State Control and Reform of School Education among German Colonists in Russian Empire (Mid-Eighteenth Century to Early Twentieth Century)

This article examines documents regulating school education for Germans in Russia, primarily focusing on German colonists. The chronological scope spans from the early years of settlement until the beginning of the twentieth century. Analysis of sources reveals that up until the 1840s, the state mainly oversaw the development of general legislation governing internal arrangements within colonies and their schools, relying heavily on established practices in these settlements. It is noted that there was an increase in state intervention into educational matters following administrative reforms implemented in foreign colonies in 1871. Attention is drawn to how reform efforts were a logical continuation of government policies aimed at standardizing various aspects of non-Russian populations' lives. The position of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which consistently defended the autonomy of German schools against state influence, has been identified. Evidence shows that tensions between church and state reached their peak towards the end of the nineteenth century due to the transfer of Protestant schools under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Education and Russification policies. Efforts made by the government during the First Revolutionary Period to introduce certain liberalization measures regarding German education are traced. However, it is observed that the emerging dialogue between the government, the church, and the German community was disrupted by World War I.