Catherine issues the manifesto founding the Smolny Institute, the first state-funded higher education institution for women in Europe.
On 21 June 1763 (Old Style; 2 July Gregorian), Catherine II signed the manifesto establishing the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens in Saint Petersburg. This institution became the first state-financed institution of higher education for women anywhere in Europe, a milestone in the history of women's education.
Modeled partly on Enlightenment educational theories championed by figures such as Ivan Betskoy, who helped design its curriculum, the Smolny Institute educated daughters of the nobility in subjects ranging from languages and arts to sciences and household management, aiming to cultivate a new generation of cultured, capable women who could contribute to Russian society and raise educated children.
Though the school's approach was constrained by the era's expectations of aristocratic femininity, its very existence was revolutionary: it represented the first time a European government formally committed public resources to educating women beyond basic literacy or religious instruction. The Smolny Institute went on to operate for over 150 years, eventually adding a section for daughters of lesser nobility and merchants, and became a symbol of Catherine's Enlightenment-influenced reforms. Its legacy influenced subsequent women's education initiatives across the Russian Empire and beyond, cementing Catherine's reputation as a ruler engaged with progressive educational philosophy despite the autocratic nature of her rule.