What leadership job did Mendeleev's father Ivan hold at Russian gymnasiums?

Mendeleev’s father, Ivan Pavlovich Mendeleev, was a school principal.

Ivan worked in Russian secondary education and served as a principal at gymnasiums in Tambov and Saratov. He also taught subjects including fine arts, politics and philosophy. A gymnasium was an academically oriented secondary school, so “school principal” accurately describes his leadership role; “director” is another common translation of the title.

Ivan’s career shaped the family’s educational setting, but it was cut short when he lost his sight, reportedly because of cataracts. He died in 1847, when Dmitri was still young. The resulting financial hardship placed much of the family’s future in the hands of Dmitri’s mother, Maria, who revived and managed her family’s glass factory.

The distractors describe unrelated occupations. Ivan was not a court physician, army officer or factory manager. The factory belonged to Maria’s family, and she took responsibility for it after Ivan’s illness. Dmitri later studied at the Main Pedagogical Institute in Saint Petersburg, his father’s alma mater.