HISTORY OF UNIVERSITY

Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the Luhansk Region, which was, is and will be an outpost of Ukrainianism in the extreme east of the country. During the 101 years of its operation, it has withstood many reforms of the education system and reorganizations, difficult times of evacuations and repressions.

The history of higher education in our region begins from the opening on March 1, 1921 of the first higher educational institution in Donbas – Donetsk Higher Pedagogical Provincial Courses. 

In 1923, the Provincial Courses were reorganized into the Donetsk Institute of Public Education, which was located in one of the best high-rise buildings on Taras Shevchenko Street.

1934‒1935 academic year, the Institute began with the status of Luhansk State Pedagogical. In the pre-war period, the Institute became one of the largest higher educational institutions in Ukraine. During 1935-1940, the Institute provided higher education to 6,500 young men and women.

On April 26, 1939, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR, the Institute was named after the genius of the Ukrainian people Taras Shevchenko. It is no coincidence that the school was named after Kobzar, because at that time it was the only institute in the region where teachers of the Ukrainian language and literature were trained. The general flourishing gave impetus to the development of science: in 1940 the first volume of “Scientific Notes” was published, and before the Second World War the second and third volumes of collections of scientific works were published.

During the Nazi occupation, the Institute survived two evacuations, and after the liberation of Voroshilovgrad, in the fall of 1943, a period of difficult recovery began for the education institution.

First of all, it was necessary to prepare training facilities, and during October-November the building on Oboronna Street was prepared for classes. Construction work was carried out mainly by student teams. Only 13,000 books were saved from the fundamental university library (200,000 items).

The Institute grew more intensively in the postwar years. New buildings and sports halls were built. Since then, the tradition of scientific schools, which have found their continuation in the practice of modern scientists of the university.

Establishment as a powerful research center and the overall development of the school gave rise to a change of status, and in 1998 Luhansk State Pedagogical Institute became the University.

The scientific work was at the center of the educational process. A multilevel system of education was introduced, which allowed to start studying in the 1st grade of the gymnasium and to continue it in colleges, bachelor’s, master’s, postgraduate and doctoral programs.

The dynamic development of the university maked it popular, famous, competitive. The institution had serious structural changes, improved work with international partners, took the position of a leader in education in the domestic market.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, structural changes began at the university, caused by the qualitative growth of individual faculties and the opening of new areas of training. During this time, the institute had seven institutes.

The general development of the university stimulated numerous professional achievements and recognitions. In 2000, the LSPU was recognized as the best sports school in Ukraine. In all Olympic seasons, university students defended the honor of our country. In total, our students won 30 Olympic medals in wrestling.

At this time the status of the educational institution was changed: on September 11, 2003 by the Decree of the President of Ukraine №1012 / 2003 the Luhansk Taras Shevchenko State Pedagogical University was granted the national status. 

The successes and achievements of the university did not go unnoticed by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: according to the ranking –2006 LTSNPU was recognized as the best higher educational institution of Ukraine.

Continuous development and improvement of the education quality became the basis for in 2008 by the Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of March 28, 2008 No. 535-r, orders of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated April 25, 2008 № 364 and No. 365 LNPU to acquire the status of classical and was reorganized into State Institution “Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University”.

As a result of the Russian attack in 2014, the University was the first to suffer from the invaders, as it was geographically located in the center of Luhansk city, next to the buildings of the SBU and the Regional State Administration. Therefore, since August 2014, Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University (hereinafter – the University, LTSNU) began the academic year in the city of Starobilsk (Luhansk region), to which it was forced to temporarily move after the occupation of Luhansk. The university administration, a large part of the teachers and staff were in Starobilsk city. By order of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Ukraine No. 1128 dated 03.10.14, the legal address of LTSNU was established in the city of Starobilsk, 1 Gogol Square. Other structural subdivisions were located in the cities of Kreminna, Rubizhne, Lysychansk, Shchastia, and Poltava.

The morning of February 24, 2022 shook the entire sovereign Ukraine. The result of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into the territory of the state was the fourth forced evacuation of the University in its entire history. Currently, the buildings of the administrative center of LTSNU in Starobilsk are temporarily occupied by Russian terrorist groups, where the entire material and technical base has remained. Over the buildings of the university, the occupiers raised the flags of the terrorist organization “LPR” and the illegal educational structure “Luhansk State Pedagogical University”. The war took the lives of outstanding scientists and students of the higher education institution. Teachers and most of the students were left without housing, families broke up. In general, since 2014, the university has suffered huge losses, as buildings in the cities of Luhansk, Rovenki, Kadiivka (Stakhanov), Shchastia, and Alushta are occupied; buidling located in the cities of Rubizhne, Kreminna, Lysychansk were completely destroyed.
Therefore, today the rectorate, a significant part of the teaching staff and employees are located in Poltava on the basis of the Poltava University of Economics and Trade, and separate structural subdivisions are located in Myrhorod and Lubny. Pursuant to the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated February 24, 2022 No. 64/2022 “On the Introduction of Martial Law in Ukraine”, University orders dated March 3, 2022 No. 51-OD “On the Relocation of the University Management Center Under Martial Law” , dated March 10, 2022, No. 54, “On the Organization of the Educational Process Under Martial Law”.

Since March 11, 2022, Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University has resumed the educational process using various means of distance (mixed) learning (the university’s educational portal, platforms (Microsoft Teams, ZOOM, Classroom, etc.), groups and channels in Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.).

• The Chairman of the Supervisory Council of the University is the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (by consent) Oleksii Dniprov.
• The Academician of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor Vitaii Kurylo is the Head of the Academic Council.
• The Rector of the University is Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor Olena Karaman.

The educational offer of Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University covers about 250 specialties, educational programs and professions.

Despite the difficult conditions, LTSNU is a leader in education and science, the center of cultural development of the East Ukrainian region.

The University has access to the largest international abstract and scientometric databases of scientific literature: SCOPUS, Webometrics, Statista, EBSCO EP Package and others. LTSNU Digital Repository occupies a leading position among the repositories of Ukrainian higher education institutions.

Our University is the first educational institution in the region to be a full member of the International and European University Associations.

LTSNU was the first in Ukraine to twice successfully pass the evaluation procedure by experts from leading European universities under the Institutional Evaluation Program of the European University Association, which led to its dynamic development according to the best European standards.

According to the Ranking Web of Universities (Webometrics) and World Universities Web Ranking (uniRank), which determine the level of presence of educational institutions in the Internet environment, our HEI demonstrates high performance and occupies a leading position in the region.

LTSNU constantly demonstrates high performance at the International Exhibition “Modern Educational Institutions”.

In 2020, Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University was awarded the title “Leader of Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activity”. According to the results of the competitive selection and examination of LNU’s works in thematic nominations, it received two gold medals and a certificate “Quality of Scientific Publications” according to the indicators of the independent ranking of the international scientometric database SciVerse Scopus.

The history of Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University is a vivid example of devotion to one’s cause and country. The courageous team of the university staff always won, recovered and became a leader, an initiator, a center for the creation of new educational ideas that made learning interesting and effective.
So, we confidently step towards our dream – a powerful, progressive and innovative University – an educational, scientific and cultural center of Ukraine and Europe on the territory of a free state!

22.07.2022