In the mid-19th to early 20th centuries, the status of women in the territories of what was then the Russian Empire—despite a number of achievements—left much to be desired. What seems completely natural and ordinary to us today was viewed as a major victory just over 100 years ago.
The “women’s issue” was covered extensively in scholarly and journalistic works. The topics addressed were quite diverse. For example, “Women in the Court of Modern Science” (1897):
Because women fought for their rights with remarkable consistency, the law did eventually change. Reference guides like these—even if they were unofficial—proved to be a great help in navigating the intricacies of the law. To this day, they remain an invaluable encyclopedia of the legal status of women at that time and shed light on the challenges faced, in particular, by the women living in our city.
The issue of women’s education and their admission to institutions of higher education was a very pressing one at that time. In addition to publications of this kind
Cartoons by numerous artists were popular and in high demand. The best known were the works of artist Vladimir Fedorovich Kadulin:
Nikolai Yakovlevich Abramovich’s book, published in 1913, was titled *Women and the World of Male Culture: World Creativity and Sexual Love*.
On the first page, the author honestly wrote the following:
The final lines are also quite disheartening: “Women’s participation in the intellectual life of the world is negligible. Creative and ideological movements take place without them. This conclusion is dispassionate, precise, and revealed by life itself.”
Simply listing the titles of books about women and for women (including risqué ones) written in the mid-19th to early 20th centuries on a wide variety of topics would take more than a few dozen pages.
The situation with women’s organizations and institutions at that time was even more interesting. Quite a few of them were part of the Department of Institutions of Empress Maria.
It was a government agency of the Russian Empire that administered a system of educational, charitable, and medical institutions under the patronage of the Empress.
The agency’s scope of activities included:
— educational and training (primarily for women) institutions of higher and secondary education. According to data from 1909, there were 36 women’s institutes, 34 women’s gymnasiums, the Mariinsky Women’s Schools, commercial schools, and the Nikolaev Orphanages and Schools.
— vocational schools (nanny training schools, horticulture schools, vocational training centers, etc.).
In addition, many charitable and educational institutions were supported by societies that were part of the Department: the Imperial Women’s Patriotic Society (founded in 1812), the Moscow Charitable Society (1837), the Ladies’ Society for the Care of the Poor in Moscow (1844), and others.
A rough chronology of the establishment of women’s organizations in the 19th and early 20th centuries is as follows:
1812 — Charitable Society of Patriotic Ladies
1828 — Department of Empress Maria’s
Institutions 1829 — Ladies’ Committee for the Care of Prisons
1838 ― Main Committee for the Establishment and Administration of Children’s Orphanages
1859 ― Society for the Provision of Affordable Housing and Other Assistance to Needy Residents of St. Petersburg
1862 ― Society for Women’s Labor
1863 ― Society for the Promotion of Diligence,
1867 ― Society for the Care of Wounded and Sick Soldiers,
1888 ― International Women’s Council,
1890 ― Russian Society for the Protection of Women,
1893 ― Society for the Support of Graduates,
1895 ― Russian Women’s Mutual Charity Society,
1899 ― Russian Peace League,
1905 ― Union for Women’s Equality,
1905 ― Women’s Progressive Party,
1907 ― Union of Russian Women,
1907 ― Russian League for Women’s Equality,
1916 ― Women’s Economic Union,
1918 ― Commission for Propaganda and Agitation Among Women
Naturally, the activities of many of them were also connected to our beloved city. News from Kharkiv could often be found in the pages of magazines and newspapers published by women’s organizations of that time.
Unfortunately, our city’s achievements in the fight for women’s rights have not been sufficiently studied to this day. And there were so many interesting things back then.
In 1899, the *First Women’s Calendar* began publication in St. Petersburg—compiled by P. N. Aryan, who herself wrote extensively about the women’s movement. The pages of this wonderful publication informed readers about women’s charitable societies, the first women’s publishing cooperative, and so on.
In the “Chronicle of Women’s Labor” section, we’ll learn important facts about the victories and defeats of Kharkiv women in 1902:
“In Kharkiv, women’s labor has found a new outlet. There are now four hair salons where women work—that is, where they cut, shave, and perm hair.”
“In Kharkiv, an employee at a local notary’s office requested to be allowed to take the exam for the position of notary, but the district court dismissed her petition.”
It’s hard for us to imagine now just how significant these events—which took place more than 100 years ago—were for the women of our city and for the women’s movement as a whole.
At that time, the office of the Working Women’s Society was located at Pushkinskaya Street, 14 (renamed Hryhoriia Skovorody Street in 2024), while the office of the Women Teachers’ Society was located at Zmiyevskaya Street, 11 (now Aerokosmichnyi Avenue).
In 1903, the “Women’s Aid” clinic opened in Kharkiv.
The “Women and Politics” section contains equally valuable information. In the eventful year of 1905, the Moscow branch of the “Union for Women’s Equality” published a resolution. In addition to expressing its stance on the war,
They appealed to the conscience of those on whom a peaceful resolution of the strikes depended, and expressed the hope that such brutal measures to suppress student unrest would not be allowed to happen again.
It would seem to be a perfectly ordinary occurrence—mothers are concerned about their children’s futures. However, the most interesting thing here is that in Moscow, 148 women signed the aforementioned text, while in Kharkiv, 398 did.
This level of engagement on the part of our city’s female residents also had other very important consequences.
In 1907, the “Russian League for Women’s Equality” was founded. Until 1917, this organization was considered the leading socio-political women’s organization in the Russian Empire at that time.
The League’s founders defined its objectives as follows:
— preparing women to fight for their equality;
— promoting the idea of women’s equality in society;
— preparing measures to improve the legal and political status of women, that is, gathering the necessary information and materials for this purpose and drafting legislation or proposals to be submitted to public and government agencies;
— implementing bills and resolutions aimed at improving the status of women.
By 1913, the organization had over 1,000 members.
The League actively responded to all developments in the political and social life of the time, advocating for women’s rights. Great emphasis was placed on promoting and campaigning for the ideas of women’s equality among members of the State Council and the State Duma. For example, when a bill on the reform of volost administration was introduced in the Duma, the League sent a statement to 300 members of the State Duma regarding the need to grant women the right to vote and run for office, as well as the right to hold public office in volost administration.
To promote its cause, the League also published portraits of women scientists, writers, artists, and public figures. For example, one could purchase portraits of N. A. Durova, E. R. Dashkova, Catherine the Great, Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, E. P. Rastopchina, A. I. Ishimova, N. D. Khvoshchinskaya, E. P. Blavatsky, S. V. Kovalevskaya, M. À. Markovich (Marko Vovček), Maria Bashkirtseva, X. D. Alchevskaya, P. S. Uvarova, E. M. Böm, and Maria Skłodowska-Curie.
The proceeds from the sale of the portraits were, of course, used to continue the fight for equality.
Despite such vigorous activity, by 1912 the League had only two branches. One, of course, was in Moscow. The second, however, was located…that’s right, in Kharkiv, at Podgornaya Street, 14 in Mrs. Gabel’s apartment (now Potebni Street).
Thus, it is our beloved city that holds the distinction of being the first in Ukraine and the second in the Russian Empire where women began to fight for their rights and freedoms in a purposeful and organized manner.
However, I am truly convinced that the most interesting aspects of researching the history and activities of women’s organizations in our city are just beginning.
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