von Gheiking Iulia

About

Iulia von Gheiking, born Iulia Șumleanskyi in 1858 in Saint Petersburg, came from the family of Lieutenant General Piotr Osipovici Șumleanskyi. She studied at the prestigious Smolny Institute for noble girls, one of the most important educational institutions for girls in Russia. After her family settled in Bessarabia, she remained connected to Chișinău, where she built her entire public activity around the education and upbringing of children. Her most important achievement was the founding of a private educational institution for girls in Chișinău. In 1892, she created a kindergarten for children, which she gradually transformed into a primary school, and from 1909 it became a girls' high school, known for a long time by her name. The institution operated in the building at the current Alexei Mateevici Street 85, an architectural monument of national significance, associated today with the educational and cultural heritage of the city. It is recorded that the baroness invested her own resources and supported the school with great dedication, given the limited public support. Iulia von Gheiking was married to Baron Alexandru von Gheiking, and their family had four children. Historical sources show that the family lived modestly, close to the school, preferring to direct their wealth towards the maintenance of the institution, the payment of teachers, and the provision of teaching materials. The Baroness died in 1936, and after her passing, the institution entered a difficult period; however, her legacy remains significant for the history of female education in the Republic of Moldova and for the memory of Chișinău, where her name is associated with a rare example of philanthropy and social vision.