What time was the foundation of the MGU. From the history of Moscow State University. History and architecture of the main buildings

13.08.2020

Moscow University is rightfully considered the oldest Russian university. It was founded in 1755. The establishment of a university in Moscow became possible thanks to the activities of the outstanding scientist-encyclopedist, the first Russian academician Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov. After getting acquainted with the presented I.I. Shuvalov and M.V. Lomonosov's project of a new educational institution, Elizaveta Petrovna signed a decree on the founding of Moscow University on January 25, 1755.

In accordance with § 22 of the "Project on the Establishment of Moscow University," training in all its faculties was to last three years. Admission to university students in accordance with § 23 was carried out based on the results of an exam, during which those who wanted to study at the university had to show that they were "capable of listening to professorial lectures."

The Apothecary House was chosen as the building for Moscow University, which was located next to Red Square at the Kuriatnye (now Voskresensky) Gate. It was built at the end of the 17th century. and resembled in its design the famous Sukharev tower. Empress Elizabeth signed the decree on the transfer of the Pharmaceutical House to the newly opened Moscow University on August 8, 1754.

Facade of the first building of the university (Town Hall building, later Public places on Red Square, near the Resurrection Gate.) 1816 Drawing by Osip Bove, who led the restoration of the center of Moscow after the fire of 1812.

In this house, rebuilt as an educational institution, on April 26, 1755, the official opening - "inauguration", as they said, of the gymnasium of the Imperial Moscow University, and with it the university itself, took place.

The establishment of Moscow University was represented in the decree of Empress Elizabeth as the fulfillment of the plan of her parent and Tsar Peter I, which linked the well-being of Russia with the dissemination of useful knowledge among its population. The university was conceived in accordance with such views as an educational center, which was supposed to prepare a sufficient number of "national worthy people" capable of teaching science in schools created "in noble Russian cities", "from which superstition, schisms and so on in the distant common people like from ignorance of heresy will be destroyed. " At the same time, the Decree expressed the hope that young people who were brought up and trained in a decent manner would become suitable for public service and for increasing the glory of their fatherland.

Obviously, the main role in the preparation of such persons was to be played by the law faculty of Moscow University. The Faculty of Philosophy was assigned an auxiliary function. Studying here for three years the general sciences (logic, metaphysics, moralizing, eloquence, general and Russian history, etc.), students were thus preparing themselves for the perception of "higher sciences" at the law or medical faculties.

University Astronomical Observatory in Presnya.

Classes at Moscow University began on June 1, 1755 with an introductory lecture in Russian by N. N. Popovsky, a student of M. V. Lomonosov. Its main topics were the role of philosophy in understanding the world and the need for teaching this science at Moscow University in Russian. In September-October 1755, the number of state-owned students was increased to thirty people. The first enrollment was completed at this point: Moscow University began to operate. However, at that time, neither the law nor the medical faculties had yet emerged as independent departments of the university.

The first professor, called to teach at the Faculty of Law, arrived in Moscow on September 28, 1756. It was Philip-Heinrich Dilthey (1723-1781) - Doctor of Law from Mainz. In the catalog of lectures in 1759, the sciences taught at the Faculty of Law were first listed, and their teacher was named - F.-G. Dilthey, then the name of the teacher of the Faculty of Medicine Kershtens (the only one at that time) was indicated and the lecture courses he read were indicated, then the teachers of the Faculty of Philosophy (among them N.N. Popovsky) and the sciences taught by them were named.

Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov pointed to the example of Western European universities, where the principle of estate was done away with; “At the university, the more respectable student who has learned more; and whose son he is, there is no need. " During the second half of the 18th century, out of 26 Russian professors who taught, only three were from the nobility. Raznochintsy also made up the majority of the students. The most capable students were sent to foreign universities to continue their education, strengthening contacts and ties with world science.

Under Catherine II, the university moved to a building on the opposite side of Mokhovaya Street, built between 1782 and 1793 according to the design of Matvey Kazakov. State appropriations only partially covered the needs of the university, especially since initially no tuition fees were charged from students, and later they began to exempt poor students from it. The university leadership had to find additional sources of income, not excluding even engaging in commercial activities.

View of the building of Moscow University. Modern copy from watercolors by an unknown artist. 1790s

Patrons of the arts (Demidovs, Stroganovs, E.R.Dashkova, etc.) rendered enormous material assistance to the University. They acquired and transferred to the university scientific instruments, collections, books, and established scholarships for students. The graduates did not forget about their alma mater. More than once, in a difficult time for the university, they raised funds by subscription. Traditionally, the professors bequeathed their personal collections to the university library. Among them are the richest collections of I.M. Snegireva, P. Ya. Petrova, T.N. Granovsky, S.M. Solovyova, F.I. Buslaeva, N.K. Hudzia, I.G. Petrovsky and others.

The public could be present at lectures by university professors and students' debates. In April 1756, a printing house and a bookstore were opened at Moscow University on Mokhovaya Street. This laid the foundation for domestic book publishing. At the same time, the university began publishing twice a week the country's first non-governmental newspaper “Moskovskie vedomosti”, and since January 1760, the first literary magazine in Moscow, “Useful Entertainment”. A year after the foundation of the university, the university library accepted its first readers. For over 100 years it served as the only public library in Moscow.

