Russian People's University (RPU) is an educational institution established in Prague by Russian emigrants to assist Russian students who studied at Czechoslovak universities in obtaining a full-fledged higher education.
History
The opening of the university was preceded by a large preparatory work by a group of Russian professors and public figures (among them - P. I. Novgorodtsev , M. M. Novikov , A. A. Kizevetter , A. S. Lomshakov ); On October 11, 1923, the statute on the Russian People’s University was approved, where the goals and objectives of its activities, the budget, and the governing and supervising bodies were determined; October 16, 1923 it was officially opened. In 1923, about 900 listeners were registered.
Initially, his goal was to help Russian students who studied at Czechoslovak universities in obtaining a full-fledged higher education. In addition, the goal was also to familiarize citizens of the Czech Republic and Slovakia with Russian culture, history and art: at the opening of the university, it was noted that:
... Creating centers of Russian education can be honored by one of the most sacred duties of the foreign Russian intelligentsia ... In them, on the basis of real work, the process of spiritual unity of two nationalities can be carried out most successfully. In them, the Czechs can get from the original source an idea of the current state of Russian culture, while Russian citizens can study on the spot the process of the brilliant development of the revived Slavic state - this is the main basis of the activities of the Russian People’s University in Prague
The Russian National University was opened at the Zemgore Prague (Association of Russian Zemsky and Urban Figures in Czechoslovakia) along the lines of the A. L. Shanyavsky Moscow City National University . The first council of the university, approved by Zemgor, included: Professor M. M. Novikov (chairman of the council and board), professor E. A. Lyatsky (deputy chairman), associate professor M. A. Zimmerman (secretary of the board and board), A. D. Klimushkin (Business Manager and Head of the Special Courses Division), Professor A. A. Kizevetter (Head of the Historical and Philosophical Department), Professor Yu. I. Polivka (Head of the Department for the Study of Czechoslovakia), Professor N. S. Timashev (Head of the Department social sciences), academician P. B. Struve, professor V. I. Isaev, rofessor Zdenek Bazant, Professor SA Ostrogorsky , (Head of cultural and educational Zemgora department), VG Arkhangelsk , FE Mahin , ML Slonim , AV Stoilov, FS and Mansvetov V. Ya. Gurevich (head of the Russian Foreign Historical Archive). The executive body of the council was the university's board.
Educational activities were divided between the departments of: social sciences, historical-philosophical, natural sciences, applied knowledge, the study of Czechoslovakia, special courses (foreign languages, shorthand, etc.), primary schools. At the end of 1924, in order to simplify the structure, the university council combined the department of applied knowledge with the department of natural sciences, and special courses - with an elementary school.
Initially, with the support of the President of the Czechoslovak Republic T. Masaryk , while carrying out the “ Russian action ”, the Czech government allocated significant subsidies for the material support of professors and students of the university. For the subsequent financing of activities, the Society of the Russian National University was created.
The relationship between the university and Zemgor was not easy. University manager A. D. Klimushkin, appointed by Zemgor, intervened in the educational process, “by suggesting ... such scientific authorities as academician P. B. Struve or professor N. O. Lossky to lecture more popular and make them accessible to the general public. " As a result, Professor Novikov, Chairman of the Council and the Board of the University, appealed to the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Public Education of Czechoslovakia with a request to remove the university from Zemgor. After long negotiations on November 18, 1925, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Czechoslovakia approved the charter of the society “Russian People’s University”, thereby laying the foundations for its independent existence. The reorganization of management consisted in the separation of powers: the training part and the current activities of the university were concentrated at the rector, the council of teachers and the presidium of the council, and financial and administrative issues were referred to the general meeting of members, the curator and the presidency. On December 8, 1925, a constituent assembly was held, at which its chairman, professor Z. Bazhant (rector of the Technical University) was elected, and the first staff of the curatorium , which included 20 people, besides the chairman, Professor S. V. Zavadsky (deputy chairman), M.M. Novikov (RNU Rector), F.Matoushek (Treasurer), Associate Professor M.A. Zimmerman (Secretary); on the Czech side, the curator included well-known botanist and public figure Professor B. Nemets, Slavic Professor Yu. I. Polivka, Head of the Refugee Department of the Foreign Ministry, Dr. Z. Zavazal, diplomat P. Max and others, from the Russians - Professor E. V. Spektorsky , Professor A. A. Kizevetter, Professor N. S. Timashev and others. The Russian People’s University Society was a legal entity and included 300 people.
