Kharkov Commercial Institute

Creation and purpose of activity

The initiative to create a commercial institute in Kharkov in 1908 was made by professor of Kharkov University N.I. Palienko . The initiative received the support of the Kharkov Merchants Society , the Council of Congresses of Miners of the South of Russia and the Kharkov Exchange Committee . At the suggestion of N.F. von-Dittmar, the 36th Congress of Mining Industrialists of the South of Russia submitted a note to Minister S.I. Timashev justifying the need to open a commercial institute in Kharkov with a mining department. The draft charter of the institute was approved by the General Meeting of Kharkov industrialists and traders.

An obstacle to the creation of the institute was the position of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which, taking into account the opinion of the conservative circles of the State Council , did not dare to submit a legislative proposal on the creation of the next non-state higher educational institution of a non-university type, since commercial institutes began Moscow and Kiev. June 25, 1911 V.K. Velitchenko, N.I. Palienko , L.V. Sirvint and A.K. Pogorelko were received by Minister S.I. Timashev. The way out was found in the organization of a lower educational institution - Higher commercial courses. In 1911, the Kharkov Merchant Society elected a special commission on the organization of courses with the participation of entrepreneurs and the scientific community of the city (S.N. Zheverzheev, N.F. von-Ditmar , P.P. Ryzhov, G.O. Goldberg, prof. N I. Palienko , V. F. Levitsky , etc.) ^[1] . Prof. N. I. Palienko drafted the charter, training programs and 4-year financial estimates of the institute ^[2] .

The charter of the courses was approved by the Minister on May 26, 1912. The ceremonial opening of classes took place on October 10, 1912. According to the Charter, the Higher Commercial Courses of the Kharkov Merchant Society were classified as higher educational institutions with the aim of providing commercial and political-economic education.

“Yesterday, in the building of the Kharkov Commercial School, the opening of Higher Commercial Courses took place, which in the near future will be transformed into a Commercial Institute.”

Kharkiv Provincial Gazette. - No. 1107. - October 11, 1912

Building

Since 1912, classes were held in the HKU building in the evening. In 1914 on the street Eparchial 52, (now the building of the KhNTUSH on Artyom St., 44), a new building was laid specifically designed for courses. The project of architect A.N. Beketov provided for a number of technical innovations and the use of the most modern engineering systems and communications: reinforced concrete structures, foundation waterproofing, sound-absorbing and heat-insulating ceilings, fireproof standards of construction and decoration were met. For the first time in Russia, F. Watson's method was used, which suppresses reflected sound in audiences and improves their acoustics. An effective heating system specially created by engineering firms, based on forcing heated air into rooms, made it possible to maintain a comfortable temperature in classrooms with a height of 5.35 m and 7.82 m in winter.

The educational building was designed in the Palladio Renaissance style and had a spacious hall and a wide marble staircase with bronze lamps typical of Beketov's work. The building housed two lecture halls for 400 people each and small auditoriums with 60 seats, rooms for seminars, a museum and classrooms, laboratories, a scientific library, a lobby with a wardrobe for 1,500 people, and the largest assembly hall in the city. Special furniture and professional equipment were supplied for the new building.

Construction was completed by the fall of 1916, a year later than the deadlines stipulated by the pre-war contract ^[3] .

Obtaining Institute Status

On March 29, 1916, according to the report of the Minister, the State Duma approved the provision of courses with the status of a Commercial Institute with the rights of higher government educational institutions. On December 17, 1916, the Minister approved the updated rules, curriculum and budget of the institute.

Reorganization

During the period of the revolution of 1917 and the Civil War , the institute was disorganized by the student strike and the actions of the Soviet government .

March 11, 1919 a commissioner was appointed to the institute - a student of KhTI L. M. Mayer. KHI was combined with the law faculties of both universities ( imperial and female), the curriculum was destroyed by the introduction of new “compulsory” subjects, and the admission qualification was virtually eliminated ^[4] .

With the occupation of Kharkov by the Volunteer Army, the normal life of the institute was restored. Professors and teachers actively participated in the White movement . Oswag law and policy courses were held in the KHI building, meetings of the Academic Union were held, and anti-Bolshevik public lectures were successfully held in the Assembly Hall. The institute hosted charity concerts and dances in favor of infirmaries. In October 1919, a number of professors joined the signatories of VF Levitsky's "Appeals of Russian Scientists to Europe" , which sharply condemned Bolshevism . By the beginning of classes in September 1919, 850 students were accepted to the first year.

Many leading scientists left the city with the retreating Volunteer Army , who either emigrated or stopped working at the institute ( A.N. Antsyferov , A.M. Terpigorev , D.N. Ivantsov , A.N. Chelintsev , I.A. Trakhtenberg and etc.), in June 1919, the Chekists taken as hostages by prof. S. N. Stelletsky and member of the Board of Trustees merchant S. N. Zheverzheev ^[5] .

