METHODS OF RUSSIFICATION WITHIN THE AGRARIAN EDUCATION FROM BESSARABIA The process of russification, begun in Bessarabia ever since 1812, evolved along an ascending trend until the liberation

Petru GOLBAN Universitatea de Stat din Moldova

Abstract

The process of russification, begun in Bessarabia ever since 1812, evolved along an ascending trend until the liberation of this province in 1918. Along with the goal of fulfilling the gap of highly trained specialists, by opening the agrarian schools (we refer here to those from Grinauti, Cucuruzeni and Purcari) the tsarism had a more subtle aim, that of russi-fication. The teaching language, the study programme and the modifications in the educational plan, lead to the conclusion that one of the main targets of the tsarism, by opening these schools, consisted in the denationalisation of the Romanians from Bessarabia. Keywords: Bessarabia, XIX-th century, agrarian education, denationalization, study program, Zemstvo, Cucuruzeni, Grinauti, Purcari.