп 1 дело 13983. л. 105) Daughter of Alexander Lieven. Jelena Lieven was not formally educated but received a very high level of education through

Autodidacticism Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) or self-education (also self-learning and self-teaching) is education without the guidance of masters (such as teachers and professors) or educational institution, institutions (such as schools). Generally, ...

. She was early active with her mother as a

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. She never married, and after having received a very small inheritance after her father's death in 1880 she asked the Imperial family for a position. She was made manager of the home for the orphans of officers and in 1895 as principal for the Smolny Institute. She reformed the hygiene, introduced electricity (1909), granted the students leaser time by cutting their study time by half, gave craftsmanship and physical education a greater role and made a fund for the support of former students after graduation (1898). She died during the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...

, and the students of the institute was evacuated.

References

* Давыдов А. Воспоминания. 1881—1955. — Париж, 1982. 1842 births 1917 deaths 19th-century educators from the Russian Empire Educators from the Russian Empire Lieven family Nobility from the Russian Empire {{Women's-History-stub