History

The history of Pskov State Pedagogical University as the first pedagogical educational institution started September, 1 in 1874. The first pedagogical institution was Pskov male teachers` seminary, which trained teachers for schools.
October 1909 one more Teachers’ training institution appeared in Pskov. These two educational institutions carried out the common task but existed separately as provided by those days laws.
The Public Education Institute (PEI) was created after the education system had been reorganized in October 1919 by means of merging Teachers’ seminary and Teachers’ training institution. It was the first pedagogical higher institution of learning to train teachers of first-level and second-level schools.
The secondary education institution stopped meeting the needs of extended system of schools and nation-wide education in teaching staff in 1920 – 1930s. May 7, 1932 Public Education Committee decreed to establish a teachers’ training higher institution of learning in Pskov. The institute was opened up on October 17, 1932. It comprised five branches: socio-economic, physical, mathematical, chemical and biological. During two years the institute and the teachers’ training secondary school worked in one building and under the guidance of one head. They formed a teacher-training unity. In 1934 the institute separated from the secondary school, at that time a two-year teachers’ college was opened there to train teachers for seven-year schools. Previously existing branches were reorganized into departments. Since then and during all pre-war years the two departments functioned: physical and mathematical department and natural science department. In 1936 was the first output from the teachers’ training institute and the two-year teachers’ college: 148 young specialists got teacher’s diploma. 933 specialists graduated within the six pre-war years.
During Great Patriotic War the institute was evacuated to Kirov and temporarily stopped its work. The teaching staff and students took an active part in military operations at the front, in guerrilla detachments.
In May 1945 there was made a decision to restore Pskov teachers’ training institute and teachers’ college, which consisted of four faculties. There appeared new faculties in two-year teachers’ college too. In 1952 the teachers’ college was abolished and the teachers’ training institute became the chief centre for teachers training in Pskov and the region. In 1956 it was converted to a five-year term of study and started to train teachers of extended qualification.

In summer 1957 Pskov institute was merged with Vyborg institute by the decision of Council of Ministers. It led to an increase in teaching staff up to 100, student body exceeded the number of 1000 people. The institute became one of the largest pedagogical institutes on the north-west of Russia. In 1963 a self-dependent foreign languages department was formed as a result of historical and philological department division. In 1970 the number of students increased due to elimination of pedagogical institute in Velikie Luki. In 1977 one more department was established – primary education department, later it gave birth to correction pedagogic department (psychological and educational department). In 1977 technology and business department was established.
In 1982 Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR decreed to award Pskov State Pedagogical Institute by the Supreme Council for success in personnel training for public education. Recently due to modern life demands new specializations have been introduced in the institute: social work, applied psychology, museum administration, monument protection, bioecology, journalism, public relations, etc.
Increase in the number of specializations, scientific potential of professorial staff enabled change in the status of the institute: it became “Pskov State Pedagogical University named after S.M. Kirov” in March 22, 2005 by order of the Federal Agency of Education under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.
The University was commended by the President of the Russian Federation “for outstanding public services in scientific and pedagogical activity and a great contribution to the training of highly-qualified specialists”.
During 75 years of existence Pskov State Pedagogical Institute-University had about 34 thousand graduates.