The Imperial Alexander Lyceum is the new name for the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum given to him after moving to St. Petersburg from Tsarskoye Selo. The complex of buildings in which it was located occupies a site limited by Roentgen Street (formerly Lyceum Street), Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt and Bolshaya Monetnaya Street. Currently, the Alexander Lyceum in St. Petersburg is an architectural monument of federal significance.
Events until 1843
In the first half of the eighteenth century there was a large estate on this site, which later passed into the treasury. Later, in 1768, the land was given for the construction of the Ospoprivivalny house, the first in Russia. In 1803, the buildings were transferred to the Orphan’s House under the office of Empress Maria. The current buildings were erected here, starting from 1831 and up to the beginning of the twentieth century, by various architects.
The main building of the Lyceum, located at: Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, 21, was built in 1831-1834. designed by L. I. Charlemagne in the style of late classicism. Initially, it was intended for the Alexander Orphan's House (the previously existing building after the flood of 1824 had to be demolished). On September 23, 1834, on the third floor, a house church was consecrated in honor of Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, the patron saint of heaven. The pediment of the building was decorated with a gilded copper cross, and the masters E. Balin and K. Mozhaev performed modeling on the arches of the temple.
When in 1838-1839 The avenue line was aligned, and a square was formed in front of the building. Around him, in 1839, a cast-iron openwork lattice was installed, made according to the sketch of the architect P. S. Plavov. According to his own projects, two wings were built here in the 1830s and a service building (behind the main building) in 1841-1843.
1844-1917 - lyceum period
Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum moved here in 1843. And at the same time, by decree of Nicholas I, he received a new name - Imperial Alexander. The lyceum life in connection with the move underwent numerous transformations, this also affected the features of teaching. In 1848, the new Charter of the institution was adopted, which reflected changes in the purpose and content of the lyceum education. So, they began to accept and release pupils annually, and not once every three years, as it was in Tsarskoye Selo. Additional departments were also opened and new disciplines corresponding to the trends of that time were introduced. For example, there were departments of civil architecture, agriculture. Later they were closed, and the curriculum was brought as close as possible to the course taught at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University. However, as before, the lyceum program remained varied and extensive, primarily due to the presence of humanitarian disciplines: psychology, literature, history ... Among other things, ballroom dancing was taught at the educational institution (Timofey Alexeyevich Stukolkin was a choreographer, a famous dancer, an outstanding ballet dancer).
Further construction
For 1858-1860 The Alexander Lyceum expanded: from the square to the main building a two-story extension was erected, an infirmary was located on the first floor, and a dining room (then an assembly hall) was located on the second floor. In 1878, the fourth floor of the building was built according to the project of the architect R. Ya. Ossolanus. Next to the building in 1889, a bronze bust of Alexander the First by P.P. Zabello (not preserved to date) and a plaster bust of A.S. Pushkin by sculptor Zh.A. Polonskaya and architect Kh.K. Vasiliev, who were In 1899, they replaced a two-meter-long bronze bust designed by sculptor I.N. Schroeder and architect S.P. Konovalov (in the 1930s he was transferred from the garden to the staircase of the Lyceum, then in 1972 it was transferred to the fund of the Museum of Urban Sculpture, then in 1999, installed in front of the Pushkin House). In 1955, a bust of V.I. Lenin by the sculptor V. B. Pinchuk and architect F. A. Gepner was also opened in the park.
In 1910, part of the main building was damaged by fire. In 1911, the architect I. A. Fomin carried out restoration work.
The case of lyceum students
The Alexander Lyceum last released students in the spring of 1917. Then the October Revolution broke out, but in the spring of 1918, classes continued episodically. By decision of the Council of People's Commissars in May 1918, the institution was closed, and its place was taken by the Proletarian Polytechnic.
Many teachers and pupils of the Alexander Lyceum, including V. A. Shilder, its last director, and N. D. Golitsyn, the last prime minister of the Russian Empire, were repressed in 1925 in connection with the fabricated OGPU accusation of creating a monarchist counter-revolutionary organization. In accordance with the resolution of the OGPU Board of June 22, 1925, 26 people were shot.
The fate of the Lyceum
In the main building in 1917 the district committee of the RSDLP (b), the headquarters of the Red Guard of the Petrograd side, the district council under the leadership of the worker A.K. Skorokhodov functioned (Bolshaya Monetnaya street was his name in 1923-1991). Then, before the Great Patriotic War, school No. 181 operated in the building, and after the Second World War, school No. 69 named after Pushkin, and later there was located SGPTU No. 16. At present, the building is occupied by the Imperial Alexander Lyceum College. Next, talk about it a little more.
Keeping tradition
College "Alexander Lyceum" is an educational institution of an economic orientation. He carries out the graduation of specialists in various fields of knowledge. Education is carried out only on the basis of general secondary education (that is, people come here to study after grade 11). The modern "Alexander Lyceum" is trying to maintain the maximum tradition of elite education, to revive the atmosphere of a refined academic environment in the walls of the building, which contributes to the development of creative personalities. The college provides training in the following specialties: finance, commerce, operations in logistics, land and property relations, economics and accounting, insurance, archival studies and management documentation.