Departments of history in pedagogical higher education institutions of Eastern Siberia, 1930's - mid-1950's

The Soviet education system was largely developed during the 1930s when secondary schools and universities were founded throughout the USSR, including Eastern Siberia. The nature of history education was also largely defined during these years. It was based on party political doctrine and taught the role of communism as the proper and legitimate form of government. History teachers in Eastern Siberia were educated at pedagogical institutes in Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Chita and Krasnoyarsk. Right through the mid-1950s these institutes were still developing their approach and solving problems ranging from the sourcing of teachers and students to developing curricula and defining teaching methods. The educational process in these institutions included academic classes, practice teaching and public speaking in the community. It was designed to develop the right personality in the graduates, who would be entrusted with teaching history and therefore effectively, the legitimacy of the communist system. The development of the education process for history teachers was critical not only to meet the need for history teachers in schools but also to fill positions in regional party organizations.