Miniature, watercolor: The main building of the University in the 1820s.

In the 19th century, the first scientific societies were formed at the university: Experts of nature, History and Russian antiquities, Lovers of Russian literature.

A group of students outside the building of Moscow University 1880.

The combination of the tasks of education, science and culture in the activities of Moscow University turned it, according to A.I. Herzen, the "focus of Russian education", one of the centers of world culture. During the stay of the Napoleonic soldiers in Moscow, the university buildings were almost completely burned down. The library, archive, museum, scientific equipment were lost. The restoration of the university became a matter for the entire Russian society. Scientific institutions, scientists, private individuals donated money, books, old manuscripts, natural science collections, and devices to the university.

Assembly hall of Moscow University. Photo of the late 19th century.

A new stage in the life of the university began after the fall of serfdom in 1861 and Russia's entry onto the path of capitalism. About 1,500 students studied at the four faculties of the university - history, philology, physics and mathematics, law and medicine, most of whom belonged to commoners. On the initiative and with the assistance of the university, in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, famous Moscow museums emerged: Polytechnic, Historical, Zoological, Anthropology, Fine Arts (now the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts); the Botanical Garden and the Zoological Garden (Moscow Zoo) were opened.

University of Moscow. 1911. K. Yuon. Watercolor on paper.

The rise of the revolutionary movement on the eve of the First World War also affected Moscow University. In 1911, in protest against the illegal dismissal of a number of professors and the violation of university autonomy, more than 130 professors and teachers defiantly left its walls. Among them are world-renowned scientists: K.A. Timiryazev, P.N. Lebedev, N. D. Zelinsky, N.A. Umov, S.A. Chaplygin, V.I. Vernadsky, V.I. Picheta and others. The government responded by expelling more than a thousand students from the university, arresting and expelling revolutionary-minded students from Moscow. The number of students also sharply decreased in connection with the First World War that began in 1914.

Moscow University professors who resigned in protest against the arbitrariness of the authorities.

After the 1917 revolution, significant changes took place in the fate of higher education. On the one hand, it was deeply democratized. Tuition fees were abolished, students were provided with state scholarships. Since 1919, the university was completely transferred to state funding. In order for people from working and peasant families to receive the amount of knowledge necessary for entering a university, a preparatory workers' faculty has been operating at the university since 1919. In the first post-revolutionary decade, teaching at the university was continued by world-renowned scientists: D.N. Anuchin, N.E. Zhukovsky, N. D. Zelinsky, A.N. Severtsov, K.A. Timiryazev, S.A. Chaplygin.

The old building of Moscow University on Mokhovaya. The beginning of the XX century.

At the same time, some of the students and prominent scientists who did not accept the new political order were forced to leave Moscow University. The reorganizations of the 1920s and 1930s, in pursuit of an increase in the number of specialists, also caused some damage. Medical, Soviet law and (temporarily) faculties were withdrawn from the university, and independent universities were created on their basis.

"New" building of Moscow University, 1912.

Geological, mineralogical and geographical departments at natural faculties were transformed into the same universities. On the basis of the humanities faculties, the Moscow Institute of Philosophy, Literature and History was opened in 1931, which merged again with Moscow State University only ten years later. By 1941, about 5 thousand students were enrolled in the full-time department alone. Over 30 professors and researchers have become full members of the USSR Academy of Sciences. University scientists have developed textbooks for higher and secondary schools.

Since October 1941, the university was in evacuation, first in Ashgabat, and since the summer of 1942 in Sverdlovsk. The university returned to Moscow only in the spring of 1943, although classes with the students who remained in the capital resumed in February 1942 after the defeat of the Nazi hordes near Moscow. About 3 thousand students, graduate students, professors, teachers and employees of Moscow State University did not return from the war. In their honor, a memorial sign was unveiled in 1975 near the 1st educational building, and the Eternal Flame of Glory was lit.

1947 year.

In 1948, the employees of the department of the Central Committee of the party, which oversaw science, received an assignment from the Kremlin: to work out the question of building a new building for Moscow State University. They prepared a memorandum together with the Rector of the University - Academician A.N. Nesmeyanov, proposing to build a skyscraper for the "temple of Soviet science". From the Central Committee, the papers migrated to the Moscow authorities. Soon Nesmeyanov and a representative of the "scientific" department of the Central Committee were invited to the city party committee: “Your idea is unrealistic. Too many elevators are needed for a high-rise. Therefore, the building should be no higher than 4 floors. "

A few days later, Stalin held a special meeting on the "university issue", and the Generalissimo announced his decision: to erect a building for Moscow State University no less than 20 stories high on the top of the Lenin Hills so that it could be seen from afar. “… And to provide each student with a separate room in the hostel! - added the great leader and asked Nesmeyanov: - How many students do you expect? Six thousand? So there must be six thousand rooms! " Then Molotov intervened in the conversation: “Comrade Stalin, students are, after all, a friendly people. It will be boring for them to live alone. Let them settle down at least two by two! " - "Ok, we leave three thousand rooms!"

