The Belarusian State University — the largest educational, scientific and cultural center in the Republic of Belarus — was founded on October 30, 1921. On November 1st 1390 students began attending regular classes at its three faculties: workers', medicine and social sciences. At that time the teaching staff consisted of 49 persons including 14 professors and 25 associate professors.
Such prominent scholars as professor M. N. Pokrovsky, professor V. P. Volgin, academicians E. F. Karsky, K. A. Timiryazev, D. N. Pryanishnikov and others were among the founders of the first Belarusian University.
Considerable contribution to the establishment of the University shaping its traditions was made by the first Rector of the University academician Vladimir Ivanovich Picheta.
The 1920–1930s marked one of the most dynamic periods in the history of the University. According to the resolution of Eighth All-Belarusian Congress of Soviets the construction of the University campus began in November 1927 and in 1930 it received the first students. In October 1927 the post-graduate courses were set up. Soon efficient relations with scientists of Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Czechoslovakia were established, students' scientific societies were organized at the faculties.
Rapid development of the University played a significant role in the creating the educational system of republic. The University's educational and research capacity gave birth to a number of independent higher educational establishments, such as Minsk Medicine Institute, Minsk Law Institute, Minsk Pedagogical Institute, the Belarusian Institute of National Economy, Minsk Chemical and Technological Institute, which later became a part of the Polytechnical Institute. The Belarusian State University contribute much to the foundation and development of the Academy of Sciences of BSSR, the Republic's State Library and number of large research institutions.
Illumination of illiteracy, assimilation of European and wold cultural heritage, formation of the national system of higher education and science — all these impressive achievements of the Belarusian people of 1920–1930s would have been impossible without the University and the inspired work of its staff.
For the first two decades the Belarusian State University trained 5240 historians, lawyers, mathematicians, chemists, biologists, and other highly qualified specialists. The activities of the People's Writer of Belarus Yakub Kolas and outstanding Commander-in-Chief, Marshal of the Soviet Union G. K. Zhukov were associated of the name of the University of that period. It was at that time of that L. A. Artsymovich, P. U. Brovka, K. K. Krapiva studied and worked at the University. Afterward they made a valuable contribution to the development of both national and world science and culture.
1941 was the year of the twentieth anniversary and at the same time it was the year of the most severe ordeal in the history of the University. On June 21, 1941 a jubilee exhibition was arranged at the University presenting the achievements of the staff consisting at the time of 17 professors, 41 associate professors, 90 teachers and assistants, 60 post-graduates and 1337 students.
The day following the celebration, June 22, 1941 became a tragic landmark in the history of Belarusian people. All the post-war generations of teachers, post-graduates and students of the University have always remembered and will remember their colleagues who left the classrooms and scientific laboratories to scarify their lives for the glory and independence of their Motherland. The evidence of this is the obelisk erected in 1970s at the University campus in honor of those who had perished in the battle against fascism.
The war did great damage to the University. The University campus was destroyed almost completely, the archives, library funds, laboratories and study-rooms were plundered. But despite the ravages of the war regular classes at its six faculties began at the station of Skhodnya near Moscow right in October, 1943. After the liberation of the capital of the Belarus in August 1944 the University reopened in Minsk.
The pre-war education and material base of the University had been restored by the end of 1950. By that time University had enrolled more than 2000 by that time. A new period in history of the Belarusian State University began, the period of its rapid development, creative teaching and scholarly research.
The 1950–1980s were characterized by an expansion of the scope of University activities. Its material and education facilities improved in accordance with Government?s decisions, the contests, the forms and the methods of the academic process and scientific research changed radically. The Belarusian State University deservedly occupies a honorable place among the leading universities of the country. Its international prestige considerably increases, scientists and professors actively participated in international scientific symposiums and conferences, in sessions of the UN General Assembly and UNESCO. The real proud of the University is the fact that two of its professors — U. M. Pertsev and F. P. Shmygov signed the UN Charter. The Belarusian State University became one of the first members of the International University Association.
