Vitebsk State University has prepared a book about the century-long history of the university for its anniversary

October 21, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. Vitebsk State University named after P.M. Masherov has prepared a book on the century-long history of the university, the centenary of which will be celebrated in November this year. The three-hundred-page volume will be presented as a gift to honored guests of the anniversary celebrations, to which veterans of the institute and colleagues from more than 30 partner universities have been invited. Artur Matyun, head of the editorial and publishing department of VSU, told a BELTA correspondent about this. The main goal of the publication is to present the chronicle of the oldest educational institution in Belarus, rich in events and traditions, as well as to showcase the modern development of the university, its growing role in the educational, innovative, and cultural development of the region and the country. The book, prepared by a team of authors under the leadership of VSU Rector, Professor Alexander Solodkov, includes materials reflecting the university's academic, scientific, and international activities, all aspects of training scientific and pedagogical staff, as well as educational work. In his introductory remarks, the university rector notes that the university's biography is inextricably linked with the biography of Belarus, and its graduates, numbering tens of thousands over 100 years, work in various fields. "While preserving centuries-old traditions, we take into account the needs of modernity, introduce the latest achievements of science and technology into the university's work, and seek new methods and forms of pedagogical work," emphasizes Alexander Solodkov. The publication opens with a brief outline of VSU's development, as well as the biographies of all university leaders over 100 years. Structurally, the book consists of chapters dedicated to all eleven faculties, as well as departments, including the Polotsk and Orsha Colleges. Separate pages of the publication are dedicated to outstanding university graduates, among whom are many Heroes of the Soviet Union, scientists, and honored figures in education, science, and art. Materials from the National Archives of Belarus, the State Archive of the Vitebsk Region, and the VSU archive and museum were used in the preparation of the publication. Almost all scientific, educational, and socially significant events of the university, held and planned for the current year, are dedicated to the upcoming 100th anniversary of VSU. These include international and republican scientific and practical conferences, numerous student events - trips to the places of military and labor glory of Pyotr Masherov, honoring veterans and distinguished university employees, and contests of creative and scientific works. In total, the plan for preparing for the university's 100th anniversary includes almost 100 events, which are held at the university practically every week. Vitebsk Teachers' Institute was opened on November 21, 1910, to train teachers for higher primary schools and became the first educational institution of its kind in the territory of modern Belarus. The institute had a two-year city school for practical training of students with a 3-year course of study. Young people of all ranks and estates, not younger than 16 years old, were admitted to the institute. Each entrant signed an undertaking to work for at least 6 years as a teacher in a city school according to the distribution of the educational authorities. The university staff included a director, 15 teachers, a chaplain, a doctor, and a clerk. The institute taught pedagogy, Russian and Church Slavonic languages, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, history, geography, natural history and physics, drawing and sketching, penmanship, singing and gymnastics, and manual labor. Vitebsk Teachers' Institute existed until 1917, after the revolution it was transferred to the jurisdiction of Narkompros and transformed into a pedagogical institute. In December 1934, the Pedagogical Institute was named after Sergey Kirov. From September 1, 1995, Vitebsk State Pedagogical Institute named after S. Kirov was transformed into Vitebsk State University, which since February 1998 bears the name of Pyotr Masherov, a graduate of the Vitebsk university. Today, the university trains specialists in the fields of pedagogy, psychology, humanities, natural sciences and mathematics, art and design, law, social work, and physical education. In total, the university trains specialists with higher education in eight profiles, 40 specialties, 15 fields, and 35 specializations in 11 faculties. In 2009, almost 1,000 young specialists graduated from the full-time program. Today, more than 4.7 thousand students study at VSU on a full-time basis and almost 5.5 thousand on a part-time basis. -0-