Letters as a historical source on the everyday life of a high school student at the beginning of the 20th century (on the example of the epistolary heritage of Ye. A. Tanskaya)

The article describes the analysis of personal correspondence from the gymnasium period of Yekaterina Alexandrovna Tanskaya, an Honored Teacher of the Buryat ASSR (formerly Sergeyevna). The introductory part of the article highlights the characteristics of letters as a historical source, their informational value, and draw attention to the limited representation of women's correspondence in the historiography of the region. Additionally, the introductory part outlines the main milestones in the biography of the article's heroine. The main part is devoted to outlining certain plot lines of Yekaterina's letters during her education at the Troitskosavskaya Women’s Gymnasium, such as her desire to separate from her family, relationships among classmates, and the reading interests of the gymnasium students. In conclusion, the authors emphasize the importance of working with epistolary heritage, as letters can reveal intimate details of life, customs, traditions, and social interactions that may be missed in other types of historical sources.