Vladimir Nabokov: "School kind of allowed me to drag a dead rat around with me by the tail"

Content:

• Context

At the age of eleven, my father decided that my home education could be significantly enriched by studying at the Tenishevsky School. This relatively new educational institution became one of the most progressive and modern in St. Petersburg. It differed from the traditional gymnasiums attended by most children in its more liberal approach and modern curriculum. The program consisted of sixteen semesters, equivalent to eight grades of a gymnasium and the first two years of an American university. In January 1911, I was enrolled in the third semester, which corresponded to the beginning of eighth grade in the American system. Tenishev School offered unique opportunities for development and preparation for a future academic career. My father, having chosen the path of the great classless Russian intelligentsia, considered it important to send me to a school distinguished by its democratic principles, the absence of class, racial, and religious prejudices, and modern teaching methods. However, despite these characteristics, Tenishev School was not fundamentally different from other educational institutions, regardless of time or place. As everywhere, students tolerated some teachers and disliked others; in every school, there was an exchange of obscene jokes and rumors. I was a successful athlete and generally felt comfortable in the educational process, if the school administration had not shown excessive concern for my moral education.

I was accused of unwillingness to integrate into the group, of arrogance, manifested in the use of French and English expressions in my Russian texts, which seemed quite natural to me. I was accused of refusing to use dirty wet towels in the washroom and of using the knuckles of my fists in fights, rather than the underside, as is customary among Russian bullies. One of the teachers, who did not understand the games well enough, although he recognized their social significance, once asked me why I always stood in goal during a football game instead of running with the other children. An additional source of discontent was the fact that I came to school by car, while the other boys, in the spirit of democracy, used trams or cabs. One teacher, expressing disgust, advised me to park my car a few blocks from school so my classmates wouldn't have to watch a uniformed driver doff his cap to me. In other words, the school allowed me to demonstrate my superiority, but only on the condition that I didn't impose it on others. What irritated me most was my intense aversion to any "movements" or unions at the time. I still remember how even the kindest and most well-intentioned teachers would fly into a rage over my steadfast refusal to participate in clubs that added time to the school day for free. These clubs elected a "board," read history essays, and later, in high school, even included political discussions. The constant pressure to join this or that group didn't break my resistance, but it created a tense atmosphere. This was made worse by the fact that many people used my father as an example to me.

Context

Vladimir Nabokov, as we know from his autobiographical works, and his siblings received a high-quality education at home, which was typical for a wealthy noble family. At the beginning of their education, they had English governesses, thanks to whom Nabokov, by his own account, learned to read English before Russian. Then, for seven years, he and his brother studied French with a mademoiselle invited from Lausanne, Switzerland, to whom Nabokov dedicated the story "Mademoiselle O." Later, the era of home tutors in various subjects began, who were hired not only to prepare for school but also for additional lessons. Nabokov emphasizes that the school he was enrolled in at age 11—the Tenishev School—was not the primary source of his education, but merely "supplemented" the experience he was gaining in a family setting. Thus, the influence of home schooling on the formation of Nabokov as a writer and a person was significant and decisive.

The school fostered a creative atmosphere conducive to student development. Performances were staged, literary evenings were held, the magazine "Tenishevets" was published, and an orchestra was also present. At the end of the school year, long excursions to other cities were organized. Extracurricular activities were actively encouraged, although, as is clear from Nabokov's memoirs, they irritated him. Nevertheless, for many other students, the school became a source of exclusively positive emotions and vivid memories.

Teaching at the Tenishev School followed an expanded curriculum based on the best textbooks. However, the main value remained the atmosphere of the educational institution, conducive to self-knowledge and the formation of the student's personality. Despite the existing shortcomings, the educational conditions differed significantly from the gymnasiums run by Kasso, the Minister of Education, known for his reactionary policies. In his memoirs, Yevgeny Mandelstam, Osip Mandelstam's brother and a member of the Tenishev group, noted that the school lacked formal requirements for either students or teachers. The only informal aspect that emerged among the students was the tradition of wearing Russian boots. These conditions fostered a more free and creative approach to learning, creating a unique educational environment. Yevgeny Mandelstam fondly recalled his years at the school, emphasizing the atmosphere of unity, democracy, and friendship among the students. He noted that the school's students represented a wide range of social strata: the sons of high-ranking military officers, bankers, shopkeepers, architects, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. Mandelstam also emphasized that if a boy was brought to school by car, it was considered a sign of high status. In such cases, it was customary to park the car a distance from the school building and walk to the school, so as not to expose the wealth and social status of the parents. This practice emphasized the value of equality and mutual respect among students.

Vladimir Nabokov may not have found his place in the philosophy and spirit of the educational institution where he studied. His individualism may have become an obstacle to group study, which he did not enjoy. Nabokov's snobbery likely clashed with the democratic atmosphere that reigned at the school. Furthermore, as a teenager, he may no longer have needed a specialized environment for self-expression, making everything that happened at the school unnecessary and irritating. Nabokov's main interests—literature and entomology—were born in his preschool years, at home.

Further studies at one of the world's leading educational institutions—Trinity College, Cambridge—did not bring Nabokov positive memories.

The Tenishev School left him with not only positive impressions, but also painful memories. One such episode was the public condemnation of his poems by his literature teacher Gippius. Although the criticism was justified from the standpoint of literary analysis, its form was extremely unpedagogical. This event had a significant impact on the young Vladimir, who decided to publish his poems at his own expense.

I would like to point out that my poems were simply youthful delirium. The book, a copy of which is still kept in the "closed vault" of the Lenin Library in Moscow, was immediately criticized in their inexpressive journals by the few reviewers who paid attention to it. Vladimir Gippius, my Russian teacher at the Tenishevsky School and a talented, albeit complex, poet whom I sincerely admired (in my opinion, he surpassed his more famous cousin, Zinaida Gippius), once brought a copy of my collection to class and, to the delight of my classmates, mercilessly ridiculed its most romantic lines. His famous cousin, meeting with my father, who served as chairman, at a meeting of the Literary Foundation, asked me to convey to me that I would never become a writer. Osip Mandelstam, according to his brother's memoirs, despite his deep affection for Gippius and his literary pursuits, also criticized the latter's excessive strictness and ruthlessness toward his students. This harsh teaching methods sometimes hindered the development of students' creative potential, causing discord among them. Mandelstam, as a poet and thinker, understood the importance of inspiration and support in the learning process, which underscored the contrast between his approach and that of Gippius. Thus, this interaction between student and teacher became an important aspect of the shaping of the literary environment of the time. Osip held Gippius in deep respect, recognizing his outstanding talent and personality. His brother called Gippius "a molder of souls and a teacher of remarkable people," but added that such people were not readily available. Yevgeny Mandelstam notes that time may have proven Osip's remark wrong, as Gippius's students included such figures as Osip Mandelstam and Vladimir Nabokov, who themselves became outstanding writers. Thus, the influence of Gippius on the development of talents became obvious, and his role in the formation of the literary environment cannot be underestimated.

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