Catherine Institute Building

The building of the Catherine Institute in Saint Petersburg is located on the embankment of the Fontanka River, 36, and was erected on the site of the dilapidated Italian Palace, which was gifted by Alexander I. In 1828, Nicholas I took the institution under his patronage, establishing the IV Department of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery for this purpose. Every year on June 1st, a solemn prayer service was held in the institute's church in honor of the school's founding, and until 1824, the services were conducted by the clergy of the Smolny Monastery. The curriculum included the Law of God, languages, mathematics, history, natural sciences, as well as handicrafts, dancing, music, and secular manners.