History

Creation of TSU

At the beginning of the 20th  century extensive Tambov province, like the whole Russian Empire, was in need of skilled technicians. In January 1918 the provincial Zemstvo Assembly decided to open a university in Tambov. All daily activities were carried out by the Provisional Bureau (Board) of the "Society of Tambov University" (first Chairman – E. Bunin).

Initially, the provincial authorities took the responsibility for maintaining the University. The University has been allocated premises for administration and educational buildings. On July 4, 1918 future Tambov University, like all higher educational institutions in Russia, received the status of the state university.

In November - December 1919 the Pedagogical Faculty was reorganized into Tambov Practical Institute of Public Education named after N. K. Krupskaya. The hardships of the Civil War led to the outflow of the part of Moscow and St. Petersburg part-time professors and to the reduction of the number of students: 1920-1921 academic year – 280 students – Agronomial Faculty, 198 -Tambov Practical Institute of Public Education, 175 – Workers’ Faculty.

On August 8, 1921 the People's Commissariat of Education made a decision to close TSU on September 1, 1921. Attempts of the University administration and local authorities to keep the university did not succeed.

Tambov Practical Institute of Public Education (TPIPE) and Tambov Agricultural
Institute (TAI)

They were created as independent institutions by internal decisions and resolutions of the provincial authorities of August 26, September 15 and 17, 1921 on the basis of the Pedagogical and Agronomical Faculties of TSU. Student body: 1921 - 150 students were enrolled in TAI, about 200 in TPIPE. In the conditions of scant funding, part of the faculty began to leave as early as November 1921. The institutions worked two academic years. On June 3, 1923 TAI was closed. The Provincial Executive Committee and the University administration stood up for the preservation of TPIPE, but in the summer of 1923 it was also closed. During 1923-1930Workers’ Faculty was the only institution in the Tambov region, which became interregional and quite large in 1924; in the 1920s 600 of its graduates entered higher education institutions.

Tambov State Pedagogical Institute (TSPI)

In 1930 local authorities opened an Agro-pedagogical Institute in Tambov with a three-year full-time study and correspondence department.

The number of students was growing rapidly: in 1930 – 77 freshmen, in 1940 – almost 1200, and in 1941 – 1500. The academic teaching staff, whose initial core was made by professors of Voronezh higher education institutions, was gradually growing: in 1930 – 24 lecturers (17 part-timers), 1940 – 78, including one professor and 10 associate professors.

After the end of World War II, TSPI ensured a continuous growth of students: 1945 - about one thousand students, 1950-1980 - approximately four thousand students each year. TPSI continued full-time, part-time and evening training of teachers.

Re-establishment of Tambov State University (TSU)

On December 29, 1994 the decree of the President of the Russian Federation on the establishment of TSU was issued. Professor V. M. Zubets was appointed Rector of the University and Professor V. N. Okatov, rector of TSIC, was appointed First Vice-rector of TSU. On March 6, 1995 the University was named after G. R. Derzhavin. The re-established University set the following key priorities: the creation of an adequate material basis, the development of new and traditional areas of training, and the improvement of the quality of the academic teaching staff and the quality of teaching.

Anniversary

In 2018, Derzhavin University celebrated its 100th anniversary.

In 2021 Derzhavin became the winner of the federal project "Priority 2030".