Celebrating Anniversaries of Petrograd (Leningrad) University from 1918 to 1944

This article situates itself within two rapidly evolving historiographical fields: the history of universities and the study of historical memory. It investigates the practices surrounding the celebration of anniversaries and milestones at Petrograd (Leningrad) University during the early Soviet period. Utilizing a range of sources, including press materials, ego-documents, and administrative records related to the preparation for these anniversary celebrations—specifically those in 1919, 1929, 1939, and 1944—the study reveals how the scenarios and nature of these commemorative events evolved under the influence of state memory policies. Over time, these anniversaries transformed into yet another celebration on the “red calendar” for faculty and students alike. The article also explores how the university leveraged these jubilee festivities for corporate purposes. The authors conclude that university administrators and faculty successfully used these anniversaries as opportunities to draw governmental attention to pressing issues facing higher education. Furthermore, the paper addresses the impact of jubilee traditions on the historiography of the university itself, demonstrating that by the late 1930s and early 1940s, a new “Soviet” perspective on the history of Saint Petersburg (Petrograd, Leningrad) University emerged during these celebrations, laying the groundwork for future research in this area.

anniversaries, university foundations, Saint Petersburg University, historical politics, higher education