From the Diary of the Petersburg Schoolboy Nikolai Arepiev (February 1905)

Abstract

This publication represents a commentary on selected fragments from the diary kept by the seventh grader, the pupil of the Third St. Petersburg Gymnasium, Nikolai Arepiev. The entries reflected the events of the month
of February, 1905. The passages discussed refer to the initial stage of the so-called “school revolution”. The text of the diary allows its readers to emerge into the school atmosphere of those days when habitual disciplinary
procedures collapsed and fundamentally new forms of school children’s behavior were emerging, such as reading and discussing political proclamations, organized and spontaneous meetings during recess as well as after
school, passing resolutions, free engagements in disputes with teachers and administration, etc. According to the ton of his notes and some reservations expressed through the entries, Nikolay Arepiev was not one of the
active participants of the “school revolution”. However, he was emotionally captivated by the events that took place in his gymnasium. His diary was not intended to become public domain and be on display, therefore his
private records demonstrate constant deviation from spelling and grammar rules. Current publication is carried out in accordance with modern rules of spelling and punctuation.

Keywords: Gymnasium, school revolution, meeting, proclamation.