Autonomy and Academic Freedom in Soviet Universities (from 1920s to 1950s)

This article explores the issue of university autonomy and academic freedom in Soviet universities during the 1920s–1950s. In the years 1917–1922, Bolsheviks established a new type of university based on the higher education system of the Russian Empire – the democratic-enlightenment university, contrasting with the pre-revolutionary imperial university. It was open to the lower classes of society, primarily proletarians, did not award diplomas upon completion, was not integrated into the civil service system like the imperial university, and focused on training personnel for the economic and social spheres and mass education. Its complete subordination to Narkompros was accompanied by relaxation in the realm of academic freedoms. This university was characterized by pedagogical experiments, the application of cutting-edge teaching technologies for that time, and an emphasis on independent and creative student work. Following the end of the New Economic Policy (NEP) and the country’s shift towards industrialization and cultural revolution, there arose a need for specialists in the national economy, teachers, and medical professionals. The universities of the 1920s were unable to meet these transformations, leading to Stalin’s reform of higher education. This reform aimed at pragmatizing higher education and significantly impacted universities. As a result, universities became integrated into the higher education system as institutions preparing personnel for science and the education system. Practices reminiscent of pre-revolutionary universities, including their focus on elite reproduction, were revived. The new regulations further restricted their autonomy; however, remnants of university autonomy crucial for training scientific personnel persisted in Soviet universities.