The management of the NPC was carried out through the Curator , the Council of Teachers and the General Assembly of students. University students could be persons not younger than 17 years old. The training was paid, however, some students could be exempted from the fee. Among the university teachers were: A. A. Kizevetter, A. V. Florovsky , D. N. Vergun , I. I. Lappo , B. A. Evreinov , P. A. Ostroukhov , S. G. Pushkarev , P. B Struve , P. N. Savitsky , S. N. Bulgakov , N. O. Lossky , I. I. Lapshin , E. A. Lyatsky, A. L. Bem , S. I. Kartsevsky , N. L. Okunev V.I. Isaev , M.L. Slonim and others; 83 teachers from among Russian and Czech scientists conducted training in five departments: social sciences (head. Professor N. S. Timashev ), history-philology (head. Professor A. A. Kizevetter), natural and applied sciences (head. Prof. N. M. Mogilyansky ), for the study of Czechoslovakia (Head of Professor Yu. I. Polivka), Russian and foreign languages courses (Head of Professor E. A. Lyatsky). The language courses that helped emigrants adapt to new life enjoyed particular success. On the basis of the university in 1926, the “ Philosophical Society ” [1] emerged, and in 1932 - the “ Pedagogical Society ” (by A. Zhivakulin). In 1928, the “Scientific Works” of the university began to appear. In the autumn of 1933, the Russian Research Association was founded at the university, which took over the entire publishing activity of the university, continuing the publication of its Trudy under the new name - “Notes of the Research Association under the RSU”. In the "Notes" were published the works of members of the association, mainly in European languages, "available to foreign experts with the interests of the Slavic world" [2] .
In 1934, the NRU was renamed the Russian Free University (RSU); at the same time the main task was declared research activity. In the period 1933-1935, the Russian Foreign Cultural and Historical Museum was established on the initiative of the last secretary of L. N. Tolstoy - V. F. Bulgakov ; in the Zbraslavsky castle near Prague, to the opening on September 25, 1935, rich collections of Russian art were collected, scattered throughout many countries of the world (paintings, antiques, manuscripts, books). A scholarship fund to them. Moscow University.
There were “seminars” in the RSU: on the study of international life and international law, Russia and Slavism (the head of both was M. A. Zimmerman), “New in economic life” (Prof. D. N. Ivantsov ), “New in political life , on geopolitics and philosophy of law ”(Prof. A. N. Fateev), on the history of economic life (Prof. P. Ostroukhov), on the study of F. M. Dostoevsky, on the Russian language and literature (both - Dr. A. L. Bem), on general questions of natural science, ethnography and eugenics (prof. M. M. Novikov), on the study of modern Russia (in each region there was its leader), on the study of psychoanalysis (Dr. NF Dosuzhkov). In addition, groups were organized to study world war (General V.V. Chernavin ), to study Subcarpathian Russia (Prof. D. N. Vergun ), to study modern Russian literature (Dr. K.A. Chkheidze), aesthetic (Prof. I. I. Lapshin).
Major changes in the political situation of the Czechoslovak Republic affected the activities of the RSU; his activity was authorized in the Protectorate of the Czech Republic and Moravia, but was subordinated to the Administration of the Affairs of the Russian Emigration in Berlin (UDRE). The permanent rector of the university, M. M. Novikov, received a secured position as an ordinary professor at the University of Bratislava , moved to Slovakia, and on April 16, 1939, the RSU Council of Teachers unanimously elected Professor of Botany, Doctor of Natural Sciences, V. S. Ilyin (1882-1957) ), sharply anti-Soviet and loyal to the fascist regime. Until the beginning of January 1940, 19 lectures were given, in the period April-October 1940 - 18 lectures and 69 reports [3] ; at the beginning of the year, a new seminary on Russian literature appeared (under the direction of prof. E. A. Lyatsky), and in February a new circle on the study of the Russian national idea [4] . Since the beginning of the Patriotic War, the university management was considering a plan to make changes to the teaching program in the RSU due to the fact that, as V. S. Ilyin wrote, “... it is possible that Russia will soon open ... All the programs of our lectures really need to be thought out and given to many of them Russian direction. In the 1941/1942 school year, he began working seminaries on the organization of the state and national economy (under the guidance of Prof. D. Ivantsov).