1951-1952

The project of the new building of the university was prepared by the famous Soviet architect Boris Iofan, who invented the skyscraper of the Palace of Soviets. However, several days before the approval "at the top" of all the architect's drawings were removed from this work. The creation of the most grandiose of the Stalinist skyscrapers was entrusted to a group of architects headed by L.V. Rudnev. New faculties have appeared as part of Moscow State University: the Institute of Oriental Languages \u200b\u200b(since 1972 - the Institute of Asian and African Countries at Moscow State University), the Faculty of Psychology, the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics, the country's first faculty of soil science. The total number of full-time students increased from 13,000 in 1953 to 31,000 in 2001.

Moscow University has become a major international center for the training of undergraduate and graduate students. To teach foreign citizens the Russian language in 1959, one of the first preparatory faculties of such a profile in our country was formed at the university (now the Center for International Education).

In total, from 1917 to the present, Moscow University has graduated about 180 thousand specialists and about 35 thousand candidates of science for the national economy, culture and education. Currently, Moscow University includes 29 faculties, as well as 9 research institutes. More than 300 departments are represented at the faculties of the University. More than 31 thousand students and about 7 thousand graduate students study at Moscow State University. The number of professors and teachers is 4 thousand people. In addition, the university employs about 5 thousand researchers.

Highlights

Throughout its 260-year history, the university remains the most prestigious in the country. Within its walls, I.S. Turgenev, A.P. Chekhov, N.I. Pirogov, Maximilian Voloshin, B.L. Pasternak, V.V. Pozner, A.S. Politkovskaya, E.V. Kaspersky, M.S. Gorbachev, Boris Akunin and many other outstanding personalities. Of the 18 Soviet and Russian Nobel laureates, 11 were students or faculty members of Moscow State University. 12% of all discoveries registered in the Soviet Union belong to its former students.

Today, about 300 academicians and corresponding members of the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation teach at the university. 39 faculties, about 40 thousand students, six branches, including in other countries, research institutes - the scale, scope and enormous internal potential of this alma mater are really impressive! The university campus is considered the largest in the world. Currently, Moscow State University continues to actively develop, new buildings are being built, the science park attracts talented young scientists and entrepreneurs to create high-tech projects.

Founders

The honor of creating the Imperial Moscow University belongs to the outstanding Russian natural scientist Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna and statesman and philanthropist Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov. In correspondence with the latter, Lomonosov provided a detailed plan of the structure of the university.

Adjutant General Shuvalov was the favorite of the Empress and had a huge influence on her. It was at his request that a decree was signed on the creation of the university, of which he became the curator. He was in charge of economic issues, the budget, and the choice of professors and students, the gymnasium. Shuvalov managed to achieve the independence of the educational institution from the local authorities. Ivan Ivanovich has replenished the library of the university with his own books. She remained the only one available to the public for a hundred years.

Shuvalov invited foreign professors, and sent talented students abroad. Many of them, after returning, became teachers at the alma mater (Zybelin, Veniaminov, Tretyakov and others). Even when he retired, he continued to be interested in the affairs of the university: he fought for Mikhail Kheraskov, returning him to the position of curator; supported N.I. Novikov, who was in disgrace for his sharp satirical works.

From the history of the university

The solemn ceremony of opening the Imperial Moscow University took place on January 12 (25), 1755, on the day of the Holy Great Martyr Tatiana. For more than a hundred years, it was a celebration of the foundation of the university, and then it became Student's Day. In the morning, a divine service was held in the Cathedral of the Kazan Mother of God, then the teachers spoke within the walls of the educational institution. Dinner was given, and in the evening - festive illumination. The event was widely covered by the domestic and foreign press.

The university was located in the building of the Pharmacy House (Red Square) of the former Zemsky Prikaz. The first enrollment consisted of only 16 students. These were mainly graduates of the Moscow Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. Anyone could attend lectures and debates.

Initially, education was free, and later, only the most talented were not taken money for their studies. It was obligatory to obtain basic knowledge of history, poetry, criticism, physics, oratorio at the Faculty of Philosophy. Then the students, according to their natural talents, either continued their studies, or moved on to medical or law faculties. Government allocations were insufficient. E. Dashkova, Demidovs, Stroganovs and many other patrons of art helped the university in every possible way: they established scholarships for talented students, bequeathed their book collections.

The nobles preferred military service. At the end of the 18th century, out of 24 university professors, only three were of noble origin, the rest were children of minor officials, clergy, and merchants. In the gymnasium at the university, mostly raznochintsy also studied. Among the teachers of the institution were Lomonosov's students from the University in St. Petersburg - Barsov, Yaremsky, Popovsky. The second gymnasium was founded later. In 1756, the printing house of the university began its work. Translations of works by Shakespeare, Diderot, Voltaire and many others were printed here. Moskovskie Vedomosti, an independent newspaper, was published twice a week. A bookstore also started working here. In 1757, a student choir was created, then a theater. A year later, the performances were already gathering Moscow residents.

In 1804 the Charter was changed. The innovations affected the management, the position of the trustee was introduced. The rector's candidacy was approved by the emperor.

