The girlhood among townswomen of the Perm province at the end of XIX- the beginning of the XX-th century (in the context of daily occurrence)

The purpose of this article is to examine the main changes in the culture of the female girlhood in the big centers of modernization and urbanization of the Perm province - Perm and Yekaterinburg of the end of XIX - the beginning of the XX centuries. The author has analysed such spheres of everyday life of young townswomen as education, participation in professional activity, carrying out leisure, communication with an opposite sex. Norms and their changes in the vital strategy of girls were considered. The research is based on methods of history of everyday life. In the article different types of sources, including state acts, statistics, documents of town councils, materials of local periodicals, the fiction were used; sources of personal origin - correspondence, memoirs, diaries, albums of girls were of very importance. The girlhood period in Russia covered in the past age of the girl approximately from 10-12 years before her marriage (under the law marriage was allowed from 16 years). The girlhood was an important stage in life of townswomen of Perm and Yekaterinburg. During this period young townswomen had an opportunity to receive skills for future family life, communication with an opposite sex. In the period of the girlhood there took place a socialization of girls in the urban environment. At the end of XIX - the beginning of the XX century in Perm and Yekaterinburg the network of women's educational institutions extended. More and more parents and city public understood the need of receiving education by girls. Education promoted expansion of the choice of vital strategy for townswomen, their emancipation. Development of the capitalist relations in Perm and Yekaterinburg resulted in bigger inclusiveness of women in professional activity. The range of low-skilled professions for the girls was a work as servants, nurses, workers at factories and the plants. This labour usually was heavy and low-paid. At the end of XIX - the beginning of the XX century the sphere of leisure of young townswomen in connection with the growing popularity of theaters and cinema had changed. Popular among city youth were driving on a skating rink, participation in cultural events, campaigns to each other on a visit. Democratization of relations between the sexes promoted more free communication of young townswomen with an opposite sex. But at the same time “falling” of customs among youth at the beginning of the XX century, in particular in the studying environment, concerned the public including the cities. The marriage during the considered period remained the main component of life of women in Russia and in the cities of the Perm province. The marriage also was important point of the vital plan of most young townswomen. In the cities the part of the girls marrying in 20 years and younger in relation to total of marriages was lower, than in counties. Proceeding from statistics materials, in Perm and Yekaterinburg at the beginning of the XX century the early brachnost prevailed - townswomen married most often at the age of 20 years and younger. Among a part of young townswomen ideas of a marriage were transformed. Except motherhood the importance of self realization in the public sphere received greater value for women. Views of the democratic relations in marriage were formed under the influence of publicism, literary works both in Russia, and in the cities of the Perm province. It is possible to speak about formation of new type of female identity among young townswomen of Perm and Yekaterinburg in which except realization of a role of the wife and mother education, participation in professional, public activity was important.

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