Application to Nikolaj I gymnasium

Here an application for enrolling at Nikolaj I gymnasium in Riga (1913) is presented. The document represents by itself a printed form of an application addressed to the principal of the school. It was filled in by an unknown person and signed by Georgs (Juris) Slaviets, the father of the future student. It is seen that the father made some corrections with other hand and signed the document. I suppose that this was the reason the document was kept in the family archive and later offered in an old book shop - may be the school proposed to prepare another document without corrections.

The form was printed and the text was written in Russian, which was obligatory at that time (1913). I have scanned the full text of the first page. I only present essence of the document and am not planning to translate the text in its full extent.

The person who filled in the form was not very well informed. He did not know the estate of the father Georgs Slavietis son of Jēkabs and wrote that he belonged to the estate of Riga workers. The father new better and corrected the information - that he was registered at Alsviķi pagasts of Valka apriņķis. It means that the family Slavietis lived in Riga still being registered in their home pagasts. Another problem arose with understanding the inscription of son's name: It is written that he was Edgar Georgijevič Geord, and I do not understand what means Geord here. It is rather peculiar that the patronymic of the father was written with the ending -ov - Jakovlev, but the patronymic of the son in the form with -ič. Strictly speaking the -ič form was not allowed for persons of peasant estate.

The document informed the school principal that Edgars was taught at home and could be enrolled at the younger preparatory grade, but the principal was begged to test him and to say which grade he could join.

At that time all gymnasia of the Empire used Russian as the teaching language for all subjects except the religion (God's Law) that could be taught in student's mother tongue. For this goal the Nikolaj I gymnasium in Riga offered three possibilities to Lutherans - they could acquire knowledge of their religion in Russian, Latvian or German. Edgar chose Latvian, of course. However he chose no additional classes in drawing or music that were offered on additional payment.

The document informs that additional two documents were attached to the application (I have not them): 1) the birth certificate issued on November 23, 1913 by the Gertrude church in Riga, that means that Edgars was born in Riga and maybe never visited Alsviķi pagasts, where his father was registered; 2) the estate certificate made October 15, 1913, but I do not know what was this sort of documents and who could made them except the pagasts municipality. The document about the inoculation against smallpox was also required, but I do not know if they actually had any. The application was prepared in December 1913 i.e. a bit late for beginning of studies. The father signed the application and added the home address - Jēkaba str. 24 apt. 15.

The Riga address book 1913 printed in German informs that at the address Jēkaba str. 24, apt. 10 (note the difference) lived a painter G.Slaweet. It is not known what kind of painter he was, but he did not paint, for example, kanvas. According to the Riga address book 1928, at the address Jēkaba str. 24, apt. 21 (note the difference) lived a painter Juris Slaviets. By the way, at the beginning of the 20^th century the house-painting job in Rīga was practically in hands of the former inhabitants of Zeltiņi pagasts that was a neighboring pagasts to Alsviķi pagasts Slaviets family came from.

The second page of the application informs that the applicant should pay for the next half of the year and should provide the student with all necessary schoolbooks and the school uniform. The gymnasia students wore special uniforms at that time, you know. Additionally the father promised to obey all rules of the school and all orders of the school officials and he also promised to follow the success of his son in the school and his moral education. The father informed the school that the student would be living with his parents and the parents would be the moral guardians. This was important, because some students could have come from other parts of the Empire, and in this case the school wanted to know where these students lived. In fact the school recommended an apartment to each student.