Gymnasium 1 Paris

What Gymnasium 1 Paris does

Gymnasium 1 Paris (Гимназия № 1) is a private supplementary Russian-language education network serving bilingual and multilingual children aged 1-18 years. Founded around 2009 by Doctor of Psychology Yuliya Desyatnikova, the network operates five physical centers in London, Paris, Tel Aviv, Brussels, and Amsterdam, with additional partner-led programs in Madrid, Geneva, Budapest, and Limassol launched in 2018 under the Russian Gymnasium Worldwide initiative. The Paris headquarters is located at 108, rue de Vaugirard in the 6th arrondissement. The network reports approximately 200 teachers serving 800 students across 300 original courses, with the Paris center itself employing 18 staff.

The core product is a Saturday-only supplementary education program structured by age tier: Pre-alpha (1.5-2.5 years), Progymnasium (2-4 years), Primary School (4-6 years), and Middle/High School (7+ years). Subject modules include Russian language, mathematics, developmental learning (anatomy, astronomy, history, physics, chemistry), art, music, and drama, with supplementary offerings such as chess instruction via the Russian Chess Academy and museum-based masterclasses. The pedagogical approach, developed by linguist Zhanna Hermán, uses Russian as the medium for teaching diverse academic subjects rather than teaching Russian as a standalone subject, and is delivered by practicing scientists, published linguists, professional artists, and Conservatory-trained musicians rather than career teachers.

The business model is subscription-based monthly tuition combined with a consultation-led enrollment process requiring a family interview and Russian-language assessment for group placement. Published pricing ranges from €45 per session for Pre-alpha to €238-€315 per month for school-age programs during the September-to-July academic year. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, parent club meetings, founder media appearances on Russian-language radio, and student theater performances. The organization is founder-owned with no venture capital, institutional investors, or parent company disclosed, and no revenue figures are publicly reported.

Name

Gymnasium 1 Paris

Legal name

Гимназия № 1

Website

https://paris.gymnasium-one.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gymnasium 1 Paris is a private supplementary Russian-language education network serving bilingual children aged 1-18 across five international centers. Founded in 2009 by Yuliya Desyatnikova, it delivers Saturday-only programs in Russian language, mathematics, sciences, and arts, taught by practicing scientists and artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supplementary Bilingual Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDANAHAB

Homework Clubs & After-School Learning Centers

Education/Tutoring & Test Preparation/Small-Group Tutoring & Learning Centers

SECONDARYMPAGABAN

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Theater, Broadway & Performing Arts

Keywords

• Bilingual education services
• Supplementary Russian language
• Weekend education programs
• Language immersion courses
• Children's cultural programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - Progymnasium Program: Monthly tuition for children aged 2-4 years covering Russian language, developmental learning, music, and art classes. Classes run on Saturdays with 5 lessons of 30 minutes each.
2. Tuition Fees - Middle and High School Program: Monthly tuition for children 7 years and older, including Russian language, developmental learning, music/drama, art, and mathematics. Classes held Saturdays with 5 lessons of 45-60 minutes.
3. Tuition Fees - Pre-alpha Program: Per-session fees for children aged 1.5-2.5 years attending with parents. Classes include music, rhythm, drawing, sculpting, movement, singing, and storytelling.
4. Chess Classes: Chess instruction provided through partnership with Russian Chess Academy, conducted in three skill-level groups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gymnasium 1 Paris is part of a network of international centers providing supplementary education in Russian for bilingual children aged 1.5 to 18 years. Programs run exclusively on Saturdays across age-tiered tracks (Pre-alpha, Pro-gymnasium, Primary, Middle/High School) and cover Russian language, mathematics, sciences, art, music, and drama taught by practicing scientists, linguists, and professional artists. Supplementary offerings include chess instruction in partnership with the Russian Chess Academy and monthly museum masterclasses.

