The morning call., 1893-12-14
ANOBLELECTURER
Prince Wolkonski's Talk
to Students.
he Tells Those at the University of
California About Higher Edu-
cation in Russia.

Prince Serge Wolkonski is one of the Rus
sian Commissioners who was at the Worlds
Far for SIX months, aud now before he returns,
rs nspectip1AsAS1erica's educational institu-
tions-~ mas now reached San Francisco on
Aas way home. AT Harvard and Cornell and
ifnn Arbor be Prince delivered three lee
tuses which won for him eulogies, both for his
lFasIeIy Of the En- glish tongue, and because OF
tee extreme interest OF his matter President
Seburman OF Cornwall IN his letter to Preside Mt
Kellogg Ssas warm IN his praises OF one who
had so stimulating, uplifting and powerful an
inf1uence on Students" and an expectant au-
dience awaited Prince Wolkonskl at the Uni
versiIy Assembly Hall Tuesday. The gentle
man possesses an exceedingly attractive face,
clear cut in features and of a highly intellectual
type, black semi-VaDdyke beard adding the
weight which bis comparative youth might
otherwise lack. The Prince exhibited a won
derful command of English, fluent and lido
= naic. and with but the slightest foreign ac-
cent.
He opened bis remarks on the higher educa-
ton of woman in Russia with the statement
that il was difficult for the foreigner 10 under
stand the mattrr at casual glance, as educa-
ton was not cenIered In one ministerial depart
Inen1 but distributed over several.
The daugbter-in-law OF Empress Katherine,
afterWaTd the Empress Mary, look great in
terest in her own sex and the amelto alton OF
its condition. She labOted to extend woman's
of he establishment of a large number OF
schools tOr girls. Al her death these schools
were cOmpIehended by the Government under
the title of Institutions OF Empress Mary under
the control Of tile reigning Empress and board
OF ladies OF the nobility. These schools
were the nature OF private seninaries. and
later the Government Sabllshed girls high
. schools. One OF lie most interesting results of
this work was The springing up OF large num-
Der Of young women VINO gave themselves up
10 lifetime of sacrifice TO carry instruction 10
peasants children TO distant villages In barren
wastes. These girls were mostly he daughters
of priests (Ihe Gre church clergy, OF course,
are not celibatesl and came from an atmosphere
Of comparative culture and refinement and
went out 10 live lifetime in a peasant hut on
the piIiatIle sum of u roubles a month (S6), en-
tiTely cpt of from social aud intellectual life
and. companions. The audience was deeply
to1cned as the Prince eloqueDtly described The
sactitice of these young women.
OF the higher education OF woman CORE
sp0nding 10 that in our universities nothing
was seen until IN 1872 Professor Jaehner
opened courses in Moscow for young women.
Courses were now established in different
places ana Government support OF the move
ment was asked. By 1876 Kiel. ST. Peters
burg, Moscow and elsewhere afforded oppor-
Lunities. and Count T0lstoi, as Minister OF Edu-
cation, was making strong efforts to bring 10
these beginnings Government aid, but his resig-
nation in 1879 put on until 1889 thr making OF
these private higher courses for women Gov
eminent institutions.
" oman has shown GOOD results of this edu-
cation. Special inyestigal ions In historical and
pathological lines have made the names of
humber OF women well known, while as
sciepttst and mathematician the lale Madame
Karayatsky won such distinction that she
called 10 lecture in the university of Edinburgh
Tor three years. There are large number of
lady professors In these scbOols for women ana
their activity is an example 10 the other sex.
These institutions are not as YET wholly SUP.
:. ported by ihe Government, but the en- huslasm
existing for women's education makes private
aid very liberal in supplying the extra amount
needed.
Woman has taken deep interest in medicine
in Russia, bul has bad many obstacles placed
in her way. Her main work as physician is
done in the villages.
The most esting portion Of the lecture
now followed in the picture Of the Russian
woman Marking first tn great movements In
Russia-the abandonment 10 anarehc, pesslm-
:istic, destructive, mateliallstlc IDEAS that
marked so strongly the twenty years following
the emancipation Of the serfs the extreme COM
plicaton OF modern socialism such as no other
country exhibits, the overgr0WIh. The extreme
: of ideas reached at a bound before their benefit
wag TealiZed-all these mark the dark, fefment-
ing perioc OF 1660-S0, destructive TO family,
morality, political growth and religious belief.
But through all this was the balance OF the
woman. Firm 10 her family circle she clung 10
the good, and now shr sees her wisdom, as the
movement since 1880 is away from this dark
view of life. If statistics were 10 be judged 1t
9: would be said that but small part of the Rus
sian women are educated, out III Russia
statistics iD this instance are no criterion.
Tue Russian woman differs from your
American woman: She is enthusiastic over
her ideas. She works because she likes TO
spread her help and knowledge, and not because
she is president of some society The Russian
lady is an individuslist. In middie-class
home In the country one daughter will have
knowledge OF medicine and will attend the poor
OF tie village gratuiously, another Will teach
the peasants child aud SO on. but all the work
comes spouian- Ously and individually.
1.-The effect OF education on Russian women Is
not to make them masculin but even more
womanly. You Amel leans seem inclined TO try
TO make two nations, one OF men and one of
women. Some mrmbers of the WomeD's Con.
gress this summer seemed desirous even OF
creating q third variety OF the human family.