| Kazan (Volga region) Federal University | |
|---|---|
| Казанский (Приволжский) федеральный университет | |
Logo of the Kazan State University |
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| Established | 5 (new style: 17) November 1804 |
| Type | Public |
| Rector | Myakzyum Salakhov |
| Admin. staff | ~1,137 |
| Students | ~16,000 |
| Location | Kazan, Russia |
| Campus | Both urban and suburban |
| Website | www.ksu.ru |
Kazan (Volga region) Federal University (Russian: Казанский (Приволжский) федеральный университет; Tatar: Казан (Идел Буе) дәүләт университеты; Latin: Qazan dəwlət universitetı) is located in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia. It was established in 2010 on the basis of the former Kazan State University, originally founded in 1804 as Kazan Imperial University.
Kazan University is the second oldest of the current Russian universities. The famous mathematician Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky was its rector from 1827 until 1846. In 1925, the university was renamed in honour of its most famous alumnus, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin). Kazan University is known as "the birthplace of organic chemistry" due to works of Aleksandr Butlerov, Vladimir Markovnikov, Aleksandr Arbuzov, and the birthplace of Electron Spin Resonance due to work of Evgeny Zavoisky.
Kazan's oldest part of the university building contains three classical portals along its white facade from the original 1822 construction. Included with this building is the First Boys' Gymnasium and the private residence of Prince Tenichev that was given to the university at the time of its founding. From 1832 through 1841, architect M. Korinfsky constructed the rest of the buildings. These included the Anatomy Theatre, the Library, the Chemistry and Physics Laboratories and the Observatory, completed the University complex and gave it its neo-classical look. The building of the Chemistry Faculty was constructed in 1954 by the students themselves.
On October 21, 2009, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed an executive order that would establish a new Volga Federal University on the basis of Kazan State University.[1][2] The federal university project was realized in early 2010 on the basis of Kazan State University, with the accession of the Tatar State University of Humanities and Education (TGGPU) and the Kazan State Financial and Economic University (KGFEI).[3] The university's first rector is Ilshat Rafkatovich Gafurov, formerly the mayor of Elabuga.[4][5]The current rector is Myakzyum Salakhov.
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The Kazan State University is one of the oldest universities in Russia. It was founded the 5th (New Style 17) of November 1804, when the Emperor Alexander I signed the Charter about the creation of the Kazan Imperial University.
Already during the first decades of its existence, it became one of the major centers of education and science. This institution formed a big number of scientific areas and schools (mathematical, chemical, medical, linguistic, geological, geobotanical, etc.). It is subject of special pride: the creation of non-Euclidean geometry (Nikolai Lobachevsky), the discovery of the chemical element ruthenium (Claus), the theory about the structure of organic compounds (Aleksandr Butlerov), the discovery of the electron paramagnetic resonance (Yevgeny Zavoisky) and acoustic paramagnetic resonance (Altshuler) and many others.
Since its inception, the university has trained more than 70 thousand professionals. Among university students are outstanding scholars, as well as representatives of culture, public figures: Aksakov, Mily Balakirev, PI Melnikov-Pechersky, Michael Minsky, Leo Tolstoy, VI Ulyanov Lenin, Vladimir Khlebnikov, NA Busch, VF Zaleski.
In 1925 the Kazan State University was renamed to the V. I. Ulyanov-Lenin Kazan State University, by decision of Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) dated by 25 June 1925. [6]
Kazan University Library has one of the world's most important bibliographical collections, including 15,000 manuscripts and 3,000 rare books. Opened in 1809, it first contained Count G. Potemkin's books that were brought to Kazan in 1799 mixed with collections of the earliest bibliophiles V. Polyansky and N. Bulich. Subsequently, the Solovetsky Monastery collections were added to the library.
These original books remain and are kept in the special depository of the library. In this special collection are Arabic manuscripts of philosophers and scholars Mansur Al-Hallaj and Avicenna (11-th century) and Ashshakhrestani (12-th century), a manuscript copy of the Pentateuch, the first Russian printed book "The Apostle" (1564), the "Books of Kingdoms" by Francisco Skorin (1518) and the "Code of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich" (1649). The Library has first editions of the 18th-century books by Pushkin, Griboyedov, Gogol, Nasíri and Tuqay.
The library contains many 19th century periodicals, and literature about Kazan and the surrounding region. The library boasts itself as "the pride of the University and an invaluable source of information for any researcher." The original library building was built between 1825 and 1833 by Rector N. Lobachevsky, who was at the same time the Chief Librarian of the University. The Library, which now bears his name, is still growing, and even its new building cannot house all the collections. Kazan University also has many museums.