General information

The First City Gymnasium is one of the oldest educational institutions in Ukraine. It was founded in 1880 as a boys' gymnasium. The former building of the gymnasium now houses the Cherkasy Music School. The pre-revolutionary period of the gymnasium's existence is well described in the book by a former graduate of the institution, Oleksandr Lebedenko, titled “THE FIRST MINISTRY,” Leningrad, 1963.

In 1994, our school regained the status of a gymnasium. With the enactment of the new Law of Ukraine "ON EDUCATION," the status of the gymnasium may change. According to the developed strategy for the institution's development, in 2027 the gymnasium will become an academic lyceum with gymnasium classes.

The gymnasium building is made of brick and is environmentally friendly. The gymnasium has a sports hall, a cafeteria, a medical center, a sufficient number of classrooms, two computer labs, Wi-Fi, and more.

In 2018, a language lab and a LEGO class were acquired and set up.

All gymnasium students study only in the first shift.

Since September 1, 2018, the FIRST classes, in accordance with the new Law "ON EDUCATION," have become general education classes, without in-depth study of subjects.

Since 1959, our students have been studying English from the first grade. From 1990 to 2018, a Saturday preparatory school operated for five- and six-year-olds who wanted to learn English. In 1994, the study of Spanish, French, or German as a second mandatory foreign language was introduced for students in grades 5-11. Since then, much progress has been made in teaching foreign languages. For example, in the 2018-2019 academic year, the average score of the external independent assessment (EIA) in English was 10.2 points. Throughout all the years of the EIA, gymnasium students have shown the highest success rate in English in the region. In the 2018-2019 academic year, the gymnasium ranked in the second hundred schools (164th place out of more than 9,000 schools in Ukraine) based on EIA results, and 24th in English. In the 2019-2020 academic year, it was ranked 111th and 23rd in English.

According to the ranking on the website osvita.ua, in the 2020-2021 academic year, our graduates were in the top hundred (90th position) based on EIA results, while in the 2019-2020 academic year, they were in 111th place. In English, they were in 14th place (previously 23rd).

In the senior classes, many subjects are taught in English (English and American literature, country studies of the UK and the USA, English grammar). Students also study elective courses in English: guide-translation, technical translation, applied economics, and civic education.

The First City Gymnasium has been a member of the UNESCO ASP network since 1996. Since 1989, it has been an active member of the international school partnership program.

Various delegations frequently visit the gymnasium. Most guests are from the USA or the UK, as well as from France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, China, Japan, and Israel. In the 2019-2020 academic year, two volunteers from China and Poland worked at the gymnasium.

The teaching staff of the First City Gymnasium consists of 62 teachers. This is an experienced team of competent and highly qualified specialists and staff. Among them are 4 honored teachers of Ukraine (Silenko V. A, Mokrushina T.G, Bereslavska V. I, Radyko I.A), 18 senior teachers, 33 methodologists, and 52 teachers of the highest category. 18 teachers have been awarded the badge "Excellence in Education of Ukraine." Three teachers from our gymnasium have been prizewinners in the annual all-Ukrainian competition "Teacher of the Year." As of January 1, 2023, 5 primary school teachers have completed certification.

As of September 1, 2022, we had 725 students and gymnasts aged 6 to 17, grouped into 23 classes. All of them receive an academic level of knowledge, which is why they often win various Olympiads and competitions.

Traditional events at the gymnasium include International Theatre Day, International Earth Day, International Day of Older Persons, Knowledge Day, the Last Bell celebration, and the School Queen Ball.

Great attention is paid to gymnasium self-government and the development of the gymnasts' personalities. The current president of the gymnasium is Yulia Khomenko.

The gymnasium's website was recognized as the best among the electronic pages of gymnasiums in Ukraine during the MODERN EDUCATION IN UKRAINE-2011 exhibition. In 2014, the site was awarded a special prize from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. In 2015, the Ministry of Education and Science again awarded the PMG site (2nd place). In 2019, the site took FIRST place in the webometric ranking among all educational institutions in Ukraine.

In 2012, the gymnasium became a laureate of the All-Ukrainian competition 100 BEST PRODUCTS OF UKRAINE in the nomination EDUCATIONAL SERVICES.

