This set of articles relies on reference and memorandum books from the period 1873–1917 to\r\nexplore the development of the system of public education in Astrakhan Governorate. This is the\r\nsecond piece in the set. The 20-year timeframe it covers (1874–1894) incorporates the post-reform\r\nand counter-reform periods.\r\nThe principal source used in this work is the Memorandum Books for Astrakhan Governorate.\r\nMethodologically, use was made of sets of historical (historical-systematic, historicalcomparative, historical-typological, historical-genetic, and historical-statistical) and general\r\n(synthetic analysis, content analysis, and systems analysis) research methods.\r\nBetween 1874 and 1894, the number of public educational institutions in Astrakhan\r\nGovernorate increased 8 times, which may be regarded as significant progress in the development\r\nof the system of education in the region. The number of students rose 6 times, which is a\r\nremarkable achievement too.\r\nThe 20-year period witnessed brisk progress in the development of female education in the\r\nregion, with the number of female students increasing 5.7 times. This must have been facilitated by\r\nthe region’s distinctive economic characteristics – it had well-developed fishing and livestock\r\nfarming industries, with many women engaged in processing work.