An exhibition showcasing the 300-year history of St Petersburg University’s service to the country presented at the St Petersburg Legislative Assembly

St Petersburg and the University have always played a significant role in the life of our country. According to Peter the Great’s vision, the University was established to become a centre of enlightenment and scientific development for both the city and the nation. Today, our great University continues its centuries-old traditions with confidence, expanding its innovative potential and remaining a forge of talent across the country.

Nikolai Bondarenko, Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of St Petersburg

On behalf of St Petersburg University, Anastasia Yarmosh, Acting Senior Vice-Rector for Strategic Development and Partnership of the University, expressed gratitude to the deputies of the Legislative Assembly and the Governor of the city for the opportunity to extend the celebration, which began a year ago, on 8 February 2024. A resolution of the City Government approved a draft law on amendments to the law "On holidays and commemorative dates in St Petersburg". Now, in addition to the Day of the Foundation of the City and other city celebrations, the citizens of St Petersburg celebrate the St Petersburg University Day on 8 February.

"As Nikolai Bondarenko noted, the University is truly a forge of talent, particularly for the Legislative Assembly, whose fate is inseparable from the life of St Petersburg University— its expert, scientific, methodological, and educational activities," said Anastasia Yarmosh. "We sincerely thank you for your involvement in our projects, academic programmes, and initiatives, and for your unwavering support in responding to our every request. I believe that through this continued cooperation, we will carry on serving our great Fatherland for the next 300 years and beyond."

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graduates of St Petersburg University are among the deputies of the St Petersburg Parliament of the 7^th convocation.

Anastasia Yarmosh highlighted that one of the distinguishing features of the University is its commitment to preserving traditions. As a gesture of this legacy, she presented the Mariinsky Palace Library with an illustrated album, "Three Centuries of St Petersburg University", published by the St Petersburg University Publishing House as part of the 300^th anniversary celebrations.

The book collection of the St Petersburg Legislative Assembly, established in 1945, holds nearly 70,000 volumes. Among them are works by researchers from St Petersburg University, which are available for visitors at the Mariinsky Palace Library and featured in temporary exhibitions. For instance, the exhibition dedicated to the Days of Breakthrough and Complete Lifting of the Siege of Leningrad, which opened in January, included books published in the besieged city, as well as modern scholarly publications. Among these are: a collection of documents prepared by the University’s historians, "The Siege in the decisions of the governing party bodies of Leningrad. 1941—1944"; and the trilogy "Leningrad in the struggle for survival during the Siege" by Gennadii Sobolev, Professor Emeritus of St Petersburg University. The Mariinsky Palace Library, which houses books on various fields of knowledge, is open to readers. To visit, please contact the Museum and Library Information Centre of the St Petersburg Legislative Assembly.

The University maintains successful cooperation with the Legislative Assembly of St Petersburg, which also celebrated its 30^th anniversary in 2024. St Petersburg University co-organised a contest for the creation of a logo dedicated to this milestone. Additionally, the diploma awarding ceremony for the best graduates of the University, held in its 300^th anniversary year, took place at the Mariinsky Palace. Experts from St Petersburg University participated in the selection of candidates for the city’s Youth Parliament. Furthermore, to mark the 350^th anniversary of Peter the Great’s birth, the University presented the exhibition ‘Peter the Great introduced sciences to us’ at the Legislative Assembly of St Petersburg, highlighting the first Russian Emperor’s contribution to the development of scientific education.

It is no coincidence that the Mariinsky Palace, the heart of St Petersburg parliamentary government, was chosen as the venue for the opening of the exhibition dedicated to the history of St Petersburg University’s service to society and the state. Throughout Russian history, St Petersburg University has held a special position as an intellectual centre and has traditionally been a training ground for statesmen. Among its graduates are leaders of political parties and social movements, high-ranking state officials, and members of elected government bodies. At the beginning of the 20^th century, more than 70 graduates of St Petersburg University served as members of the State Duma, while 37 were members of the State Council of the Russian Empire. At various times, the Russian state and government were led by: Pyotr Stolypin; Vladimir Kokovtsov; Boris Shturmer; Alexander Kerensky; Vladimir Lenin; and Dmitry Medvedev. The leader of present-day Russia, and St Petersburg University’s most distinguished graduate, is President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.