Realgymnasium

(Russian, real’naia gimnaziia), in Russia, a secondary school whose curriculum stressed instruction in the natural sciences and mathematics and replaced the classical languages (Latin and Greek) with living foreign languages.

The Realgymnasium as a type of secondary educational institution emerged in the mid-19th century. Both seven-year Realgymnasiums and classical Gymnasiums were established under the Charter of 1864. Graduates of Realgymnasiums were permitted to take the competitive examinations for entry into higher technical educational institutions, but they were not admitted to universities. In 1872 the Realgymnasiums were replaced by Realschulen (real’nye uchilishchd).