St Petersburg University enters a new era in its history

The University was founded on 28 January (8 February, New Style) 1724, when Emperor Peter the Great issued a decree establishing the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences and the University. In the year of SPbU's 300th anniversary, the city government approved a bill to amend the law "On Holidays and Commemorative Dates in St Petersburg." Now, alongside the city's founding day and other municipal celebrations, St Petersburg residents celebrate St Petersburg University Day.

SPbU receives birthday congratulations

The celebrations marking the founding of St Petersburg University began with a Divine Liturgy and a prayer service at the newly restored and reconsecrated Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, located in the Twelve Collegia building. The service was conducted by Archpriest Pyotr Mukhin, rector of the Smolny Resurrection Cathedral, dean of university churches in the St Petersburg Diocese, and rector of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The service was attended not only by members of the University community but also by residents of St Petersburg.

"Our University has been home to great minds who built, discovered, and created. The foundations they laid are used not only by us but by the entire world. The 300-year journey of SPbU demonstrates that it is not just a unique, ancient university, but also a remarkable temple where divine inspiration opens the mind to understanding the world," said Archpriest Pyotr Mukhin.

Of the nearly 400 priests serving in St Petersburg's churches, 25 are graduates of St Petersburg University. Several of them participated in the service dedicated to SPbU's anniversary. Protodeacon Vladimir Vasilik, a professor at SPbU (Department of History of Slavic and Balkan Countries), congratulated his alma mater and donated his works to the Maxim Gorky Scientific Library of SPbU. The publications focus on the philosophy and theology in the works of Alexander Pushkin, as well as the spiritual origins of victory in the Great Patriotic War. The donated books also include translations of Christian poetry from the first millennium.

Following its restoration in the year of SPbU's 300th anniversary, the church was consecrated by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia in the presence of Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, and reopened to parishioners. A commemorative plaque was unveiled at the University to mark this significant event.

On SPbU's 301st birthday, a midday cannon salute was fired from the Peter and Paul Fortress. According to SPbU Rector Nikolay Kropachev, this tradition has long been an integral part of St Petersburg's unique culture, and the University remains one of the city's most iconic symbols.

We, the members of the University community, bear great responsibility: we must live up to the status of a unique scientific and educational complex that plays a vital role in the development of Russian society. Thanks to the contributions of each member of our community, we confidently maintain the high standards set by our predecessors and continue to achieve new heights in science, education, and culture. Throughout its rich history, the University has skillfully combined tradition with innovation and constant development. I am confident that great achievements and discoveries lie ahead

SPbU Rector Nikolay Kropachev 

Among the distinguished guests invited to the ceremony at the Peter and Paul Fortress were Yury Natochin, Honorary Professor of SPbU, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the initiator and first dean of the University's Faculty of Medicine, as well as Elena Tupikina, Associate Professor at SPbU (Department of Physical Organic Chemistry), who excels in cutting-edge research, educational innovation, and mentoring.

Elena Tupikina leads the computational group in the Laboratory of Non-Valent Interactions under Professor Pyotr Tolstoy at SPbU. She is a grant recipient from the Russian Science Foundation and the President of the Russian Federation, and the creator of several original courses, including the "Digital Chemistry" programme, which trains students to apply modern computer modelling to solve challenges in the chemical industry. She also serves on the academic and methodological commission and organises and judges the SPbU Physics Olympiad for school students. Her research group specialises in quantum chemical and molecular dynamics modelling, enabling the prediction of molecular system behaviour with non-valent interactions.

The week-long celebrations marking SPbU's anniversary began with the opening of the exhibition "St Petersburg University: 300 Years of service to the fatherland" at the Legislative Assembly of St Petersburg. The University also hosted exhibitions, popular science lectures, and masterclasses.

The day before, the exhibition "Architectural palimpsest: St Petersburg University" opened in the Exhibition Hall of the Twelve Collegia building, while the Maxim Gorky Scientific Library unveiled an exhibition dedicated to SPbU's Nobel laureates. The "House of University Books" also presented a catalogue of the exhibition "University Artists of the 20th–21st Centuries," held by the Diaghilev Museum of Modern Art at SPbU.

To mark SPbU's anniversary, the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library opened a multimedia exhibition titled "Mr Student of the Imperial St Petersburg University," dedicated to pre-revolutionary student life, and curated a special collection on the history of the University.

On SPbU's founding day, a large-scale event — Applicant Day — was held for school students, university students, and their parents. Attendees had the opportunity to explore educational programmes at all levels, learn about the advantages of studying at SPbU, and understand the admissions process for 2025.

A special exhibition of student works and graduation projects by alumni of the "Graphics", "Design", and "Painting" programmes was opened in the corridor of the Twelve Collegia building. The exhibition marks the 25th anniversary of graphic design training at SPbU and the 15th anniversary of the Faculty of Arts. In addition, a photo exhibition entitled "My University" was opened in the SPbU building at 26 First Line, Vasilyevsky Island, the Faculty of Journalism building.

To celebrate the occasion, an open day was organised for applicants to explore SPbU's museums and collections. A roundtable discussion titled "The Living Tradition of University Philology," dedicated to the philological dynasties of Leningrad (St Petersburg) University, was held in the Turkish Room. The day concluded with a festive concert in the Assembly Hall of the Twelve Collegia building, featuring performances by SPbU's creative ensembles.

The celebrations will continue next week, as cosmonauts from Roscosmos will deliver the SPbU flag, which travelled aboard the International Space Station during the University's 300th anniversary year. They will also interact with students and sign unique postcards for attendees.