In late 1919 - early 1920, the building and library were taken from the institute by the Soviet authorities, the educational activity practically stopped ^[6] . In 1920, the KhKI was reorganized into the Kharkov Institute of National Economy .

Faculties

As part of the institute, one economic faculty (department) was created, the training at which was carried out according to sub-departments (cycles). There were educational and auxiliary and scientific and auxiliary units: departments, laboratories, museums, seminars, libraries, classrooms.

Scope of Activities

Students of both sexes were enrolled in the courses. In 1912 - in the spring of 1916. HVKK acted as evening, classes were held in the building of the Kharkov Commercial School . Lectures of 40 minutes lasted from 17.20 to 21.20 hours. On Saturdays and holidays, lectures were also given in the large hall of the Congress of Mining of the South of Russia . In the fall of 1912, 250 people attended the courses; according to the plan of prof. N. I. Palienko the same number should have been on each course, and the total contingent - 1000 people ^[7] . In the spring of 1916, 558 students were enrolled in the courses: 241 students, 197 female students, 107 volunteers and 13 listeners.

With the commissioning of the new building, the student body increased significantly, and the institute switched to daytime classes. In the academic year 1916-1917, 1226 students and 186 students were enrolled in KhKI, including 854 students in the first year: 462 students, 326 students, 48 ​​students and 18 students. The training was conducted by 58 teachers: 15 professors, 2 privat-docents, 33 teachers and 8 assistants ^[8] . There was a 5% restrictive rate for students of Jewish faith. In the winter of 1917, banking and insurance courses were opened at the institute for officers injured in the war.

Academic Government

To manage the funds and property of the university, to amend the charter, a Board of Trustees of courses was created, consisting of 14 people, elected by KhKO for 4 years, 3 representatives of the study committee, director. It was allowed to include representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the City Duma, the provincial zemstvo, and the Congress of Miners of the South of Russia . Chairman of the Council in 1912-1919 was a commerce adviser I.K. Velitchenko.

The course director was elected for 4 years jointly by the Board of Trustees and the Learning Committee. This position was held by prof. V.F. Timofeev (1912-1919) and prof. M. N. Sobolev (1919-1920).

The general management of the university, including the development of the curriculum, was entrusted to the Study Committee, which consisted of the director, teachers, as well as the chairman and 3 members of the Board of Trustees.

An important role was played by the general meeting of faculty teachers.

Financing

The main revenue items in the course budget were tuition fees and collection of industrial certificates (self-imposition) of members of the Kharkov Merchant Society. The cost of training in 1912 was 100 rubles per year.

Education at the institute lasted 4 years (courses). In the first two courses, general and basic economic disciplines were studied ^[9] .

From the 3rd year, specialization was carried out in subdivisions with their own training programs, which included special (core) disciplines. In 1912, it was planned to create 3 subdivisions: economic, commercial, financial and pedagogical. In 1916, there were 5 such subdivisions, with specialized groups:

- economic and commercial;

- pedagogical (for the training of teachers of secondary commercial educational institutions);

- banking insurance - a banking group;

- banking insurance - insurance group;

- local economy;

- industrial - mining group.

For example, the following disciplines were taught in the subdivision of the local economy and the mining group of the industrial subdivision:

In addition, German, French, and English were taught compulsory for all students. The training focused on the needs and characteristics of the economy of the region of southern Russia. A feature of KHI in comparison with other commercial institutes of the Empire was a high proportion of practical and special seminar classes.

In the educational process, an important role was played by educational and auxiliary institutions: laboratories, a museum, the so-called classrooms. The cabinet of the organization of commercial and industrial enterprises included an exemplary commercial bureau, a museum of the organization of commercial and industrial enterprises, and a private business archive. The office was provided with modern office equipment, machine-counting devices, file cabinets, visual diagrams of the organization of management, wage systems, statistical tables and so on. The equipment of the office made it possible to model for commercial purposes the commercial activities of a real enterprise with its main divisions ^[10] .

Teachers were elected by the study committee. Professors from Kharkov University and the Technological Institute, as well as qualified specialists in specific fields of knowledge, were involved in the work at the institute. A. N. Antsyferov (statistics), S. N. Bernshtein (higher mathematics and probability theory), V. M. Gordon (commercial law), V. Kh. Davatts (higher mathematics), V. F. Levitsky taught at the institute (history of economic studies), M. N. Sobolev (economic policy), N. S. Stelletsky (moral theology), A. M. Terpigorev (mining), I. A. Trakhtenberg (special course in political economy), P. I. Fomin (political economy), A.N. Chelintsev (land management), etc.

The process of forming scientific schools was interrupted by the events of the Civil War and the forcible reorganization, in connection with which the scientific results achieved by scientists were often implemented in other higher educational institutions. For a number of teachers, primarily lawyers, the main place of activity was the university.

