Fatixa Ğäyetevä

Fatykha Abdulvalieva Aitova (Russian: Фатиха Абдулвалиевна Аитова; Tatar: ; 1866–1942) was a Tatar philanthropist and educator, and the founder of the first women's gymnasium in Kazan.

Biography Aitova was born in Troitsk in 1866, the daughter of a wealthy merchant called Abdulvali Yaushev. The Yaushev family was known for their position in the Muslim Jadid reformist movement, and actively sponsored the opening of "new method" ("новометодных") Muslim schools.

In 1887 Aitova married Suleyman Mukhammetzyanovich Aitov, an entrepreneur, politician and public figure from the wealthy Aitov family in Kazan, on the condition he would help her with construction of a school.

In 1897 Aitova founded an elementary school for girls from poor families in Kazan, entirely from her own funds. The school taught girls needlework, embroidery and knitting, which allowed them to later earn their own income. The school was expanded in 1899, and was able to teach four classes at its peak, but closed after three years.

After the death of her father in 1906, Aitova received a large inheritance. She invested a large portion of these funds into the creation of a new women's school, which opened on 27 August 1909. It was intended for Tatar girls, teaching them according to a Russian curriculum. The school was mainly supported by Aitova's funds, and in 1910 Aitova secured funding from the school commission of the Kazan City Duma. A purpose-built two-story building was constructed for the school, and the uniform of a brown dress with a black and white apron and white shawl with a pink border was introduced for the students. In 1913–14, the school had five classes with about 220 students and nine teachers. The school taught religious studies, Tatar language and literature, arithmetic, geography, history, natural history, calligraphy, drawing, handicrafts and Russian.

After the October Revolution, the gymnasium and the rest of Aitova's property was nationalised by the Soviet government, leaving her penniless. Iskhak Rakhmatullin, the chairman of the Council of Ministers at the time, appealed to the government to provide a pension for Aitova, but the request was rejected.