Everyday life of a teacher of a Nizhny Novgorod gymnasium in 1915–1916 (based on the letters of S. N. Shamonina to N. N. Platonova)

Drawing into scientific circulation a significant epistolary layer of S.N. Shamonina, who came from the nobility and taught at the Nizhny Novgorod provincial women's gymnasium, addressed to her sister-in-law N.N. Platonova, the wife of an outstanding Russian historian, we plunge into the world of the complex fate of a single family. All the hardships and worries of raising the six children left after her husband's death fell on the shoulders of a mother who was not ready to run a household on her own. Only the selfless constant financial assistance, primarily from the Platonovs, allows the family to make ends meet. The main topic of the letters is studies, classes, the health of children who are gradually leaving their home (rented apartment) and the associated unrest and uncertainty. Professional activity and the educational process take up a lot of space in frequent letters. In addition to this, events in the world, the Russian Empire, the province and the city find a permanent place in correspondence. N.N. Platonova appears in a new, little-known quality - a caring, sacrificial, selfless woman in relation to her nephews and their mother. Her advice, moral and constant financial support, and regular letters allow S.N. Shamonina to overcome difficult problems that were compounded by events in the surrounding reality, primarily related to world upheavals - the First World War.