MUSIC IN THE SYSTEM OF CLASSICAL MALE GYMNASIUM EDUCATION DURING THE LATE NINETEENTH AND EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32999/ksu2786-5118/2026-55-5Keywords:
history of education, Kyiv Educational District, male gymnasiums, late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Dnieper Ukraine, gymnasium education, everyday life, educational process, student orchestras, cultural developmentAbstract
The article examines the role of music education as a component of the educational environment of classical male gymnasiums in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, based on materials from the male gymnasiums of the Kyiv Educational District. The purpose of the study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the institutional foundations of music education, the organisation of music instruction, the development of student orchestras, and the educational, cultural, and upbringing functions of musical practices. Methods. The study is based on a combination of general scientific and special historical methods. The historical-systemic approach made it possible to examine music education as an integral component of the classical gymnasium educational system. The historicalcomparative method was employed to identify the distinctive features of music instruction in individual male gymnasiums of the Kyiv Educational District. The historical-genetic method enabled the author to trace the evolution of music education and the activities of student orchestras throughout the period under study. The source base comprises legislative and regulatory documents issued by the Ministry of Public Education, as well as the annual reports of the Trustee of the Kyiv Educational District covering the period from 1889 to 1916. Results. The study demonstrates that, despite its optional status within the curriculum, music occupied an important place in the system of classical male gymnasium education. It identifies the principal features of the regulatory framework governing music instruction, the organisation of student orchestras, staffing arrangements, and financial support for music education. The research traces the gradual spread of orchestral performance in the male gymnasiums of the Kyiv Educational District and the expansion of student musical ensembles during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is shown that musical practices extended beyond classroom instruction to include literary and musical evenings, concerts, ceremonial academic events, charity performances, and the participation of student ensembles in the cultural life of urban communities. The analysis of concert repertoires reveals the combination of artistic, aesthetic, cultural, educational, and pedagogical functions of music, as well as its contribution to shaping the educational environment of the classical gymnasium. Conclusions. The study proves that music constituted an important component of the classical male gymnasium as a socio-cultural institution. It integrated curricular, extracurricular, and cultural activities, promoted aesthetic education, fostered performance skills, encouraged collaborative practices, and broadened students’ cultural horizons. The proposed approach positions music education as a productive analytical lens for exploring the educational environment of male gymnasiums in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, thereby contributing to a broader understanding of the organisation and functioning of the secondary education system in Dnieper Ukraine.
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