Among all schools of Vinnytsia school-gymnasium
2 holds a special place. First of all, it stands in the
heart of the city at the crossroads of Soborna and
Khlibna streets, right next to City Central Park.
For more than a hundred years, the three-stored
building has been a true centerpiece of the
city over Buh. There have been wars and revolutions,
the authorities have changed, but the school is still
tanding and ringing its bell for the new generations
of the schoolchildren.

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Its story began in April 1900 with the order of the Russian emperor to open a gymnasium for girls. First, there were only 12 students, but 1901 the school started to work. There were not only girls from elite families but also from ordinary ones. The education fee was partly paid by the parents and partly by the local authorities.

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Children went to school at the age of 8. The girls studied in the
gymnasium for 7 years, but there was also an option to take an
extra year and become a teacher. The students back then didn’t
have as many subjects as the modern ones. They studied math,
physics, history, calligraphy, art and some other.

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The rules for the students were really
strict (even stricter than nowadays). The girls had to wear a special uniform not only for school but also when they are free. The length of the skirt and the neatness of the hair was strictly controlled by the superior of the school. If the dress was longer or shorter than 20 cm from the floor the girls would be punished (usually they got whipped). They also couldn’t wear any accessories like broaches or bracelets. The rules were the same about the hairstyle. The girls had to wear the hair smooth and neat, no fancy hairstyle was allowed. When the girls turned 15 they couldn’t cut their hair as it was concerned a mauvais tone (bad manner).

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There were no exceptions for girls from any family. The
story says that the daughter of the city mayor broke the
rule and wasn’t allowed to attend her graduation party.

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With the beginning of the World War II the building of the
school became headquarter of the police battalion. The
construction was badly damaged, but after war it was
reconstructed and the third floor was added.

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Times passed and the city changed, but the beautiful building over Soborna Street is still decorating the center of Vinnytsia with its marvelous shining.  New generations of pupils come happily every year to get high quality knowledge and become well-educated and decent people.