Moscow State School #57 history dates back to a vocational school founded by Karl Masing the State Councilor in the 1880s. The reputation of the school has allowed it to become one of the most advanced secondary schools specializing in research and technology in Moscow.
The school has always had a reputation for high academic standards and for the last thirty-five years it has taken the leading position in Mathematics and Physics education in Russia. Within the last ten years 68 pupils from the school have become winners or have received special prizes at national olympiads in Mathematics, Physics and Information Technologies.
School graduates tend to continue their studies at world-renowned institutions including Moscow State University, Higher School of Economics and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. A high number of former pupils have become academics and do research at leading institutes in Russia and abroad. Several hundreds of former pupils have achieved PhDs in their later studies.
Over the past twenty years, school’s approach to education has been continually developed to ensure continuous high standards. In the late 1980s a Humanities department was created focusing on the study of literature and history. School’s teachers developed an original method for teaching humanitarian subjects. Currently the school teaches two foreign languages: English (including English and American Literature) and Latin.
School’s methodology is based on careful guidance, which encourages the pupils to conduct independent research, free discussion and work hard all the time. The net result is that the humanities grades are comparable to the renowned mathematical grades. Over 90% of the humanities stream pupils go on to study Philology, History, Law and Linguistics at MSU, various departments of RSUH (University of Humanities) and abroad.
Currently the school educates its students in three disciplines: Mathematics, Humanities and Science; but whatever the direction is, the teaching style is almost the same. It involves independent thinking, creativity, effort and mutual respect. 130 teachers work at the school, of which 23 are Soros Teachers. Almost half of the teaching staff work or have previously worked for research and development organizations. Seventeen teachers hold PhDs, with male teachers making up a third of the total teaching staff. Additionally the staff includes authors of over a dozen publications, including original teaching courses and teaching techniques. Over the last three years school teachers have published nine books and textbooks on various branches of academia (Mathematics, Literature, Philosophy, History, Biology, Geography, Latin).
Over a thousand new students apply to enter the school annually, with competition for a place extremely high. School #57 is renowned worldwide. It has been awarded grants from the American Mathematical Society and Physical Society and the French Mathematical Society. In 1994, School #57 was awarded its initial degree grant from the George Soros foundation. It should be noted that only ten educational institutions in the whole of Russia have achieved this funding.
There are many things about the school to be proud of—the friendly environment, well-known teachers and the impressive academic results of its pupils (proved by both state exams and various intellectual contests)—but there is one thing that is a matter of real pride for all who teach and study in the school. Each year on the 1st of September a large number of our former graduates come back to the school and fill a narrow lane in front of the school building. Younger ones come in big and small groups, holding hand-made placards claiming to be the 12th “A” or 14th “G” grades, usually occupying the high fence surrounding the school yard and turning it into an overcrowded grandstand; they try to come early to get the best places, to have a better view at their teachers and their excited descendants. This is what school is about: friendship, tradition, and achievements.