The new collection of the Presidential Library tells about St. Petersburg State University

The Presidential Library's new digital collection, St. Petersburg State University, that marks the 300 years of it's foundation. It is dedicated to the anniversary of the oldest and most prestigious higher education institution in Russia. The collection is based on a wide range of sources, including official documents, historical records, memoirs, monographs, and archival materials. It also includes periodicals and visual materials related to the history of St. Petersburg University and its connection to the Academy of Sciences.

The Academy of Sciences was founded on January 28, 1724, and was not only the first scientific institution in the Russian Empire but also the first center of higher education. This is why the official date for the founding of St. Petersburg University is now celebrated on February 8.

Through this collection, visitors can learn about the rich history and achievements of St. Petersburg State University, which has played a significant role in the development of science and education in Russia for over 300 years. The collection is based on a variety of sources, including official and statutory documents, historical records and memoirs from contemporaries, monographs and abstracts, archival materials, as well as publications from the university and visual materials.

The history of St. Petersburg University is closely linked to the establishment of the Academy of Sciences, which was founded on January 28, 1724 and approved by the emperor. The Academy was not just a scientific institution but also the first educational center in the Russian Empire, comprising a university and a gymnasium, which is why the official birthdate of the university is now considered to be February 8 (in accordance with the new calendar system).

In July 1747, Empress Elizabeth approved a new normative act of the educational institution – the "Regulations of the Academy of Sciences and Arts", which legitimized the status of professors and students, as well as documented the already existing important practices in the University's activities – holding public lectures, testing student works before the academic assembly. According to this document, the Academic University received a permanent staff consisting of six professors, and the position of rector was established. The first rector was G. F. Miller, who headed the Academic University from 1747 to 1750. M. V. Lomonosov showed himself especially vividly during his time as rector.  The year 1783 marked a significant period in the history of the university, not only because it saw the transformation of the institution into a teacher's seminary, but also because it saw the appointment of E.R. Dashkova as the director of the Academy of Sciences. In the same year, Catherine II donated a book collection of about 1,100 volumes by the Russian bibliophile P.F. Zhukov to the seminary holdings, which formed the foundation for the university's scientific library. To learn more about the development of the library, one can consult the archival records presented in the collection. ("The case of the extract of French works for the library of St. Petersburg University").

In 1804, the Teachers' Seminary was transformed into a Pedagogical Institute. The institute was headed not by an elected rector, but by an appointed director. Despite this, the director "enjoyed all the rights and privileges of a university" and continued the traditions of university education that had been established in the 1720s. On February 8, 1819, according to the project of S.S. Uvarov, approved by Alexander I, the Main Pedagogical Institute was renamed as the University. On October 31st, 1821, St. Petersburg University was awarded the title of Imperial by a decree. March 25th, 1838 marked the inauguration of the University in the newly reconstructed Twelve Colleges building, by order of Nicholas I.

After the establishment of Soviet power in August 1919, the educational institution transformed into the Petrograd State University. Two new universities were added to it, based on the Psychoneurological Institute and Higher Women's Courses. After the city was renamed Leningrad, the university also changed its name to Leningrad State University (LSU). During different periods of Soviet rule, it was named after A. S. Bubnov and A. A. Zhdanov.

The period of the Great Patriotic War holds a special place in the history of university. More than 2,500 students and faculty members fought on the front lines. Despite the difficult conditions during the siege of Leningrad, university not only continued training, but also redirected its research efforts to support the war effort. At the end of February 1942, most of the campus was evacuated to Saratov and Yelabuga. One can learn more about the life of theuniversity during these years through the collection of documents titled University in Besieged and Blockaded Leningrad, which is available in Library’s Collections.

The electronic collection of the Presidential Library St. Petersburg State University includes the following sections: Basic and Official Documents, History of the University, The Structure of the University (which includes documents on the university library and university societies), University Activities, University Corporation, and Personalities (including university rectors and prominent alumni). It also includes a section Periodicals and a collection of Visual Materials.

The collection is based on archival files from the 733 Department of Public Education Foundation, which are stored in the Russian State Historical Archive. Additionally, materials from the Russian State Library, the Library of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, the Gorky Scientific Library at St. Petersburg University, the Russian Geographical Society, and the State Archives of the Russian Federation were used to create the collection. Other sources include the Mayakovsky Central City Public Library in Ural Federal University and private collections, as well as materials from internet resources.

The cooperation between the Presidential Library and St. Petersburg State University has been successfully developing for many years. These institutions are linked through joint projects and an exchange of information resources. In 2010, the first remote electronic reading room for the Presidential Library was opened at the university. Currently, there are four remote access centers for the resources of the Presidential Library operating at the university.

In April and May 2023, the Presidential Library hosted an exhibition titled Artists - Graduates of St. Petersburg University, dedicated to the anniversary of the university. The joint effort of the Presidential Library and the university showcased the student years and works of famous artists who had studied there. Among them were Antioch Kantemir, Ivan Turgenev, Nikolai Chernyshevsky, Alexander Blok, Olga Bergoglio, Vasily Polenov, Alexander Benois, Nikolai Rerikh, Sergei Dyagilev, and Igor Stravinsky, as well as many other writers, poets, artists, and musicians who had been associated with the university and its creative community.

The exposition is based on archival documents, letters, book editions of the XVIII–XX centuries, illustrations and photographs from the collections of the Gorky Scientific Library of St. Petersburg University and the Presidential Library. Readers can learn the exhibition thanks to a virtual tour posted on the institution's portal.