Professorial corporation of Petrograd University in 1917-1922

The article is concerned with the critical period of radical reorganization in Russian political power and related transformations in the system of higher education. The Revolution of 1917 sparked off dramatic changes in the standing of the university professorial staff. Most vividly, this process can be observed on the example of one professorial corporation belonging to Petrograd University. The university professorial corporation was considered one of the largest educational centres in Russia. The Revolution and subsequent Civil war considerably impaired both social and financial position of the university staff. Perpetual confrontation between the new reign and professorial staff led to annihilation of the university’s autonomy, which was one of the central values of the mentioned professorial corporation. The confrontation was based on different understanding of university management. As a result, in 1922 the university professorial staff was deprived of its exclusive right to manage Petrograd University.