The article considers the Russian periodical press devoted to the reference publications on public education. In total, 12 publications were considered, which were published in the period 1862–1916. The source base of the study was a variety of reference literature on the periodical press of the period of the Russian Empire. In conclusion, the authors state that reference publications on public education had their own regional specifics. Of the twelve titles, eleven were published in the capitals (9 in St. Petersburg, 2 in Moscow) and only the latest edition is the “Byulleten' spravochnogo byuro…” in Samara. This geographical distribution was due to the fact that it was in the capitals that most of the pedagogical works were published or the most significant events were held. The reference publications were devoted to reviews of the latest literature for both teachers and students, the activities of Russian and foreign public schools, analysis of the organization of the educational process and much more. The publication history of all twelve reference publications did not differ in its duration. Only four of them were published for 5 or more years, four editions – 2 years, and the remaining four – less than 1 year (three of them ceased publication during the First World War). Copyright © 2023 by Cherkas Global University.