In 2014, the gymnasium was awarded a Gold Medal at the international exhibition MODERN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

In 2015, the newspaper GYMNASIST was recognized as the best children's newspaper in Ukraine for the content of its materials.

Since 2016, the gymnasium has participated in the regional project INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS OF CHERKASHCHYNA (until 2027).

In 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, the gymnasium was awarded a Gold Medal at the International Exhibition "Modern Educational Institutions."

In November 2020, the gymnasium solemnly celebrated its 140th anniversary. Due to the quarantine, the celebrations were postponed to another time.

On September 26, 2021, it will mark 25 years since the gymnasium obtained the status of a member of the UNESCO ASP network.

At the gymnasium, unique children's clubs operate in Ukraine, such as Interact, CDD, scout troops, a debate club, an aquarium club, its own TV studio, etc. (see the section "Children's Organizations")

Notable Figures of the Gymnasium (from 1880 to the present)

• Oleksiy Barannikov — Soviet philologist, Indologist, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, expert in 40 languages.
• Borys Krypnitskyi — Ukrainian scientist, historian, and educator. Professor at the Ukrainian Free University and the Theological-Pedagogical Academy in Munich, full member of the International Free Academy of Sciences in Paris, head of the historical section of the Ukrainian Free Academy of Sciences.
• Victor Zamyrailо — Ukrainian painter, graphic artist, and theatrical artist.
• Vasyl YaroTSKyi, professor of history, trade union activist, repressed.
• Mykhailo Opanasovych Drai-Khmara — Ukrainian poet, literary critic, translator. Father of Oksana Asher.
• Olexandr Korolevych (literary pseudonym - Les Homin) - writer of the Executed Renaissance era.
• Metropolitan Vasyl (Lypkovskyi V.K.), law teacher of the gymnasium since 1890, future Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
• Olexandr HervaSiyovych Lebedenko, writer of the Soviet era, author of the novel about the gymnasium THE FIRST MINISTRY (1934).
• Makhar Kushnir — Ukrainian political figure and journalist.
• Yevhen, Andriy, and Ivan Ivanovych Kasianenko — Ukrainian socio-political activists, aircraft designers (repressed).
• Volodymyr Khandohiy — diplomat, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• Olexandr Samarskyi, diplomat, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
• Volodymyr Kovalenko, Counselor for Consular Affairs at the Embassy of Ukraine in Great Britain.
• Borys Kremenetskyi, Major General, representative of Ukraine to the EU.
• Andriy Husak, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor at Cherkasy National University, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine.
• Volodymyr Tkachенко — World Champion, silver medalist of the 24th Olympic Games in Seoul (1988), European Champion, 35-time champion of the USSR in swimming.
• Andriy Khlyvnyuk, leader of the band BOOMBOKS.
• Slavik Mykhailyuk, famous basketball player, player for the Kansas Jayhawks, NCAA (since June 2014), silver medalist of the U-18 European Championship Division B (2014), player for NBA's "Detroit Pistons" since the summer of 2019.
• Oleksandr Skichko, Ukrainian television presenter, member of the Ukrainian Parliament (since 2019), head of the Cherkasy Regional State Administration from February 2021 to March 2022.
• Valeriya Ionan, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation, since October 2019.
• Daria Katiba, opera singer, Norway.
• Olexandr Zaporozhets, silver medalist of the International Chemistry Olympiad in Japan, 2021.
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  From the philosophy of the gymnasium

  Every gymnasium student is a unique individual who can learn through various methods and at a comfortable pace. The gymnasium provides comprehensive learning methods aimed at achieving high goals. The entire staff of the gymnasium should serve as worthy examples in fostering such traits as initiative, independence, respect, thoughtfulness, and tolerance.

  The mission of the gymnasium

• To create a polylingual gymnasium of international level through innovative activities and civic education; to teach, educate, and develop the graduate of the gymnasium—competent, competitive, who possesses foreign languages and is oriented towards a specific field of activity, capable of lifelong learning.