At the turn of the century, the formation of scientific communities began. Moscow State University not only blended well with the social life of the city, but also gathered talented and outstanding people around it. A few years later, the graduates - young educated people - formed the backbone that set the character of Moscow life.

History and architecture of the main buildings

At the end of the 18th century, Catherine II bought a building on Mokhovaya Street and allocated funds for the construction of 7 buildings and a temple. The main building of Moscow University (as the old building was called) was under construction for 7 years under the leadership of M.F. Kazakov. However, as a result of the Moscow fire of 1812, all buildings were destroyed, priceless archives burned down. The restoration was led by D. Gilardi. It has retained the general features of the old building, a semicircular assembly hall and a dome. He added bas-reliefs and stucco decorations characteristic of the Moscow Empire style to the design of the facades.

In 1836, E. Tyurin built a university church on the site of the former wing of the Pashkovs. The interior is decorated with sculptures of angels, paintings by Langelotti and Claudi. In this church N.V. Gogol, A.A. Fet, university professors. After the October Revolution, a student club was located in the temple, and then the Student Theater.

Today on Mokhovaya there are 3 faculties, a publishing house, an archive of the Museum of History of Moscow State University, a church, a library and a House of Culture. The old building houses the Institute of Asia and Africa. Nowadays, the university runs about seven hundred separate buildings. The modern Main Building of Moscow State University deserves special attention. For 37 years, it remained the tallest structure (236 meters with a spire) in Europe, for 50 years - in Russia. The clock on the tower of the building remains the largest in the country, as does the thermometer and barometer. About 500 enterprises were involved in the grandiose construction, which was supervised by the USSR People's Commissar of Internal Affairs Lavrenty Beria himself.

The chief architect of Moscow State University was B.M. Iofan (created the project of the Government House on the embankment). It was he who conceived the general structure of the building - a high central part and four lower ones on the sides. The overall design strictly obeys the golden ratio. The architect insisted on erecting a building near the edge. Due to disagreements B.M. Iofan was suspended. The new leader was L.V. Rudnev. The university building was moved to 800 m.

Many advanced technologies were first used in the construction of the Moscow State University building. At the same time, auxiliary buildings were erected, an area for Michurinsky alleys was cleared, and covered with a layer of black soil. A fruit and berry nursery was planted - the foundation of the Botanical Garden was laid. The sculptural workshop of V.I. Mukhina. The spire, ears and star were covered with yellow glass plates, imitating gilding. Ural gems, crystal, precious woods, marble were used in the interior decoration.

The main building of the university is shrouded in many secrets and student legends. There is a widespread myth that Moscow State University goes hundreds of meters underground. Probably, it has a real historical basis, because B.M. Iofan suggested going deep to the mainland slab. But, naturally, this would entail huge costs, and the deadlines were tight.

Under the main building of Moscow State University there are indeed huge basements of several floors. There were bomb shelters, an inviolable food supply, an exit to an artesian well. According to calculations, the first floors may well withstand a nuclear strike similar to that on Japanese Hiroshima.

The myth that the Main Building was built by prisoners finds both supporters and opponents. Allegedly, on the upper floors, points were even set up for their placement in order to reduce the cost of transportation and settlement. A common story was that someone managed to escape. Opponents of the version argue that such a strategically important construction could hardly be entrusted to the prisoners. There are claims that the labor of German prisoners of war was used.

Various rumors circulate around the sculpture of I.V. Stalin. Student fantasies placed it both in the center of the cryogenic installation and instead of the spire on the tower. It sounds plausible that the figure of the leader made after Stalin's death on March 5, 1953 was simply not installed. There is also talk about the existing plans to rename the university in honor of the "leader of the peoples", as if the letters had even been prepared for this. This myth remains unconfirmed.

In the archives of the Moscow State University there are sketch designs with various ideas for decorating the tower of the building. The options were very different: the figure of Lenin, and Lomonosov, and Stalin, and just a round dome. As a result, the spire is topped with a five-pointed star, like the rest of the Stalinist skyscrapers (except for the Foreign Ministry building).

There is also talk of a secret metro line that runs from the Kremlin to Vnukovo. Pictures of the schemes often appeared in the newspapers. A map of branched tunnels and highways is located in one of the basements.

There is a legend about four jasper columns from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which supposedly adorn the rector's reception room.

And one more thing: in honor of the 250th anniversary of Moscow State University, the university satellite "Tatiana" was launched to explore outer space. This fact, as you understand, is real and does not need additional confirmation.

Video: Horrors of the dormitory of the Main Building of Moscow State University

Moscow University today

Moscow State University continues to build: the territory occupied by the university on Vorobyovy Gory (146 hectares) will be doubled. They plan to create a scientific valley here. Today, in the laboratories of the alma mater, research is carried out in all branches of science. Student life is in full swing here: about 40 sports sections, a theater and dance studio, KVN. On the territory there are modern sports complexes, swimming pools, four museums with unique exhibits.

Many young people who seriously think about their future dream of studying at the largest and most prestigious university in Russia. The education received within these walls is an excellent foundation for a career. International exchange programs, internships, grants for gifted students open up great opportunities. The cost of a year of study, today, is about 325 thousand rubles. The most popular in recent years is the Faculty of Public Administration.

