The role of public discussion in the preparation of the university reform of the 1860s

The article analyzes the prerequisites for successful reform of the system of higher education in Russia in the mid-nineteenth century. During this period, many provisions of the university system and the educational process, which determined the development of national education for many decades, were formulated and implemented by law. For the first time in the history of Russia, social and pedagogical problems became the subject of wide public discussion. The key to the discussion was the definition of the purpose of universities. The very the same aspect of the upcoming reform was the subject of heated discussions by representatives of various ideological and political trends. The dominant frame of mind of the Russian educated society was becoming the awareness of universities as scientific, educational and educational centers that could benefit not only the state, but the society mainly. As a result of the reform, Russian universities became the most important social institution that determined the direction of the onward movement of the entire educational system of the country, its spiritual state. Namely, such preliminary preparation ensured the success of the reform of the 19th century. That is what modern reformers from education lack.