VITEBSK STATE UNIVERSITY

Vitebsk State university named after P.M. Masherov is the oldest higher educational institution in the republic of Belarus. It’s famous for its main traditions in training professionals. The history of our higher educational institution dates back to the year of 1910, when the Ministry of Peoples Education of Russia decided to set up a Teacher-training Institute in Vitebsk. It was the first educational establishment of such a type on the territory of modern Belarus. A new page in the history of the Institute was opened after the October revolution. In May, 1918 an all-Russia Congress of Representatives of Teacher-training Institutes was held. It made a decision to reform Teacher-training Institutes into higher educational establishments. So in October 1, 1918 Vitebsk Teacher-training Institute was renamed into Vitebsk State Pedagogical Institute. It became the first higher educational establishment of Belarus after the October revolution of 1917 and the first higher teacher-training establishment of Belarus. The temporary occupation of the territory of Belarus by fascist invaders stopped the activity of the Institute. After the liberation of Vitebsk from German invaders the Institute resumed its work on October,2,1944. The same faculties that had existed before the war resumed their work. Vitebsk The State Pedagogical Institute became the main centre for training teachers for national schools. 33 590 day-time and part-time students graduated from its departments. In September, 1, 1995 Vitebsk Pedagogical Institute named after S. M. Kirov was granted the status of Vitebsk State University. The new name meant also new directions of activities. Research work has become one of the main directions. Today the university is the centre of international, republican and regional conferences. The University has 4 buildings, 6 hostels, a botanical garden, an agricultural biological station, a stadium, 7 gym halls, a publishing house, a calculating and television centres, 5 museums (the museum of the history of the University, Masherov memorial museum, the museum of biology, the museum of literature and the museum of decorative and applied arts. In February 1998 the university was renamed after the statesman of the Republic of Belarus, a graduate of Vitebsk Teachers-training Institute Peter Mironovich Masherov. Today the efforts of the staff are aimed at turning the University into a leading educational scientific and cultural centre of the Vitebsk Region. There are 11 faculties at the University: The Law Faculty, the Physics Faculty, the Philology Faculty, the Mathematical Faculty, the Faculty of Belarussian Philology and Culture, the Faculty of History, the Faculty of Social Studies, the Physical Training and Sport Faculty, the Arts Faculty, the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Further and Advanced Training. The scholars of our university, our graduates and students do their best for the stabilization of the economy of the republic and its further development.