Formation and development of higher fire engineering education in Russia. Part 2. Social and economic conditions for developing higher fire engineering education

Purpose. The initial stage of higher fire engineering education development in Russia took place in the context of emerging social and economic system of the new state structure, as an armed conflict was still in progress. A considerable part of this article is devoted to describing the difficult economic and complex social and political conditions of the early 1920s and their impact on the organization of the first higher fire engineering educational institution in Russia (the Fire Service Technical Institute). Methods. Historical observation and comparison of individual elements characterizing the situation in the country are chosen as the primary research method. Most researchers have linked the development of higher fire engineering education in our country directly to the development of individual educational institutions, as well as the development of their material, technical, and educational resources, a process that is continued in this article. Findings. The main result of the research presented in this article is an examination of one of the stages in the formation and development of higher vocational fire engineering education in Russia. Research application field. The results of the study can become one of the building blocks for a new Russian higher education system in the field of higher fire engineering education, based on over a century of experience. Conclusions. The Fire Service Technical Institute operated amidst a worsening economic crisis, paralleled by a growing social crisis in the country. Under such incredibly difficult conditions the state was unable to allocate the necessary resources for the fire service. Funds were insufficient to maintain either firefighting units or the central administrative body. This situation was the main reason for the short-lived existence of the Fire Service Technical Institute. Nevertheless, it has been the first attempt in Russian history to implement higher fire engineering education in the country.