The Mediterranean region and the Mediterranean images in the activities of foreign tutors and governesses in the Russian Empire

• Main Author: Solodyankina Olga
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cherepovets State University 2017-05-01
• Series: Historia provinciae: журнал региональной истории
• Subjects: home education and upbringing; the russian empire; foreign family tutors; foreign governesses; mediterranean; italian
• Online Access: http://en.hpchsu.ru/archived-issues/the-journal-of-regional-history-v-1-no-1/the-mediterranean-region-and-the-mediterranean-images-in-the-activities-of-foreign-tutors-and-govern/

The article discusses the activities of tutors and governesses, who came from the Mediterranean region; a very small group among the foreign teachers who worked in the Russian Empire, where the reviews about their professionalism were quite contradictory. The Italian language was rarely included into the circle of subjects, which the foreign teachers (not necessarily Italian in origin) knew and could teach. A visit to the Mediterranean could be part of an educational tour abroad, carried out under the supervision of a tutor. Warm Mediterranean countries were also visited during a ‘healing tour’ – made by both sick children under the supervision of teachers and unhealthy adult patients accompanied by children with their foreign mentors. The Mediterranean region, its lush nature and rich culture made a lasting impression on everyone who ever came there.