FROM THE HISTORY OF TSU
М.Я. Гаврилова
What facts from the history of Tomsk University do you know?
When was the University founded?
What people contributed to its opening?
Where did the money for the construction come from?
How many faculties did the University have in the late 19th century?
Where were lectures held? Where did students and professors live?
How did the University change and develop in the course of time?
FROM THE HISTORY OF TOMSK STATE UNIVERSITY
1. The Founding of the University.
Tomsk University is one of the oldest universities in Russia and the first higher educational institution in the vast area from the Urals to the Pacific Ocean. It was established in 1878 and opened in 1888. The idea to open a university in Siberia had been discussed by progressive people in Russia for more than half a century before it was fulfilled in the late 19th century.
Tomsk was one of seven cities in Siberia that competed for the honour of hosting a university. Eventually Tomsk was chosen as the best site. On May 28th, 1878 Emperor Alexander II signed a Decree permitting the establishment of the Imperial Siberian University in Tomsk.
Soon a construction committee was formed headed by Professor V.M. Florinsky. One third of the expenses of the construction was covered by private donations from local notables. Along with the construction of the university, a library was being collected, as well as materials for laboratories, museums, the botanical garden and its greenhouse, and the herbarium.
The architects A.Bruni and P.Naranovich designed the university building in classic style. Most of the construction was completed by 1884. By the opening date in 1888, the main building housed a library, a church, assembly halls, lecture rooms and museums. The professors’ apartments were situated in the wings.
The opening ceremony was held in the church on the first floor on July 22nd, 1888. After the ceremonial church service the guests moved to the Assembly Hall that was decorated with tropical plants and garlands. The hall was packed full with those who wanted to see the opening. Professor Florinsky said in his speech there: “We would like our professors and scientists, inspired by their love for the Motherland, to serve both students and science with equal eagerness. We would like them to be independent in their scientific research and set up their own scientific schools. Only the integration of the academic process and scientific research will enable our university to fulfil its great mission”.
The first professors who taught at the university arrived in Tomsk from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan. In 1888 the University was opened, having only one faculty – the Faculty of Medicine. Professor Gezekhus was appointed Rector. In 1898 the Law faculty was opened, and in 1917 –the faculties of Physics-Mathematics, and History-Philosophy-Philology. The University was run by the Academic Board. The sessions of the Board were held in the hall on the ground floor (to the right of the main entrance).
The lectures were given in 3 lecture rooms on the ground and first floors. The first lecture theatre (today room 123) occupied 2 floors and had enough seats for 300 people. There, lectures in theology, mineralogy, zoology and physiology were delivered, as well as lectures for the general public. The second lecture room (No. 141) on the ground floor seated 100 people. Lectures in physics, chemistry, general pathology, hygiene and therapy were given in it. The third lecture room with 80 seats was situated on the first floor. In addition, there were two more lecture rooms for different classes on the first floor in the north wing. The professors, including the Rector himself, had apartments in the 3-storeyed wings of the main building.
Before the University was opened, V.Florinsky asked the 80-year-old earl A. Stroganov to donate his family library to the newly-born university. Stroganov’s library contained over twenty-two thousand volumes. There were other contributions, too. The Siberian industrialist A. Sibiriakov contributed V. Zhukovsky’s library of 4,600 volumes as a gift. Between 1875 and 1885 the University received over 70,000 books and magazines. At first the books were kept in a special room in the main building. In 1914, a new library was completed (architects A. Shishko and A. Kriachkov) that included an assembly hall and a book depository. The façade was made in monumental palace style. The new building was technically advanced: there was central heating, ventilation and electricity. In October 1914 the new library started lending books.
The first residence hall for students was opened in August 1888 (now building 3). There were 45 rooms for 75 students on the first and second floors, a dining hall and a reading room on the ground floor. Most of the rooms were shared by 2 students. The student’s average stipend/scholarship at that time was 22 roubles, out of which 10 roubles was paid for room and board. After the second faculty – Law- was opened in 1898, the number of students grew to 550.
The pride of “Siberian Athens” – the Botanical garden appeared in Tomsk thanks to the university, because it needed a garden for growing medicinal herbs for the Medical faculty. The gardener Porfiriy Krilov arrived in Tomsk from Kazan and with great difficulty brought with him 700 potted plants, transporting them by horse-drawn carts, ships and railway carriages. The hothouses, the conservatory, the flowerbeds, paths and green hedges made the surrounding grounds very picturesque. By the time the University opened there were 17,000 plants in the
garden. Some palms and tropical plants have survived until now.
Exercise 1. a) Read and learn the words.