The Tragedy of Higher Education in Post-Revolutionary Russia

Abstract

Sergey Druzhilov, Psy.D., Professor at the Automatic Electric Drive Department, Siberian State Industrial University, Novokuznetsk, Russian Federation. Email: druzhilov@mail.ru Address: 42 Kirova St., Novokuznetsk, 654007, Kemerovo Oblast, Russian Federation.

The author describes the state of university and academic intelligentsia in the first ten years after the Russian Revolution of 1917. The intellectual stratum of the society became an object of the Red Terror. The bitter state of higher school was aggravated by devastation of the country. The most tragic consequences were felt after the cut-down on financing of universities, which resulted in a dramatic tightening in financial conditions of teachers. Transition to NEP (New Economic Policy) prevented the death of Russian higher education, which had loomed so inevitable by the late 1920 due to an extremely difficult economic situation in the country. Universities started to receive more and more financing: the real wage of teachers increased; institutions resumed business trips abroad and purchase of equipment, Russian and foreign science books.

However, as the economy was leaving the war communism behind, any opposition sentiment was ruthlessly suppressed. Beginning with the 1920s, the political leaders saw their top priority goal in obtaining loyalty of the intelligentsia. The author describes the dramatic events surrounding the expulsion of dissident intellectuals (the repressive operation the national history refers to as the “philosophers’ ships”). He also analyzes the number of university teachers and students on the eve of industrialization.

The period of relative stability in higher education lasted until 1926 and provided the basis for subsequent development of higher education in Russia.