Background
GRACHEVA, Yekaterina was born in 1866.
GRACHEVA, Yekaterina was born in 1866.
Devoted 40 years to the care of children with serious physical and psychological defects (among her pupils were even blind deaf-mutes). 1894 founded in Saint St. Petersburg one of the first Russian asylums for the mentally retarded and epileptics. Her success in training very backward pupils was so great that in 1898 the asylum founded the first Russian school for mentally deficient children.
1900 founded a Russian welfare organisation to help the mentally deficient. 1900 founded courses for training nurses to work with mentally deficient and epileptic children. In early 20th century sponsored and directed the establishment of mental asylums in Moscow, Vyatka, Kursk, et cetera
Visited France, Germany and Sweden to study experience with mentally deficient children. Campaigned for compulsory elementary educational of all retarded children and their training in a useful trade. Worked to improve conditions at special institutions for retarded children.
1918-1920 gave course of lectures in Petrograd to train staff for institutions for defective children. Wrote first Russian books on training and educational of retarded children.