Kuban Agricultural Institute formation and the beginning of its century-long way

In 2022, Kuban State Agrarian University named after I.T. Trubilin turns 100 years old. The history of one of the largest and most famous universities in the Krasnodar Region, Russia, is of great scientific interest even today. The purpose of the study is to show the historical process of organizing a higher agricultural school in the Kuban and the formation of the Kuban Agricultural Institute (KSHI) in the 20s of the twentieth century. An important task is to consider the conditions in which the formation and development of the university, scientific and teaching work in it took place. The study was based on the principles of historicism, objectivity and consistency, using methods of comparison, statistical and problem-chronological. The formation of the KSHI took place in difficult postwar conditions: a shortage of specialists, food, space for classrooms and laboratories. It was due to the need to restore and develop the agricultural sector, which needed a sufficient number of qualified personnel. Particular attention is paid to the initial period of the history of the institute from 1922 to 1925, when a complex of problems (material, administrative-legal, personnel) was solved, on which the very existence of the university depended. The study emphasises the significant role of the first rectors, professorial staff. Structural changes from 1924 to 1930 are revealed, reflecting the dynamics of growth, expansion of the KSHI, the social composition of students, in particular, in comparison with other universities in Krasnodar. The problems of material support of students (including dormitories), features of the political climate in the university are shown. The conclusion is made about the positive role of expanding field research, deepening theoretical and practical scientific knowledge in the life of KSHI, which made it possible to train highly qualified specialists in a difficult socio-economic environment. The expression of these processes was the formation of a galaxy of young scientists from the graduates of the institute during this period, including V.S. Pustovoit and P.P. Lukyanenko, whose works later gained worldwide fame.