Eighth Saint Petersburg Gymnasium 1903-1913

The Eighth Saint Petersburg Gymnasium, founded in 1874 and once headed by the poet I. F. Annensky, became the alma mater of the future writer. The gymnasium's curriculum was quite challenging. When Mikhail Zoshchenko entered it in August 1903 at the age of 9, with his 38 points, he ranked third from the bottom in academic performance. In most subjects, he barely managed to get a passing grade. This was partly due to poor health: he was often ill. From childhood, the future writer loved reading, was interested in history, and composed poems and short stories. The works of his mother served as an example for the boy — in his early writings, he imitated her publications in "Kopeyka." Despite his curiosity and broad outlook, Zoshchenko performed poorly at the gymnasium and often argued with teachers — once he was almost expelled. A petition letter submitted by his mother to influential officials helped him. In his final year, Zoshchenko experienced a real drama, which he later described in the novella "Before Sunrise": on May 2, 1913, he attempted to take his own life by poisoning himself with mercuric chloride right in the school building. The reason was failing the written exam in Russian language. The teachers (unfortunately, Annensky was no longer among them) gave the future classic a "two" (fail) due to "unsatisfactory spelling, style, and content" of his essay. "More out of rage than despair, I tried to end my life," Zoshchenko would write later. Ironically, he became who he was precisely because of his "spelling, style, and content," which went far beyond the traditional literary norm.

Sources:

https://www.culture.ru/persons/9974/mikhail-zoshenko

http://www.cityspb.ru/blog-746138/0/