In general, the beginning of the war did not break the usual rhythm of the work of the university, all divisions of which continued their usual activities [5] . During 1941, 1371 lectures and reports were given in the RSU, which were attended by about 10 thousand students; Lectures were held in Prague, Brno and Plzen [6] . However, during the war years, the scientific, pedagogical, cultural and educational activities of the RSU could no longer claim to be free and independent, relying on the principles proclaimed in the creation of the university; she increasingly obeyed the demands of the political situation. The rector of the RSU, V. S. Ilyin, sought to present the university as an institution working in the wake of the fascist policy and preparing cadres for governing Russia after its “liberation”.
During the years of the Second World War , a circle in which the students received comprehensive training acted at the level of the military academy; classes were carried out in several groups: legal, infantry, cavalry, artillery, technical, health, general and women's medical courses. The circle existed until the middle of 1944 and its lectures began to deal mainly with historical and sociological topics. On March 15, 1940, the Russian Historical Society was incorporated into the RSU; This was due not only to financial issues, but also to the fact that the German authorities provided support to the university. By the end of 1940, the RSU was placed under the supervision of the German Charles University, represented by its Vice-Rector, Professor Gervig Gamprlya. At this time, the list of members of the RSU consisted of 59 people (including office workers, secretaries, etc.), including scientists: N. E. Andreev, A. L. Bem, S. I. Varshavsky, P. D. Dolgorukov , D. N. Ivantsov, A. F. Izyumov, V. S. Il'in, V. I. Isaev, I. I. Krasheninnikov, I. I. Lapshin, N. O. Lossky, E. A. Lyatsky, E I. Melnikov, P. F. Milovidov, N. F. Novozhilov, B. N. Odintsov, P. A. Ostroukhov, I. O. Panas, S. G. Pushkarev, N. P. and P. N. Savitsky, V.V. Sakhanev, A.N. Fateev, A.V. Florovsky, M.V. Shakhmatov, N.N. Yastrebova-Ragozina, M.V. Vasnetsov [7] , as well as B. Nemets, Z Bazhant et al.
In early 1942, by order of the Imperial tread in the Czech Republic and Moravia, the former name of the RSU was replaced by another - the Russian Academy of Sciences in Prague (Wissenschaftliche Russische Akademie (him) ). At that time, 21 professors and 17 associate professors and lecturers in various specialties were listed in the RSU. A special place began to occupy the Russian language courses, bringing, moreover, a good income. Along with courses for adults, Russian courses for children were opened. After a break in the war, the Russian education system was no longer needed by the occupation authorities and on June 19, 1944 they suspended the activities of the academy. In the summer of 1945, the name of the RSU was returned to the Academy. For some time the leadership in the person of P. A. Ostroukhov [8] tried to breathe new life into the activities of the university. However, financial difficulties, the policy of the Soviet authorities and the new government of K. Gottwald , aimed at persecuting immigrants, led to the fact that by the summer of 1946 the RSU had almost completed its work; On March 2, 1949, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czechoslovak Republic granted PA Ostroukhov’s request to delete the RSU from the list of societies.
Notes
- ↑ In fact, the formerly independent Philosophical Society, headed by N. O. Lossky, joined the university (Prof. I. I. Lapshin became chairman).