The order of the Red Banner of Labor awarded to the University on January 7, 1967 was the evidence of the achievements of the University in development of science, education and culture and training highly qualified specialists or leading branches of national economy. In 90s the Belarusian State University was the largest scientific and educational center not only with impressive achievements, traditions of its own, but also with a number of problems caused by serious contradiction in the development of society.
On June 27, 1991 the Supreme Soviet adopted the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian people faced the vital task of the development of a sovereign state. Its quite natural that the Belarusian State University being the oldest and largest University of our country should not only play an important role in cultural and national development of Belarus at the present stage of its history but should also contribute to the programs of strengthening Belarusian statehood, to the development of economic, social reforms in our republic. At the same time the main priority in the activity of the University remains training of highly qualified specialists, capable of solving successfully and competently the most the most complex issues facing our society at the turn of XX century. It does not seem possible to cope with these problems without learning the experience of the post-industrial development and modern education technologies accumulated in the advanced countries of the world. That is why today, as never before, the role of the University in our society becomes a determining one. Only knowledge, science and culture can open the prospects into future. And again, the achievements and traditions of the University are really invaluable.
The efforts of the scientists have always been focused on the fundamental problems of physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, geography, social sciences and humanities. Scientific schools founded under the supervision of numerous professors of the University are wildly known not only in our republic but also abroad.
Its seventy-fifth anniversary the University celebrates as a internationally recognized classical university integrating essential features of the education, scientific and cultural center. The staff is proud of the university traditions and achievements but at the same time it realize the necessity of serious problems aimed at preserving the accumulated intellectual potential and promoting progressive development of the Belarusian University in future.
It is necessary to accomplish these reforms not only with the view of modern innovation technologies in education and scientific research but also carefully preserving the old University traditions. They the old University traditions have been laid down by the intellectual work of many generations of professors, teaching staff, post-graduates and students of the Belarusian State University. Great contribution to creating and preserving the University traditions was made by Rectors University: V. I. Picheta (1921–1929), I. P. Karenevsky (1929–1931), I. F. Dyakov (1934–1935), N. M. Bladyko (1937), V. S. Bobrovitsky (1938), P. P. Savitsky (1938–1944), V. A. Tomashevich (1946–1949), I. S. Chimburg (1949–1952), K. I. Lukashev (1952–1957), A. N. Shevchenko (1957–1972), V. M. Sikorsky (1972–1978), V. A. Bely (1978–1983), L. I. Kiselevsky (1983–1989), F. N. Kaputsky (1990–1996).
One the day of its seventy-fifth anniversary The Belarusian State University pays a tribute of deep respect and gratitude to all of them.
In the period following the socio-political transformations of the early 1990's, the Belarusian State University was able to successfully develop its potential under new circumstances. Presently, the University provides instruction via 14 faculties and offers 34 fields of study. Moreover, the University trains specialists through its Masters and Doctoral programmes. The University began instructing students in such majors as International Relations, International Law, International Tourism, Informatics and Communication, Psychology, Mathematics, Geological Surveying, Ecological Studies, Chemistry, Library Studies, etc.
The learning process at the University is conducted in such a manner that a graduate may utilize his or her acquired skills a standardized level, to effectively work with modern computer equipment, and utilize one or more foreign languages at a given place of employment.
At our students' disposal, the University houses a library, which contains volumes pertinent to each individual faculty. Moreover, the University facilitates computer labs that are equipped with Internet connections. Adjoined to the BSU, is the Republican Institute High School, three institutes of social and political research, and a high-energy physics laboratory. This flexibility allows for the execution of more effective organization management vis-a-vis the training of our students as well as taking into consideration their individual capacities and educational priorities.
The Belarusian State University is accessible to all who wish to enrich their knowledge in our learning centre. We will be glad to extend our assistance via the procurement of instruction, which performs in compliance to world standards and the requirements of modern society.
The Belarusian State University — the largest educational, scientific and cultural center in the Republic of Belarus — was founded on October 30, 1921. On November 1st 1390 students began attending regular classes at its three faculties: workers', medicine and social sciences. At that time the teaching staff consisted of 49 persons including 14 professors and 25 associate professors.
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