On average, the usual competition at Moscow State University is six people per seat. It is clear that there are fewer applicants for less popular destinations. But it is not enough to enter here - you also need to diligently gnaw the granite of science in order to resist.

Is it realistic to study at Moscow State University for free? Yes, but only talented and highly efficient. There is a boarding school at the university, where about 300 gifted children of the country receive knowledge.

Future applicants can try their hand at various Olympiads - international and held directly at Moscow State University, as well as project championships and Universiades (information about them is available on the university website). And since the university is interested only in the best of the best, the prize-winners and winners of these competitions are enrolled out of competition.

Conditions for admission, rules for submitting documents, information on passing scores is regularly updated on the website www.msu.ru.

How to get there

You can get to the main building of Moscow State University by metro to the Universitet station, then change to a bus (Dom Kultury stop).

Photo: Moscow State University

Photo and description

Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) is the leading and largest university in Moscow, the center of national science and culture, one of the oldest universities in Russia.

Moscow University was founded in 1755. Initially, the university was located in the building of the Main Pharmacy on Red Square. In 1786-1793, at the corner of Bolshaya Nikitskaya and Mokhovaya streets, a special building was built for the university. This imposing U-shaped building was damaged in a fire in 1812 and was rebuilt in the Russian Empire style. In 1833-1836, on the opposite corner of Bolshaya Nikitskaya and Mokhovaya streets, the so-called new university building with the university church of St. Tatiana was erected.

Many famous personalities studied at Moscow University: Decembrists A. and N. Muravyov, S. Trubetskoy, P. Kakhovsky, writers D. Fonvizin, V. Zhukovsky, A. Griboyedov, M. Lermontov, V. Belinsky, A. Herzen, F. Tyutchev, A. Chekhov, theatrical figures V. Nemirovich-Danchenko and E. Vakhtangov.

In the 1950s, a new high-rise building of Moscow University was built on the Sparrow (Lenin) Hills according to the project of the architect L. Rudnev. In the 1950-1970s, a whole university complex was built nearby, where almost all the faculties of Moscow State University were located, and only four of them remained in the buildings on Mokhovaya.

Today, Moscow State University is the largest classical university in the Russian Federation. More than 40 thousand students and postgraduates study in it, preparatory classes are conducted for more than 10 thousand schoolchildren.

Education and formation of Moscow University

A.S. Pushkin justly wrote about the titan of Russian and world science of the 18th century: “Combining an extraordinary power of will with an extraordinary power of concept, Lomonosov embraced all branches of education. The thirst for science was the strongest passion of this passion-filled soul. Historian, rhetorician, mechanic, chemist, mineralogist, artist and poet, he experienced everything and penetrated everything ... ”In the activities of M.V. Lomonosov, all the power, beauty and vitality of Russian science, which has reached the forefront of world scientific knowledge, and the country's successes, which, after the reforms of Peter I, were able to significantly reduce the gap with the leading powers of the world and become one of them, were reflected. M.V. Lomonosov attached great importance to the creation of a higher education system in Russia. Back in 1724, at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, founded by Peter I, a university and a gymnasium were established to train scientific personnel in Russia. But the academic gymnasium and the university did not cope with this task. Therefore M.V. Lomonosov has repeatedly raised the question of opening a university in Moscow. His proposals, formulated in a letter to I.I. Shuvalov, formed the basis of the project of Moscow University. I.I. Shuvalov, the favorite of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, patronized the development of Russian science and culture, helped many of M.V. Lomonosov.

After getting acquainted with the presented I.I. Shuvalov's project of a new educational institution, Elizaveta Petrovna signed on January 12 (25 in a new style) January 1755 (on St. Tatiana's Day according to the Orthodox Church calendar) a decree on the founding of Moscow University. The opening ceremony of classes at the university took place on the day of the celebration of the anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth Petrovna on April 26 (May 7) 1755. Since then, these days are traditionally celebrated at the university with student celebrations, the annual scientific conference "Lomonosov Readings" and the days of students' scientific creativity are timed to coincide with them.

In accordance with M.V. Lomonosov, 3 faculties were formed at Moscow University: philosophy, law and medicine. All students began their studies at the Faculty of Philosophy, where they received fundamental training in the natural sciences and the humanities. Education could be continued, specializing in law, medicine, or at the same philosophy faculty. Unlike universities in Europe, Moscow University did not have a theological faculty, which is explained by the presence in Russia of a special education system for training ministers of the Orthodox Church. The professors gave lectures not only in the then generally recognized language of science - Latin, but also in Russian.

Moscow University stood out for its democratic composition of students and professors. This largely determined the wide dissemination of advanced scientific and social ideas among students and teachers. Already in the preamble of the decree on the establishment of a university in Moscow, it was noted that it was created "for the general education of commoners." People from various classes could enter the university, with the exception of serfs. M.V. Lomonosov pointed to the example of Western European universities, where the principle of estate was done away with: “At the university, that student is more respectable who has learned more; and whose son he is, there is no need for that. During the second half of the 18th century, out of 26 Russian professors who taught, only three were from the nobility. Raznochintsy also made up the majority of students in the 18th century. The most capable students were sent to foreign universities to continue their education, strengthening contacts and ties with world science.