- ↑ A total of 8 volumes were published by 1938. The publication of works was carried out by the editorial committee composed of M. M. Novikova (chairman), A. N. Fateeva (head of the humanities section), V. S. Ilyin (head of the natural and mathematical sciences section), D. N. Ivantsova ( secretary) and P. F. Milovidova, who was soon replaced by P. A. Ostroukhov
- ↑ In the Russian Research Association at the RSU at this time the reports of P. N. Savitsky “Problems of new railway construction in Soviet Russia”, by M. V. Shakhmatov “The idea of conciliarity in ancient Russian literature”, N. E. Andreeva “To the history of Moscow disputes about icon painting in the 17th century ”, N. O. Lossky“ Dostoevsky’s thoughts about Russia and the Russian people ”, V. V. Sakhanev“ From the history of Subcarpathian Russia ”, A. F. Izyumov“ V. I. Kelsiev, his correspondence with Herzen (60s) ”, N. N. Yastrebova-Ragozina“ From the history of Russian social thought ”.
- ↑ In the first of them, among others, A. L. Bem gave reports on Russian Symbolism and Pasternak's Poetry, On Acmeism and On Russian Futurism; in the second, M. V. Shakhmatov’s “The National-State Theory of Khomyakov”, N. E. Andreev’s “The Flowering of the Russian Realistic Novel”, S. G. Pushkarev’s “Relations between the Church and the State in Ancient Russia” and “The National Worldview K. Aksakova ", S. A. Levitsky" The national idea of Vl. Solovyov ”, I. I. Lapshin“ The Spirit of Russian Art ”, as well as a series of lectures by E. F. Maksimovich“ Foreign relations of Russia in the late XIX - early XX centuries ”,“ The Bosnian crisis and the issue of straits ”,“ The end of the union of three emperors and Balkan disappointments. "
- ↑ Reports by N. N. Yastrebova-Ragozina “K. Leontyev and his philosophy ”, N. A. Yeleneva“ Peter the Great and Kupetsky ”, A. L. Bem“ Lermontov and Dostoevsky ”, N. O. Lossky“ Personality in Dostoevsky's artistic creativity ”, etc .; A special meeting dedicated to the memory of MV Lomonosov was also held. In the Philosophical Society 14 reports were read; among them: N. O. Lossky, “The Idea of Absolute Value in Dostoevsky’s Works”, “The Ideal of Beauty”, “The Composition of the Ideal of Beauty”, “The Damaged Beauty”, I. I. Lapshin “The Problems of Death”, “Is Aesthetics Possible Without Metaphysics” , “Phenomenology of Moral Consciousness”, “Dispute about Free Will in Modern Philosophy”, A. N. Fateev “First Russian Philosophy of History (Chaadaev)”, S. A. Levitsky “On the Tragic Worldview”, etc. Also 14 reports were held Historical Society, including: N. A. Yelenev, “Middle European Baroque”, “Architectural Monuments of Mos Kovskogo Kremlin ", A. F. Izyumov" "The Great Exodus" (experience of counting the emigration of the first years), M. V. Shakhmatov "From the history of national-state ideas", A. D. Grigoriev "Eastern Slavic states east of Svyatoslav "," Finnish, Magyar and Turkic topographical names in Central Europe ", P. N. Savitsky" On the issue of historical cycles "," The general concept of Russian history ", E. F. Maksimovich" Clergy in the Pugachev movement ", S. G Pushkarev "The Peasant Reform of Count Kiselev" and others.
- ↑ The most notable among them are: D. N. Ivantsov , Economic Policy of German National Socialism, Basic Issues of Economic Reorganization of Russia, N. Ye. Andreev, National Foundations of Moscow State, Prerequisites and Development of Peter the Great Transformations , “Russian literature in emigration”.
- ↑ Son of the famous Russian artist V. M. Vasnetsov
- ↑ On February 8, 1945, before fleeing Czechoslovakia, V. S. Ilyin appointed acting vice-rector P. Ostroukhov as acting chairman.
Literature
- Russian Free University in Prague
- Russian National University in Prague (1923—1933)
- Pashuto V. T. Russian historians-immigrants in Europe. - M., 1992.
- Raev M. Russia abroad. The history of the culture of the Russian emigration 1919-1939. - M., 1994.
- Aksenova EP, Dostal M. Yu. Russian Free University (Russian Academy of Sciences) during the Second World War // Rossica. - Prague. - 1998-1999. - № 2. - P. 85-102.
- Prague Foreign Archives - GARF. F. P-5899