The article considers the specifics of the gymnasium and lyceum education. The emergence of first gymnasiums in this country about twenty years ago signified the relinquishing of the uniform schooling principle and the creation of a diversified education space. Building on an idea of several levels of learning material acquisition: the nonspecialized, the basic, the specialized, and the more profound, the author presents a concept of gymnasium education. Determined are stages in the development of gymnasiums. The future of the gymnasium is discussed in the connection with the necessity to implement the education variability principle and to turn secondary education institutions into an element of the continuous education system. Keywords: gymnasiums, lyceums, variability of education, social demand, specialized education, universal education, more profound classes, curricula.