It seems strange, but Yaroslavl State University is both one of the youngest and one of the oldest universities in Russia. Having been born twice — in 1918 and in 1970 its history began in 1803, when the noble, P. G. Demidov, founded the Academy of Higher Sciences in his native town of Yaroslavl on the Volga river. Later the Academy was renamed the Demidov Lyceum.