On September 27, 1863, the first kindergarten in Russia opened its doors to children on Vasilievsky Island in St. Petersburg. The institution was founded by Sofia Lügebeil, the wife of a professor at St. Petersburg University and a follower of German educator Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel, who coined the term “kindergarten.” The second kindergarten in Russia was also established in St. Petersburg, later that same year, by A.S. Simonovich, editor of the magazine Kindergarten. These institutions were private and accessible only to wealthy families. They admitted children aged 3 to 8, who spent 3 to 4 hours there in the morning until lunchtime. The children did not eat or nap at the kindergarten; instead, they engaged in activities, games, and outdoor walks. Older children, aged 6 and above, were prepared for school, learning reading, arithmetic, writing, and foreign languages.