How did Alexander I bring educational reforms to Russia?

Question by Miya J: How did Alexander I Romanov bring educational reforms to Russia?

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Answer by Campari’s obsession
– The first half of Alexander’s reign was a period of moderate and liberal reforms. The emperor relied upon the help of such young friends as Prince Adam Chartoryisky, Count Pavel Stroganov, Count Victor Kochubei and Count Nikolai Novosiltsev. Together, they formed the Unofficial Committee, which issued manifestos restoring the charters of Catherine II to the nobility and towns, granting pardons to those who suffered under the previous tsar and allowing the purchase and sale of land by all free individuals. New universities were opened in Kharkov, Kazan, Derpt and Vilno. Existing educational establishments were awarded new freedoms. The result was a renaissance of many aspects of Russian life.
One of the most famous institutions founded by Alexander I was the Tsarskoe Selo Lyceum in 1810. Many famous Russians were educated there, including the poet Alexander Pushkin. When he was a Lyceum student, Pushkin paid tribute to Alexander’s role in the war against Napoleon and the liberal reforms at the start of his reign. The growing conservatism of the tsarist regime, however, forced the poet into the arms of the opposition. When this criticism crept into his writings, Pushkin was banished from St. Petersburg. After that, he was generally negative in his appraisals of Alexander’s personality and policies. Before then, however, he had lauded what he called the “wonderful first days of Alexander.”

One of the most important symbols of the changes taking place in Russian life under Alexander was Mikhail Speransky (1772-1839). The son of a priest in Vladimir Province, he studied at seminaries in Vladimir and St. Petersburg. Metropolitan Gabriel recommended Speransky to Prince Alexei Kurakin, who employed him as his secretary.

Speransky remained with Kurakin when the latter was appointed general procurator by Tsar Paul. Under Alexander, he was transferrd to the Ministry of the Interior. When the minister of the interior fell ill, he asked Speransky to deliver his reports to the tsar. Alexander took a liking to Speransky and, in 1808, invited him to draw up a liberal constitution based on Western European models, with the foundation of a state council and parliament or duma. Speransky never succeeded in implementing his programme. The indecisive tsar was frightened by the hostility of the nobility to his liberal reforms. Unable to win over the aristocracy and court circles, he sacrificed Speransky to appease the opposition. Speransky was accused of plotting with Napoleon and exiled to Perm. Thanks to the intercession of Count Alexei Arakcheyev, Speransky was appointed governor of Perm in 1816 and governor general of Siberia….

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