State appropriations only partially covered the needs of the university, especially since initially no tuition fees were charged from students, and later they began to exempt poor students from it. The university leadership had to find additional sources of income, not excluding even engaging in commercial activities. The philanthropists (Demidovs, Stroganovs, E.R.Dashkova, etc.) rendered enormous material assistance. They acquired and transferred to the university scientific instruments, collections, books, and established scholarships for students. The graduates did not forget about their alma mater. More than once, in a difficult time for the university, they raised funds by subscription. Traditionally, the professors bequeathed their personal collections to the university library. Among them are the richest collections of I.M. Snegireva, P. Ya. Petrova, T.N. Granovsky, S.M. Solovyova, F.I. Buslaeva, N.K. Hudzia, I.G. Petrovsky and others.

Moscow University played an outstanding role in the dissemination and popularization of scientific knowledge. The public could be present at lectures by university professors and students' debates. In April 1756, a printing house and a bookstore were opened at Moscow University on Mokhovaya Street. This laid the foundation for domestic book publishing. At the same time, the university began publishing twice a week the country's first non-governmental newspaper “Moskovskie vedomosti”, and since January 1760, the first literary magazine in Moscow, “Useful Entertainment”. For ten years, from 1779 to 1789, the printing house was headed by a student of the university gymnasium, an outstanding Russian educator N.I. Novikov.

A year after the foundation of the university, the university library accepted the first readers. For over 100 years it served as the only public library in Moscow.

The educational activities of Moscow University contributed to the creation on its basis or with the participation of its professors of such large centers of national culture as the Kazan Gymnasium (since 1804 - Kazan University), the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg (until 1764 - under the jurisdiction of Moscow University), the Maly Theater and dr.

In the 19th century, the first scientific societies were formed at the university: Experts of nature, History and Russian antiquities, Lovers of Russian literature.

In the 18th century, remarkable figures of Russian science and culture studied and worked within the walls of Moscow University: philosophers N.N. Popovsky, D.S. Anichkov; mathematics and mechanics V.K. Arshenevsky, M.I. Pankevich; medic S.G. Zybelin; botanist P.D. Veniaminov; physicist P.I. Fears; soil scientists M.I. Afonin, N.E. Cherepanov; historian and geographer H.A. Chebotarev; historian N.N. Bantysh-Kamensky; philologists and translators A.A. Barsov, S. Khalfin, E.I. Kostrov; lawyers S.E. Desnitsky, I.A. Tretyakov; publishers and writers D.I. Fonvizin, M.M. Kheraskov, N.I. Novikov; architects V.I. Bazhenov and I.E. Starov.

Moscow University is rightfully considered the oldest Russian university. It was founded in 1755. The establishment of a university in Moscow became possible thanks to the activities of an outstanding scientist-encyclopedist, the first Russian academician - Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov (1711-1765). In 1940, during the celebration of the 185th anniversary, the university was named after M.V. Lomonosov.

Back in 1724 at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, founded by Peter I, a university and a gymnasium were established to train scientific personnel in Russia. But the academic gymnasium and the university did not cope with this task. Therefore M.V. Lomonosov has repeatedly raised the question of opening a university in Moscow. His proposals, formulated in a letter to I.I. Shuvalov, formed the basis of the project of Moscow University. Shuvalov, the favorite of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, patronized the development of Russian science and culture, helped many of M.V. Lomonosov.

After getting acquainted with the presented I.I. Shuvalov and M.V. Lomonosov's project of a new educational institution, Elizaveta Petrovna signed a decree on the founding of Moscow University on January 25, 1755. The opening ceremony of classes at the university took place on the day of the celebration of the anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth Petrovna on May 7, 1755. Since then, these days are traditionally celebrated at the university with student celebrations, the annual scientific conference "Lomonosov Readings" and the days of scientific creativity of students are timed to coincide with them.

In accordance with M.V. Lomonosov, 3 faculties were formed at Moscow University: philosophy, law and medicine. All students began their studies at the Faculty of Philosophy, where they received fundamental training in the natural and human sciences. Education could be continued, specializing in law, medicine, or at the same philosophy faculty. Unlike European universities, Moscow did not have a theological faculty, which is explained by the presence in Russia of a special education system for training ministers of the Orthodox Church. The professors gave lectures not only in the then generally recognized language of science - Latin, but also in Russian.

In the 18th century, remarkable figures of Russian science and culture studied and worked within the walls of Moscow University: philosophers N.N. Popovsky, D.S. Anichkov; mathematics and mechanics V.K. Arshenevsky, M.I. Pankevich; medic S.G. Zybelin; botanist P.D. Veniaminov; physicist P.I. Fears; soil scientists M.I. Afonin, N.E. Cherepanov; historian and geographer H.A. Chebotarev; historian N.N. Bantysh-Kamensky; philologists and translators A.A. Barsov, S. Khalfin, E.I. Kostrov: legal scholars S.E. Desnitsky, I.A. Tretyakov; publishers and writers D.I. Fonvizin, M.M. Kheraskov, N.I. Novikov; architects V.I. Bazhenov and I.E. Starov.

A year after the foundation of the university, the university library accepted the first readers. For over 100 years it served as the only public library in Moscow.

