St Petersburg University Prepares to Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory

Today, a memorial service for those who gave their lives for the Motherland during the war will be held at the University’s Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Following the service, staff and students are invited to a solemn gathering at the 'To the Immortal Fallen' stele. In keeping with tradition, the anniversary will also see the start of the Vyacheslav Vasilkovsky Memorial Athletics Relay, honouring the Leningrad University graduate and athlete who heroically fell in 1941. 

A special edition of the St Petersburg University Journal has been published for Victory Day.

The University will host events throughout the year, including a major exhibition: 'The University at War 1941-1945' — showcasing how the University community stood with the nation during the war years, from frontline service to scientific work during the Siege of Leningrad and evacuation, followed by participation in post-war reconstruction. The exhibition features unique materials from the SPbU History Museum’s collection, many displayed for the first time, alongside research by University historians and veterans’ memoirs.

An online exhibition highlighting Leningrad University physicists, mathematicians, mechanists and astronomers who contributed to the war effort, both on the frontlines and behind them. Sergey Petrov, Head of Astronomy at SPbU, will discuss their crucial role in counter-battery operations during the Siege.

A new online course developed with Belarusian State University: 'The Great Patriotic War: Perspectives from Russia and Belarus', available via the Open Education platform.

Despite the immense challenges of war, Leningrad University maintained intensive scientific work to support the national defence effort. Professor Igor Tikhonov, Scientific Curator of the SPbU History Museum, will lecture on these wartime research activities.

A recent lecture by Honorary Professor Gennady Bogomazov examined the war’s origins, key phases (particularly the difficult early period), complex Allied relations between the USSR, UK and USA, and the opening of the Second Front. The talk honoured University members commemorated in the Faculty of Economics’ Hall of Military Glory, who gave their lives for victory over fascism.

Additionally, SPbU to publish a series of articles 'The Academic Regiment: Economists on the Path to Victory', in which the recollections of colleagues tell about economists who took part in the fighting and later taught at the Faculty of Economics of Leningrad University. Biographies of Sergey Tyulpanov, author of the GDR Constitution, Ivan Kotov, Head of the Department of Economic Cybernetics, Hero of the Soviet Union, and other prominent university students are availableon the website.

On May 15 St Petersburg University to unvail of a memorial plaque for psychology department staff who served on the frontlines, worked in military hospitals, and defended Leningrad from air raids. Attendees will preview the documentary 'Leningrad Psychologists: Wartime Courage'.

Full event programme available following the link.