Valentina Avstrits

Valentina Avstrits (1884, Tula Governorate, Russuan Empire –1970, Polish People's Republic) – teacher of Russian language and literature.

Valentina Avstrits (born Preobrazhenskaya)  – teacher of Russian and literature in Riga city Russian Gymnasium (former Lomonosov), daughter of hereditary honourable citizen of Tula.

In June 1901 V. Avstrits finished the courses of  Tula Eparchy female school with the right to be a home teacher. In January 1904  by Agafangel, Bishop of  Riga and Mitau she was appointed teacher of drawing and senior mentor at Ilukste Female Holy School where she worked till 1910 and deserved praise. 1910 saw a dramatic move in her life-she left for. Juryev (Tartu) with a view to getting higher education. In 1915 she finished Higher Female Couses at the faculty of History and Philology, specialization-Slav-Russian department.

In 1916/1917 in Juryev (Tatru)  she taught in Private Female secondary school and  in the 1920ies was the only woman teacher of the Russian language and literature with higher education in Latvia.

The diploma of  Higher female Courses was equalled to the diploma of the University of Latvia.

During the II nd World War Avstrits together with her family moved to Poland but after the war returned to Riga and taught the Russian language and literature in Riga Pedagogical Institute.

She retired and went to Poland where died in 1970.

Рижская городская русская гимназия (бывшая Ломоносовская) 1919-1935. - Рига, 1999