The educational activities of Moscow University contributed to the creation on its basis or with the participation of its professors of such major centers of national culture as the Kazan Gymnasium (since 1804 - Kazan University), the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg (until 1764 - under the jurisdiction of Moscow University), the Maly Theater.

In the 19th century, the first scientific societies were formed at the university: Experts of nature, History and Russian antiquities, Lovers of Russian literature.

Until 1804, the activities of the university were regulated by the "Imperially approved project on the Establishment of Moscow University." In 1804, the university charter was adopted. The university was granted considerable autonomy, the rector and deans of the faculties were elected from among the professors. The first elected rector was professor of history and literature Kh.A. Chebotarev. The Council of Professors decided all issues of university life, awarded academic titles. Books printed with the approval of the Council in the university printing house were exempted from general censorship.

Students studied in four faculties (departments): moral and political sciences, physical and mathematical sciences, medical sciences, verbal sciences. The training lasted 3 years. After the final exams, the best of those who graduated from the university were awarded the degree of candidate, the rest - the title of "real student". The continuity of the various levels of education increased. According to the charter of 1804, the university carried out general management of secondary and primary educational institutions of the central provinces of Russia.

The invasion of Russia by the Napoleonic army in 1812 caused an unprecedented patriotic enthusiasm among university students. Many joined the militia, and the work of university doctors was especially noted by M.I. Kutuzov. During the stay of Napoleonic soldiers in Moscow, the university buildings were almost completely burned down. The library, archive, museum, scientific equipment were lost. The restoration of the university became a matter for the entire Russian society. Scientific institutions, scientists, private individuals donated money, books, old manuscripts, natural science collections, and devices to the university.

Only for the university library by 1815 it was possible to collect 7.5 thousand books. Despite the difficult situation of the university, professors and students began their studies on September 1, 1813. By the 20s of the 19th century, the number of students exceeded 500 people.

In the first half of the 19th century, Moscow University occupied a leading place in the social life of Russia. Many members of the Decembrist organizations were his pets. The traditions of free-thinking were continued by the student circles of the brothers of Crete, N.P. Sungurova, V.G. Belinsky, A.I. Herzen and N.P. Ogareva, N.V. Stankevich. In the university classrooms, disputes between Westerners and Slavophiles about the ways of Russia's development were raging. Public courses of lectures and disputes of the head of the Westernizers, the brilliant scientist-historian T.N. Granovsky gathered all the Moscow intelligentsia of the 1840s.

A new stage in the life of the university began after the fall of serfdom in 1861 and Russia's entry onto the path of capitalism. The university charter of 1863 reflected the government's general course of reform to accelerate the country's development. The growth of industry, trade, agriculture, transformations in management, courts, and the army required an increase in the level and expansion of university education. According to the charter of 1863, the number of academic disciplines and the number of teachers increased. Much attention was paid to the organization of practical and laboratory classes, seminars. The election of the rector and deans, which was actually destroyed during the years of Nikolaev's reign, was restored. About 1,500 students studied at the four faculties of the university - history and philology, physics and mathematics, law and medicine, most of whom belonged to commoners.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, the professors of Moscow University did a lot to strengthen the connection between science and practice. University scholars wrote textbooks for schools. Many university students worked as teachers, representing the most qualified part of Russian teaching.

On the initiative and with the assistance of the university, in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, famous Moscow museums emerged: Polytechnic, Historical, Zoological, Anthropology, Fine Arts (now the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts); the Botanical Garden and the Zoological Garden (Moscow Zoo) were opened.

The Charter of 1863, which opened up new opportunities for the development of national education and science, existed only until 1884. After the assassination of Tsar Alexander II by the Narodnaya Volya in 1881, the government resumed its offensive against university autonomy and tightened control over teaching. Nevertheless, the university has retained itself as one of the centers of advanced scientific knowledge and spiritual life in Russia.

The names of prominent Russian thinkers of the late 19th - early 20th centuries are associated with the university: V.S. Solovyova, V.V. Rozanova, E.N. and S.N. Trubetskoy, S.N. Bulgakov, P.A. Florensky. Students and professors responded to the most pressing problems of Russian reality. Famous figures of the leading political parties of Russia studied or taught at the university.

Students of Moscow University were at the forefront of freedom fighters in the 1905-1907 revolution. At a meeting on September 9, 1905, the students adopted a resolution demanding the overthrow of the autocracy and the transformation of Russia into a democratic republic.

At the same time, some of the students and prominent scientists who did not accept the new political order were forced to leave Moscow University. Reorganizations of the 1920s and 1930s also caused some damage in pursuit of an increase in the number of specialists. Medical, Soviet law and (temporarily) faculties were withdrawn from the university, and independent universities were created on their basis.

Geological, mineralogical and geographical departments at natural faculties were transformed into the same universities. On the basis of the humanities faculties, the Moscow Institute of Philosophy, Literature and History was opened in 1931, which merged again with Moscow State University only ten years later. Excessive excesses were also made in the organization of the educational process: a "brigade-laboratory method" of teaching was introduced, canceling lectures, giving the study of the material on its own to student teams of 3-5 people, the individual exam was replaced by collective reports of the teams.

