Yellow Ticket of Knowledge

In Tsarist Russia, Jews could only live in certain places called the Pale of Settlement. Outside its borders, certain categories of Jews were allowed to settle, among whom were merchants of the 1st guild, artisans and prostitutes.

Jewish girls from the Pale of Settlement took advantage of this opportunity to receive higher education in St. Petersburg. Having received official permission to engage in prostitution – a “yellow ticket” – they then began completely different activities.

The fact of such a forgery was revealed in St. Petersburg in 1908, when a group of 20 virgins was discovered during a medical examination of prostitutes. All of them turned out to be Jewish, students of the psycho-neurological institute, headed by the famous professor Bekhterev. Since this educational institution did not have state status, persons of Jewish nationality could not study there unless they had the right to reside.

Prostitution gave such a right, and the girls took advantage of it. Fearing a loud scandal, the authorities were forced to allow the girls to continue their studies.