• Problem topic of the gymnasium:

  Through innovative activities and civic education to a polylingual gymnasium of international level

  The gymnasium has developed, scientifically substantiated, and implemented:

• the concept of the activities of the polylingual gymnasium;
• the model of the activities of the polylingual gymnasium;
• the educational activity program of the polylingual gymnasium;
• the program for the informatization of educational activities of the polylingual gymnasium;
• the program for scientific, methodological, and educational work "Dialogue of Cultures";
• the regulations on the activities of the center for polylingual and multicultural development of personality and international cooperation;
• the regulations on the rating assessment of student activities.
• The gymnasium is a member of educational organizations:
• Rhi Delta Kappa International;
• TESOL-Ukraine;
• IATEFL-Ukraine;
• The All-Ukrainian Movement "Teachers for Peace and Understanding".
• Scientific activities of the gymnasium.
• On May 13, 2010, the then-Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Dmytro Tabachnyk, signed order No. 406 "On conducting research and experimental work at the First City Gymnasium of Cherkasy City Council of Cherkasy Region," where the PMG was recognized as an EXPERIMENTAL INSTITUTION OF NATIONAL level. The experiment was completed in 2014.
• Research topic: "Organizational and pedagogical conditions for the innovative development of general education institutions"
• Duration of the research: 2010-2014.
• The project managers from the gymnasium are the gymnasium director.
• Before 2010, the gymnasium functioned as an experimental site.
• By a new order from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 25 dated January 17, 2015 "On conducting research and experimental work based on a network of schools," a new research topic was determined. The order states that from 2015 to 2020, research and experimental work will be conducted on the topic "Didactic support of the variable component of the content of foreign language teaching in primary and secondary school." Our gymnasium, Ivanivka Lyceum in Kyiv region, Novovolynsk Specialized School No. 1, NVC No. 176 in Kyiv, and NVC "School-Kindergarten 'Sofia'" in Lviv have been designated as bases.
• All schools received the status of experimental educational institutions of national level. Scientific and methodological support and assistance in project implementation will be provided by the Institute of Innovative Technologies and Content of Education and the Department of Education and Science of Cherkasy Regional State Administration and their structural subdivisions.
• From 2017 to 2020, the gymnasium participated in the regional project "Innovative Schools of Cherkasy Region" (see the special section of the website). Since 2021, the project has been extended for another 5 years.

• Study of third languages

  For 20 years, gymnasium students have had the opportunity to learn third foreign languages. The list of languages depends on the availability of specialists and the willingness of students to master a particular language.

  Since 2017, third foreign languages have been taught by language volunteers. The first was a Chinese national, Chang Peng, who worked at the PMG during the 2017-2018 academic year.

  As of 01/01/2023, two foreign volunteers from Poland and the USA are working at the gymnasium. They arrive at the educational institution either through personal invitations or with the assistance of public organizations. During the war, their activities have been temporarily suspended or conducted remotely.

  The gymnasium undertakes the responsibilities of housing volunteers, resolving migration issues, insuring their lives, etc.

  Material costs are borne by the Charitable Foundation "TO UKRAINE THROUGH EDUCATION".

  Children from other schools in the regional center study third languages for a symbolic fee.

  The curators of third language studies are the director of the gymnasium and the deputy director, Khvorostantseva Natalia Volodymyrivna.

  Polish language

  In the 2022-2023 academic year, this language is taught by a volunteer from Warsaw, Natalia Prushnyak. She works remotely from Warsaw.

  English language

  In the 2022-2023 academic year, this language is taught in grades 8-11 by a volunteer from the USA, Hensley Captain Lee, and starting in 2024, another American, Emmanuel Aroni.

  In order to start learning third languages, parents of gymnasium students need to submit an application to the director's office. The study of third languages is free of charge.

  Language centers of the gymnasium

  At the gymnasium (without leaving Cherkasy), there is an opportunity to take exams at CERTIFIED centers to obtain International language certificates in English, Spanish, German, and French. As of September 1, 2021, there are two certified centers (the activities are temporarily suspended during the war).

