Art and Handcraft in the Woman's Building
of the World's Columbian Exposition

IN THE WOMAN’S BUILDING. 251 A mention is due of the name of the famous friend of the latter, the Princess Dashkoff, president of the Academy of Science in St. Petersburg. Of great culture and learning, she was known as well abroad as in Russia. She had traveled much, and carried on a large correspondence with scientific men. Her interesting memoirs, written in French, form a volume of the “ Prince Worontzoff’s archives.” The first female educational institutions date from the reign of Catharine the Great. Seminaries for girls of noble families were founded, the education given being somewhat like the French convent education. Empress Maria Theodorovna, wife of Paul L, continued the same work. With untiring and never-failing love she encouraged all private and official activity in the field of education and charity. The number of seminaries, schools, hospitals, homes, etc., opened under her high patronage grew to such an extent that after her death it was considered necessary to found a special ministry for their management; they formed the “Institutions of Empress Maria,” and have been ever since the object of special care to all our empresses. In the middle of this century rises a brilliant name indissolubly connected with all the great events of her time. The Grand Duchess Helene Pavlovna, sister-in-law of Nicholas L, was remarka- ble, not only for her talents, but also for the fascinating power she had of attracting around her all who were prominent in literature, art, science, and politics. The musical and literary gatherings in the “ Palais Michel ” were famous. She founded and was the first president of the St. Petersburg Musical Conservatory. Emperor Alexander II. highly appreciated her intelligence, and she was one of his nearest counselors in the great act of the emancipation of serfs. In her charity and educational activity, which was great, she was efficiently assisted by Baroness Edith Rahden. The work is continued by her daughter, the Grand Duchess Catherine, who is at the head of the institutions and schools of the Patriotic Society. This brings us to our own times, in which the great increase of feminine activity strikes us so much that 1 feel the insufficiency of my pen to do justice to this vast theme. So many namse shine in so many different branches that it is impossible to give here any just account of this activity. A great impulse to education has been given by the foundation of establishments of different types, especially gymnasiums and progymnasiums, not only in the