Maria Agapova

Maria Agapova (born Vasilyova; 30th of December 1864/11th of January 1865, Pskov, Russian Empire – 1934, Riga, Republic of Latvia) – a graduate of Higher Women's Courses, the owner of a private gymnasium in Pskov, a teacher in Riga.

M. Agapova (Vasilyeva) was born in Pskov into the family of a state councilor, the well-known local historian I. Vasilyev (1836–1901). In 1883, she graduated from the Mariinsky Pskov Women’s Gymnasium and the same year enrolled in the Higher Women’s Courses in St. Petersburg, where she completed the full four-year course of studies in the Department of Physics and Mathematics, specializing in Mathematics. In 1887, she received a certificate of completion and began teaching practice. At that time, this was an extraordinary event, since higher education was a privilege reserved for men.

On January 27, 1893, she married Alexey Agapov (b. 1861) at the church of the Prince of Oldenburg Hospital. He was a graduate of the Faculty of Law of the Imperial St. Petersburg University and a member of a well-known merchant family in Pskov.

Due to the birth of her daughters—Elizaveta (b. 1893), Anna—and her father's illness, she was only able to return to active teaching in 1903. She received permission to open a private educational institution, which, after three years, received the status of a progymnasium (a junior secondary school), and in 1907 became a full-fledged private women’s gymnasium.

Until 1919, M. Agapova worked at her own gymnasium in Pskov and was highly respected in the city.

From February to September 1919, M. Agapova had been working at a four-grade secondary school (2nd level) in Pskov.

Her husband was also a well-respected figure in the city. In May 1905, amid revolutionary unrest, A. Agapov became the mayor of Pskov and held the position until the summer of 1917.

In 1919, the Agapov family had to emigrate to Latvia.

Dreaming of her own gymnasium was no longer feasible. M. Agapova’s first job in Latvia was at the Real Gymnasium of Peteris Dzenis (1878–1946), where she had been teaching from 1919 to 1923. At the same time, from 1921 to 1925, she had been teaching at the Riga City Jewish Gymnasium, as well as in private gymnasiums of N. Vinzarais-Vershkansky, E. Likhtarovich, and G. Binc.

In 1924, there were attempts to dismiss M. Agapova from teaching due to the lack of Latvian citizenship. However, the administrations of the schools where she worked managed to defend her. In 1926, M. Agapova received Latvian citizenship.

A well-educated woman, M. Agapova taught not only mathematics, but also geography, cosmography, Russian, and French.

In 1927, M. Agapova retired.

According to documents, her husband, Alexey Agapov, was financially dependent on her.

Her daughter, Elizaveta Agapova (1893–1980), worked as a teacher in Riga.

Maria Agapova died in Riga on March 8 (?), 1934. Her funeral service was held at the Church of the Intercession.

Tatiana Feigmane

Sources of information:

ЛГИА, ф. 1632, оп.1, д. 258.

Сегодня,1934, 8 марта, № 67.

http://pleskov60.ru/oktyabrsky-10.html

http://izd.pskgu.ru/projects/pgu/storage/PSKOV/ps08/ps_08_13.pdf

http://museums.pskov.ru/pskovoldmodern/vasilev