University of Kharkiv - History

History

Russian Empire

January 17 (January 29 according to the Gregorian calendar) 1805: the Decree on Opening of the Imperial University in Kharkiv came into force. It was the second university in the South of the Russian Empire. It was founded on the initiative of the local community with Vasyl Karazin at the fore, whose idea was supported by the nobility and the local authorities. Count Severin Pototski was appointed the first supervisor of the university, the first rector becoming the philologist Ivan Ryzhski. 1820—1850: for a certain period of time, the University of Kharkiv was autonomous with the rector being elected, however, in this period all its activity was strictly controlled (rectors were appointed by the Minister of Education), scientific publications and the academic process were censored. 1863: according to the new Statute, the university became partly autonomous. In the 19th — beginning of the 20th century, the University of Kharkiv had 4 schools: School of Physics and Mathematics, School of History and Philology, School of Medicine, School of Law. 1839: A veterinary school, which later (1851) became an independent institute, was established within the university, At this time, the university structure also included laboratories, clinics, an astronomical observatory, a botanical garden, and a library. In 1811, the Philotechnical Society was founded, the Mathematical Society of Kharkiv, the Historical and Philological Society of Kharkiv, the Naturalists Society, Societies of Physics, Chemistry, Law, etc. were established in the second half of the 19th century. The first periodicals in Slobozhanshchyna appear in the university around this time: «Kharkovski Ezhenedelnik» (1812), «Ukrainski Vestnik» (1816—1819), «Ukrainski Zhurnal» (1824—1825), etc. The university exerted great influence on school-life in Slobozhanshchyna in the first period of its existence (1805—1835). The university has been publishing “Scientific Notes” since 1874.

USSR

1917—1920: There was a struggle between advocates of Russian statehood and the Ukrainian course. Some of the professors who opposed new political realities left the university. Most of the Ukrainian professors remained in Kharkiv. They continued working in the institutions founded by the Soviet government: the Academy of Theoretical Knowledge (1920—1921), Kharkiv Institute of Public Education (KhIPE, 1921—1930), Kharkiv Institute of National Economy, Institute of Physics and Chemistry, and Institute of Law. Kharkiv State University, consisting of 7 schools: School of Physics and Mathematics, School of Chemistry, School of Biology, School of Geology and Geography, School of Literature and Linguistics (with Department of Philosophy), and School of Economy (with Department of Economic Geography) was restored on their basis in 1932—1933. In 1936, the KhDU was named after the late Russian writer Maxim Gorky (though the latter was not related to the university during his life). During the German-Soviet war the KhDU was evacuated to the city of Kizilord in Kazakhstan, where it merged with the Kiev University forming the United Ukrainian State University. In 1943—1944, the KhDU returned to Kharkiv (the first academic year after the liberation of the city started on November 1, 1943). 1951 800 university students suffered from persecution in 1951 after they refused to pass exams in Russian. Court trials were held behind closed doors. 1921: Kharkiv Medical Institute was founded based on the School of Medicine of the University of Kharkiv. 1936: the university was named after the late Russian writer Maxim Gorky. 1977: the following schools were operating within the University: School of Mechanics and Mathematics, School of Physics, School of Geology and Geography, School of Economy, School of History, School of Philology, School of Foreign Languages, School of General Sciences, School of Correspondence Learning, and Night School.

Independent Ukraine

October 11, 1999: President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma issued a decree, in which he, “taking into consideration considerable contribution that Kharkiv State University made to training qualified specialists and to development of science” granted the status of a national university and named it after its founder – Vasyl Nazarovych Karazin 2004: the University was given a twin building (former Govorov Academy), located opposite Svobody square.