Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya

    Even before the revolution, Krupskaya became interested in the education system abroad. In emigration, she studied the state of public education in European countries, attended schools, and got acquainted with the works of famous teachers. In the pre-revolutionary period, Nadezhda Konstantinovna published a number of articles in Russian pedagogical journals (“Should boys be trained in the“ Indian woman’s business? ”,“ On the issue of a free school ”,“ Suicide among students and a free labor school ”), in which divorced from life, the formalism of teaching, the spiritual emptiness of youth. Speaking in the press on issues of education and upbringing, Krupskaya criticized the estate-class essence of the contemporary Russian school, the bourgeois-landlord ideological orientation of upbringing and outlined the paths for the development of a new school, which should be created after the victory of the proletarian revolution. 

In 1915, Krupskaya wrote the paper “Public Education and Democracy”, where she gave a Marxist interpretation of the problems of education and upbringing of the younger generation, revealed the origins of the labor school. It was the first Marxist book in which the history of ideas of labor education was considered. In the post-October period, Krupskaya actively participated in the construction of a new type of school. 

In the 20-ies. XX century. she became one of the leaders and creators of the new education system, a member of the college and the main theoretician of the People's Commissariat of Education, one of the developers of the basic documents of the Soviet school. With her active participation numerous pedagogical congresses, conferences, meetings were held. Krupskaya headed the scientific and pedagogical section of the State Academic Council (1921-1932), edited pedagogical journals, and lectured. 

She formulated the main task of the Soviet enlightenment: "The school should not only teach, it should be the center of communist education." The teacher always adhered to the Marxist position, defended the communist ideology as “the only correct one” in school, put the class interests above the common humanity. Krupskaya stood at the origins of the pioneer movement in the USSR, was one of his theorists and organizers. She developed the theses on the pioneer movement, more than once made reports on the pioneer organization at party meetings. 

With her direct participation in the years 1924-1932. The party’s main documents on the children's communist movement were developed. Krupskaya knew the interests and concerns of the pioneers well, and was responsive to their needs. Frequent meetings and conversations, extensive correspondence - this constant contact with children helped her guide their activities. She made a major contribution to the development of issues of family education, labor education and polytechnic education.