Development of the Smolny Institute of Noble Maiden in the second half of the XIX - beginning of the XX century

The article is devoted to the development of the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. The authors analyze the role of the teachers of the first women's educational institution in its development, the social structure of the students, and changes in the training program during the period under study.