Fortunately, this period in the life of the university was short-lived. In 1932, the "brigade-laboratory" method was canceled. New curricula were introduced, the work regime in higher education changed. In 1934, the first candidate dissertations in the years of Soviet power were defended at the university.

The tragic events of public life of the 30-50s did not pass by the university. The ideological and administrative dictates of the authorities hindered creative freedom. Contacts with foreign scientific centers were limited. Many scientists were subjected to unreasonable repression, whole areas of research, especially in the social sciences, philology, cybernetics, and biology were curtailed.

Despite these heavy losses, university science as a whole achieved significant results in the 1920s and 1930s. By 1941, about 5 thousand students were enrolled in the full-time department alone. Over 30 professors and researchers have become full members of the USSR Academy of Sciences. University scientists have developed textbooks for higher and secondary schools.

The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 was a difficult test for our country. Already on June 25, 1941, the first group of students and employees of Moscow State University went to the front, mainly to replenish the command and political staff of the Red Army. Volunteers from Moscow State University completed the 8 (Krasnopresnenskaya) division of the people's militia. She fought heroically during the defense of Moscow.

During the war years, the university graduated more than 3 thousand specialists. Scientists of the Moscow State University have made a significant contribution to the defense of the country and the development of its economy with their scientific achievements. More than 3 thousand scientific developments were carried out at Moscow State University during the military four years. Among them are the improvement of aircraft construction and control of sea vessels, the substantiation of the theory of the accuracy of artillery shooting and shooting across areas, the provision of accurate time signals for the entire country, the invention of explosives.

In total, more than 5 thousand university students fought on the fronts of the war, over a thousand people were awarded orders and medals of the USSR and the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition during the war, and seven were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

About 3 thousand students, graduate students, professors, teachers and employees of Moscow State University did not return from the war. In their honor, a memorial sign was unveiled in 1975 near the 1st educational building, and the Eternal Flame of Glory was lit.

The post-war reconstruction and further development of the country was impossible without a new rise in university education. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the financial situation of Moscow University improved significantly. A huge complex of new university buildings is being erected on the Lenin Hills. On September 1, 1953, training sessions began in them. Laboratories and classrooms were equipped with the latest equipment for that time. The university budget has grown more than 5 times compared to the pre-war one.

Strengthening the material base, measures taken since the mid-50s to democratize political life in the country, expanding contacts with foreign states have significantly enriched the range of scientific research carried out at the university. Numerous specialized laboratories, including interfaculty laboratories, are being created, and a powerful Research Computing Center is organized. New faculties have appeared in the Moscow State University: the Institute of Oriental Languages \u200b\u200b(since 1972 - the Institute of Asian and African Countries at Moscow State University), the Faculty of Psychology, the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics, the country's first Faculty of Soil Science. The total number of full-time students increased from 13,000 in 1953 to 31,000 in 2001.

In total, from 1917 to the present, Moscow University has graduated about 180 thousand specialists and about 35 thousand candidates of science for the national economy, culture and education.

Many famous scientists worked at the university: mathematicians and mechanics M.V. Keldysh, A.N. Kolmogorov, N.N. Luzin, I. G. Petrovsky, I.I. Privalov; physicists V.K. Arkadiev, N.N. Bogolyubov, S.I. Vavilov, A.A. Vlasov, P.L. Kapitsa, I.V. Kurchatov, L. D. Landau, G.S. Landsberg, Ya.B. Zeldovich; chemists Ya.I. Gerasimov, V.A. Kargin, A.N. Nesmeyanov, N.N. Semenov; geographers N.N. Baransky, A.A. Borzov, V.N. Sukachev; geologists A.D. Arkhangelsky, N.V. Belov, A.A. Bogdanov; biologists and soil scientists A.N. Belozersky, D.G. Vilensky, L.A. Zenkevich; historians A.V. Artsikhovsky, B.D. Grekov, A.A. Huber; art critics V.N. Lazarev, A.A. Fedorov-Davydov; philologists D.D. Blagoy, S.M. Bondi, D.N. Ushakov; philosophers V.F. Asmus, V.P. Volgin, G.E. Glezerman; lawyers M.N. Gernet, P.E. Orlovsky, A.N. Trainin; psychologists A.N. Leontiev, A.R. Luria, S.L. Rubinstein; economists L.Ya. Berry, A. Ya. Boyarsky, V.S. Nemchinov.

In 1992, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Moscow University received the status of a Russian self-governing (autonomous) higher educational institution. In November 1998, the Charter of the Moscow State University was adopted. M.V. Lomonosov, according to which the rights of faculties and research institutes were significantly expanded. They are independent educational and scientific organizations that are part of the structure of Moscow State University.

Currently, Moscow University includes 29 faculties, as well as 9 research institutes. More than 300 departments are represented at the faculties of the University. More than 31 thousand students and about 7 thousand graduate students study at Moscow State University. The number of professors and teachers is 4 thousand people. In addition, the university employs about 5 thousand researchers.

Two and a half centuries of the history of the oldest Russian university testify to the enormous contribution of his students to the cause of serving the universal human ideals of freedom, humanism, goodness, beauty, and truth.