  Honorary Guests of the Gymnasium

• R. Rive, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Great Britain to Ukraine;
• S. Pyfer, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the USA to Ukraine;
• J. Nero, Attaché of the Embassy of France in Ukraine;
• N. Boden, a famous English writer;
• Vic Jacobson, President of the International Christian Charitable Foundation "Hope Now";
• Kishiro Amae, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine;
• Wu Zhenglun, Mayor of Wanzhou, China;
• Pierre Clément Dubuisson, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Belgium to Ukraine;
• Marie-France Barbey-Mathis, President of the partnership association "Ukraine - Two Luxembourgs" (Belgium);
• Volodymyr Khandogiy, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; K. Štindl, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ukraine;
• P. Kolo, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Belgium to Ukraine;
• T. Mykhailenko, Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper "ENGLISH";
• P. Orr, Director of a school from Great Britain;
• G. Stimson, Director of a school from Great Britain;
• S. Viluobi, Deputy Director of a school from Great Britain;
• R. Luz, a teacher from Fort Atkinson High School, USA; P. Serda, a teacher from Australia;
• Valeriy Redko, PhD, Associate Professor, Head of the Foreign Language Teaching Laboratory of the Institute of Pedagogy of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine;
• E. M. Franzel, a teacher from Denmark;
• V. Kovalenko, Consul of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of South Africa;
• Borys Kremenetsky, Representative of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in NATO;
• Alice Wako and Bill McGee, Santa Rosa, USA;
• Yevhen Fedenko, Head of the School Council at the Ukrainian Catholic Education Association, USA;
• Valentina Dzyabenko, All-Ukrainian Movement "Teachers for Peace and Mutual Understanding";
• Lee Turner, Ambassador of Great Britain to Ukraine (2009);
• Dirk Schubel, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the European Commission in Ukraine (September 2009);
• Valentina Dovzhenko, Head of the All-Ukrainian Fund of Hope and Good (September 2009);
• Heidi Zimmer, Mathematics Teacher at Santa Rosa High School, California, USA, 2010.
• Lila Roldan Vasquez de Muan, Ambassador of the Republic of Argentina, September 2010;
• Ma Zhiyou, President of the Chinese National Corporation for Foreign Economic Cooperation, March 2011.

• Effectiveness of the Gymnasium's Work

  Every year, gymnasium students become prize winners of the IV stage of all-Ukrainian Olympiads (in the 2014-2015 academic year — 5 prize winners) and the all-Ukrainian competition of scientific research works of students who are members of the Small Academy of Sciences (1 prize winner in 2015). Only from 2010 to 2015, the gymnasium produced 59 prize winners at the IV stage of all-Ukrainian subject Olympiads.

  Annually, up to 70 gymnasium students participate in all-Ukrainian scientific and practical conferences, seminars, and debates.

  Twice a year, the newspaper GIMNAZIST is published (see the special section of the website). On July 27, 2023, the newspaper was re-registered with the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting (Decision No. 609).

  On Saturdays, third foreign languages are studied.

  Throughout the years of existence, 13 Peace Corps volunteers have worked at the gymnasium.

  We have the largest number of gymnasium students in the region who receive international certificates in foreign language proficiency (see the special section of the website).

  During the years of the Ukrainian-American program "Future Leaders," 98 gymnasium students became national winners and received a scholarship to study for a year in high schools in the USA.

  Since 2015, the participation of gymnasium students in youth rotary exchange programs has been renewed. In 2023, three senior students are participating in this project.

  For many consecutive years, all graduates of the gymnasium enter higher education institutions in Ukraine and abroad.

  Many gymnasium students are laureates of international, all-Ukrainian, and regional creative competitions.

  The gymnasium participates in numerous international projects (see the website section). New projects (since 2013) include the RYLA project and the partnership of Interact Clubs.

  The gymnasium celebrates

• Mother Language Day;
• European Language Day;
• Francophonie Day;
• Spanish-speaking Countries Day;
• German Language Day;
• Festival "Dialogue of Cultures".
• In 2021, the International Calendar of the gymnasium was updated.

• Useful Information

  Bell Schedule for the Gymnasium (the bells at the gymnasium are melodies)

• 1st lesson – 8:30-9:15
• 2nd lesson – 9:25-10:10
• 3rd lesson – 10:30-11:15
• 4th lesson – 11:35-12:20
• 5th lesson – 12:30-13:15
• 6th lesson – 13:25-14:10
• 7th lesson – 14:20-15:05
• 8th lesson – 15:15-16:00