The article contains information about the history of functioning of the «free school for girls», which was opened in the late 19th century by the philanthropist, teacher, wife of Irkutsk public figure Nadezhda Vladimirovna Sukacheva in Irkutsk on her own funds and was maintained by her for 34 years. The data concerning the organisation of the educational process are covered, and biographical information about some representatives of the teaching staff is presented. The topic is addressed due to the low degree of study. The relevance of the work is conditioned by the fact that the charitable activity in the sphere of education initiated by the Irkutsk patrons of art and especially manifested in the second half of the 19th century deserves wider recognition by the society, but is characterised by a low degree of study. When comprehending the experience of charity in the sphere of education in the late XIX–early XX centuries (on the example of N. V. Sukacheva’s activity) there is an opportunity to assess the general cultural level of the city of Irkutsk, the role of patrons of the arts in the education of society, to consider the probability of using the accumulated positive experience in modern Russian society. The purpose of the study is to familiarise with the history of the private women’s school, which was opened and maintained on her own funds by N. V. Sukacheva. The method of comparative analysis based on the study of historical sources (the number of students in different time periods, their origin) allowed us to identify the attitude to education on the part of people of different estates. This paper highlights some of the charitable activities of the Sukachev family, traces the process of founding the school on the territory of the Sukachev estate, describes the material and technical support and equipment of the educational process. The article contains information about the social composition of the pupils, pays attention to the personalities of some representatives of the teaching staff, and concludes that the number of teachers working in the school of N. V. Sukacheva at that time exceeded the number of teachers in other nearby schools. The reasons for good academic performance and demand from the society are voiced. At the same time, the paper gives an explanation of the reasons for the loss of the educational institution and the desolation of the building.

Keywords: history of education, charity, public school, free school for girls, N. V. Sukacheva, Irkutsk