Product overview

Gymnasium No. 1 is a network of international supplementary education centers for Russian-speaking children, operating in London, Paris, Tel Aviv, Brussels, Amsterdam, and online. The company offers a unified educational platform with age-appropriate programs: Pre-alpha (1.5-2.5 years), Pro-gymnasium (2-4 years), Primary School (4-6 years), and Middle/High School (7+ years). Core subject modules include Russian Language, Mathematics, Developmental Learning, Art, Music, and Drama, with supplementary offerings such as Chess and Museum Sunday. All programs are conducted in Russian and designed for bilingual children aged 1 to 18 years, with classes held on Saturdays across 5 international centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-alpha Program (Пре-альфа) Early-childhood Saturday program for children aged 1.5 to 2.5 years attended with a parent, focused on primary socialization in Russian through music, rhythm, drawing, sculpting, movement, singing, and storytelling. 90-minute sessions priced at 45 euros per session.
• Pro-gymnasium Program (Прогимназия) Saturday program for children aged 2 to 4 years developing speech, fine motor skills, and vocabulary through play in Russian, including letters, reading, and writing preparation. Five 30-minute lessons per Saturday covering Russian language, developmental learning, music, and art, priced at 238-252 euros per month.
• Primary School Program (Младшая школа) Saturday program for children aged 4 to 6 years studying sciences and creative arts while learning to read, think, and analyze in Russian. Includes Russian language, developmental learning, music/drama, and art.
• Middle and High School Program (Средняя и старшая школа) Saturday program for children from age 7 focused on conducting research, working with sources, and analyzing texts in Russian, including academic subjects, theater productions, and critical thinking development. Five 45-60 minute lessons per Saturday covering Russian language, developmental learning, music/drama, art, and mathematics, priced at 315 euros per month.
• Chess Classes (Шахматы)

Quantifiable outcome

• Children develop functional Russian language skills for academic and social communication, including reading, writing, and public speaking.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Russian Chess Academy (Русская Шахматная Академия)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership to provide chess instruction at Gymnasium 1. Classes taught by FIDE Master Andrey Lazo, who plays in the French Team Championship. Three skill-level groups operate: beginner (9:00-9:30), continuing (9:30-10:30), and experienced players (10:30-11:30). First chess tournament held at the end of the 2019 academic year.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International House London: Long-established language school network serving international and diaspora learners in physical centers across major European cities. Comparable as a multi-city premium supplementary language education operator, though broader in languages offered.
• Goethe-Institut: Global network promoting German language and culture through physical centers in 90+ countries. Comparable as an internationally distributed supplementary language-and-culture education network with cultural programming integrated into language learning.
• Berlitz: Global private language-education company operating physical centers across multiple continents with proprietary teaching methodology. Comparable as a premium-brand supplementary language education operator with international physical footprint.
• Instituto Cervantes: Spain's official cultural institution operating centers worldwide for Spanish language teaching. Comparable as a state-backed language-education network using multi-location in-person delivery, cultural programming, and standardized curriculum.
• Alliance Française: Worldwide French language and culture network operating hundreds of physical centers. Useful benchmark for the city-by-city diaspora education model, with comparable community programming, cultural events, and recurring-tuition revenue model.

Direct peers

• Russian School of Mathematics: US-based network offering weekend and after-school math (and increasingly STEM) classes to diaspora children, taught by Russian-tradition educators. Highly comparable model: diaspora children, weekend delivery, premium faculty, proprietary curriculum, multi-city expansion.
• London Gates Education Group: London-based education group where Gymnasium 1 founder Yuliya Desyatnikova serves as Director; focuses on Russian-language education for international families, and effectively operates as a sister brand in the same Russian-heritage supplementary education space.

Emerging players

• Hellenic Heritage Schools Network: Greek-diaspora Saturday schools teaching Greek language and culture to second-generation children across Europe, North America, and Australia. Structurally the closest analog for the diaspora-ethnic weekend supplementary school model applied to a different heritage language.
• Alliance of Russian Saturday Schools: Umbrella network organizing and supporting Russian Saturday / weekend supplementary schools across North America and Europe. Comparable in the diaspora Russian-heritage supplementary education category, often operating at lower price points and broader scope.

Regional players

• Marymount International School London: Private K-12 international school in London with strong multilingual offerings. Comparable as a premium international education brand in the same London market that serves families considering Russian-language supplementary education alongside mainstream schooling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/russiangymnasiumparis
• Instagraminstagram.com/gymnasium1paris
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gymnasium-1-paris

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gymnasium 1 Paris