Born: Unknown, Ukraine
Died: 3 November 1112
Country most active: Ukraine
Also known as: Yanka or Ianka
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Anna Vsevolodovna of Kyiv was a princess of Kyivan Rus and is best known for introducing educational institutions for girls within Kyivan Rus.
Anna was the daughter of Vsevolod I of Kyiv and Anastasia. In 1074, she was engaged to the Byzantine prince Konstantios Doukas, but their marriage never occurred due to Konstantios choosing a monastic life in 1081 and passing away the same year.
In 1089, Anna led a diplomatic mission to Byzantium to select a new metropolitan for Rus. During her visit to Constantinople, she was inspired by the cultural and educational environment of Byzantium. Upon her return to Rus, she initiated an educational project for women.
Anna founded a women’s convent named Ianchinii and started the first school for girls in Rus. She personally crafted the curriculum, selected the teachers, and set educational standards, including subjects like needlework, rhetoric, and singing. Her innovative approach mirrored the Byzantine tradition of educating upper-class women.
In the following centuries, convent schools became prevalent in Kyivan Rus, often established and overseen by princesses, noblewomen, and abbesses. These institutions enabled numerous aristocratic and clerical women to achieve literacy and receive comprehensive education in Greek, Latin, philosophy, mathematics, and other subjects. This period also witnessed the rise of several nuns and abbesses who gained recognition as accomplished writers, leaving an enduring legacy in history.