ʺUniversity newsʺ (1861-1919): a source on the history of scientific life at Kyiv university
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2640.2026.162.16
Keywords:
St. Vladimir's University of Kyiv, periodical scientific publication, educational and scientific activity, ‘University News’, publishing industryAbstract
B a c k g r o u n d. The study covers the stages of organisation of university life and changes in educational policy that influenced the nature and content of university book publishing. Particular attention is paid to ‘University News’ as a source on the history of the university's scientific life, reflecting the main areas of research, the evolution of editorial policy, the structure and thematic content of the publication. Analysis of the journal's materials allows us to trace the dynamics of the development of scientific disciplines, the participation of leading scientists in the formation of academic discourse, as well as the significance of this journal for the dissemination of knowledge and strengthening the prestige of Kyiv University in the educational and scientific community.
M e t h o d s. The article uses a chronological method, which allowed us to trace the path from the initial idea of organising a university periodical to the implementation of the plan. A retrospective and synchronous approach made it possible to characterise the internal political and social processes that played a key role in the formation of university education in the second half of the 19th century. The structural-systemic method made it possible to identify the individual stages of the development of publishing and to determine the specific mechanisms that influenced the revival of publishing activity among teachers and students at Kyiv University.
R e s u l t s. The establishment, functioning, and content structure of the journal give reason to consider it one of the leading intellectual centres of Kyiv University in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the context of a complex socio-political situation, increased state supervision and restrictions on academic freedoms, the journal served as a platform for the development of scientific thought, the dissemination of scientific results and the formation of university academic traditions.
C o n c l u s I o n s. Regular publication, thematic diversity and the involvement of students contributed to the establishment of the journal as one of the most authoritative university periodicals of its time. ‘University News’ is an important source not only for researching the history of Kyiv University, but also for studying the development of science, education, and intellectual life in Ukraine in the 19th and early 20th centuries, enabling a deeper understanding of the formation of Ukrainian scientific tradition, tracing the origins of academic schools, and determining the role of university periodicals in the modernisation of society.
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