Girls’ school unlike any other of the Russian Ministry of Defense

This pension was set up exclusively for military girls. It primarily welcomes girls from families of Russian heroes and soldiers with more than 20 years of service or killed while fulfilling their military duty. Every year, 120 girls of 11 years old are admitted, but the number of women candidates reaches 6 to 40 per place, which is the level of the entrance examination in the best higher schools of Russia.

To enter this Ministry of Defense school, the merits of parents are not enough: girls must be in good health and have excellent grades. Candidates undergo tests at a psychologist and pass competitions in mathematics, Russian and foreign language.

This scrupulous selection system is the first step in the formation of the personality of future students. “We had to grow at an accelerated pace, which made us strong and motivated,” says Vika Melnikova, a graduate of this school.

How does this establishment differ from others?

“The pension is real life in a reduced model. Sometimes we come up against difficulties, sometimes we cry, but in the end everything is filled with meaning, “ says Vika.

The 840 pupils of the pension are housed and fed in Moscow at the expense of the State and only return home for holidays. They study according to a program approved not by the Ministry of National Education, but by the Ministry of Defense. With this, girls are taught not military disciplines, but those of the best private schools.

“We could choose any sport: swimming, horseback riding, figure skating, freestyle wrestling and fencing,” says another school graduate, Sacha Bened. We could go to artists’ studios. We were learning to play a musical instrument. The pension has its group of percussionists who participate every year in the Spasskaya military music festival in the Red Square .

At the end of the studies, some perpetuate the family tradition and become doctors or military interpreters, while others opt for purely civilian professions. The level of training allows all young girls to enroll in the higher school of their choice. Thus, Sacha entered the Faculty of Finance and Credit of the Russian State Social University (RGSU). In addition, she studied at an art college and now works as a specialist in decoration and design.

Every year, the pension sends several students abroad to continue their training, assuming the cost of studies and housing. As part of this program, Vika Melnikova spent a year studying in Britain at Bath College before going on to study business in the United States.

When everything is at the top

According to the girls, the schedule is quite busy, both on weekdays and weekends, and they only return in the evening in their double rooms. “Our day always started with some gymnastics and a hearty breakfast. Then we went to the main courses followed by additional courses. We had free time after dinner and days off. At 23:00, we went to bed, “ recalls Sacha. The weekend was always devoted to a cultural program: the girls went to the theater, the museum or a concert.

The establishment guarantees girls not only a high level of training and the organization of leisure hours, but also living conditions far from being military. Those who have just arrived receive a laptop that they keep until the end of their studies.

Each has its own wardrobe. “We had absolutely everything from ski outfit to ball gown. And our clothes were not made by anyone, but by the great Russian designers Kira Plastinina and Valentin Yudashkin, “ adds Sacha.

Physical education in the board does not resemble ordinary school “gym” lessons. The program is developed based on Cosmonaut Training Center methods and includes exercises that develop skill, speed, endurance, flexibility and strength. In addition, additional courses, such as wrestling or swimming, are given by major athletes who participated in the Olympic Games .

The diet of young girls is closely monitored by a dietitian, but teachers often give them sweet gifts to cheer them away from home. “I think that at home the relations between teachers and their students are very different from those that prevail in the usual schools. The teachers of our pension are not mere pedagogues. They are the only link connecting us to life outside the boarding house. Mothers and grandmothers often missed us and we were looking for support from teachers, “ says Vika.

“I’m very grateful for their support in difficult times,” said Sacha. For their faith in us when we lowered our arms. For their severe attitude and just when it was necessary. They became for us our second family .