Formation and Development of the Ulan-Ude Vocational College of Economics, Trade, and Law of the Burkopsoyuz in the Context of the Region’s Socioeconomic Development (1930–2025)

The article demonstrates a comprehensive study of the 95-year history of the Ulan-Ude Vocational College of Economics, Trade, and Law of the Burkopsoyuz as a key institution within the vocational education system of Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. Drawing on archival sources, including unpublished materials from the insti-tution’s current archives, the author traces the evolution of the college from its founding in 1930 to the present day. Particular attention is given to the analysis of the institution’s adaptation to the profound socioeconomic transformations across vari-ous historical periods. The study fills a significant gap in historiography, as – despite the existence of a substantial body of work on the history of the cooperative move-ment in Russia – there have been no dedicated studies that provide a comprehensive analysis of the history of cooperative educational institutions, specifically the Ulan-Ude Vocational College of Economics, Trade, and Law of the Burkopsoyuz. This cir-cumstance determines the scholarly novelty of the study, which, for the first time, conducts a systematic analysis of the history of a specific cooperative educational in-stitution as an independent object of historical inquiry; introduces previously unused archival materials into academic circulation, revealing the specifics of the college’s functioning across different historical periods; presents new data on the college’s contribution to training specialists for the region’s consumer cooperation system; proposes a periodization of the development of cooperative vocational education in a national region; and examines the mechanisms of institutional adaptation to changing socioeconomic conditions. Thus, the study makes a significant contribution to the de-velopment of historical and pedagogical scholarship by expanding the traditional scope of cooperative movement studies to include the field of cooperative vocational education. The article examines key aspects of the college’s activities, including the development of its ma-terial and technical infrastructure, transformation of educational programs, personnel policy, and collaboration with partner enterprises. It also reveals the mechanisms by which educational traditions have been preserved amid digital transformation in the first quarter of the 21st century, presenting a unique example of sustainable devel-opment of a vocational institution under conditions of socioeconomic change.