In the years 1912-1919. HKI worked as promising research scientists, who, along with a commercial institute, often collaborated in other universities, professional public associations, and local government. The most promising were such research areas as: statistics and economics of agricultural cooperation - A. N. Antsyferov , D. I. Ivantsov, I. V. Emelyanov, G. F. Obdula; economics and economic history of industry, mathematical methods for studying market dynamics - P. I. Fomin ; money circulation and financial markets - I. A. Trakhtenberg ; экономика сельского хозяйства — А. Н. Челинцев ; организация и экономика предприятий — Г. И. Меерович и др.

Кабинет экономического изучения России

В ХКИ был создан один из первых экономических исследовательских центров в Империи — Кабинета экономического изучения России. Созданный в 1914 г. по рапорту проф. П. И. Фомина , кабинет имел статус научно-вспомогательного учреждения и независимое финансирование. Кабинет имел 4-х штатных сотрудников, выполнявших технические и вспомогательный работы. К исследовательской работе привлекались действительные сотрудники и сотрудники-соревнователи из числа студентов и выпускников института. Руководил кабинетом проф. П. И. Фомин . При кабинете стали проводиться Собрания экономического отделения института.

Целью кабинета был сбор, систематизация и анализ статистико-экономических показателей, характеризующих динамику народного хозяйства страны. Программа исследований расширялась и к 1917 г. включала 27 разделов, охватывая ряд финансовых и конъюнктурных индексов, динамику производства ключевых отраслей промышленности и секторов народного хозяйства, торговлю, бюджетные и демографические показатели. С марта 1915 г. публиковались Бюллетени кабинета на русском и французском языках. Создавался архив статистико-экономической информации про горную и горнозаводскую промышленность юга России.

Кабинет проводил работы по заказам предприятий и организаций: ежемесячные обзоры состояния горной и горнозаводской промышленности юга России для Харьковской конторы Госбанка, изучение торговых отношений юга России и Южной Америки для Екатеринославского общества фабрикантов, анкетное исследование движения цен на продовольственные товары и рабочие руки и проч. По предложению Харьковской комиссии по установлению реквизиционных цен на минеральное топливо были разработаны и переданы Министру торговли и промышленности предложения по реорганизации российской промышленной статистики. Были начаты работы по анкетному обследованию проблемы износа основных фондов промышленности в годы войны.

Редакционной комиссией Бюллетеней (В. Ф. Тимофеев, П. И. Фомин , М. Н. Соболев , А. Н. Анцыферов ) был выработан проект большой исследовательской программы экономического изучения России. С этой целью, в 1918 г. предполагалось созвать в Харькове всероссийский съезд с участием заинтересованных организаций, учёных, специалистов ^[11] .

Саймон Смит (Семён Абрамович) Кузнец — американский экономист, Нобелевский лауреат по экономике 1971 г. учился в ХКИ в 1918—1921 гг., сдав экзамены за 1-й и 2-й курсы. Магистерская диссертация С. Кузнеца «Dr. Schumpeter's system of economics, presented and analyzed» («Система экономики д-ра Шумпетера : рассмотренная и анализированная»), защищённая в Колумбийском университете в 1924 г., была написана в Харькове ^[12] .

Харьковский национальный экономический университет

Харьковский инженерно-экономический институт

Харьковский институт народного хозяйства

Харьковское коммерческое училище Императора Александра III

• Лортикян Э. Л. Украинские экономисты первой трети XX столетия: Очерки истории экономической науки и экономического образования.- Х., 1995.
• Московкин В. М., Михайличенко Д. Ю. Саймон Кузнец и харьковская высшая экономическая школа начала ХХ ст. // В кн.: Кузнец С. Экономическая система д-ра Шумпетера, излагаемая и критикуемая, Перлман М. Две фазы заинтересованности Кузнеца Шумпетером / Сост. Doct. геогр. н., проф. В. М. Московкин, канд. ист. n Д. Ю. Михайличенко, перев. Е. Е. Перчик; Ed. Doct. econ. н., проф. В. С. Пономаренко. — Харьков: ИД «ИНЖЕК», 2013. — 128 с.
• Нариси з історії Харківського національного економічного університету: Монографія / Д. Ю. Михайличенко, В.Є.Єрмаченко, О. А. Сахно, Під заг. ed. В. С. Пономаренка.- Х.: ВД «ІНЖЕК», 2005. — 326, CIV с. [9]
• Харківський національний економічний університет: Досвід перетворень, 2000—2010 роки: Монографія / Під заг. ed. В. С. Пономаренка; Пономаренко В. С., Кизим М. О., Михайличенко Д. Ю., Афанасьєв М. В., Єрмаченко В.Є., Зима О. Г. — Х.: Видавничий Дім «ІНЖЕК», 2010. — 424 с. [10]
• Информация на сайте Харьковского национального экономического университета (по-украински, по-русски)