Born on February 19, 1823 in Tula, south of Moscow, to an impoverished noble family, the early instruction of this future pedagogue was managed by his mother, Lyubov Stepanovna Ushinsky, who very attentively concerned herself with the inquisitiveness of her child, supporting and developing his curious mind. He eventually accumulated so much knowledge under his mother’s schooling that he was accepted into the third class of a gymnasium which in our time would be equivalent to grade 5 or 6. After finishing gymnasium studies, the talented youth entered Moscow University where he revealed not only an enviable talent for quick perception and critical evaluation of knowledge but also a skill for sharing his knowledge with others.