The First Dean of the Faculty of History of Odesa State University – Izrail Seroglazov: Biography, History, Bibliography

The article presents the life experience of an individual – Izrail D. Seroglazov, the first dean of the Faculty of History at Odesa State University – through the lens of societal and political dynamics and mechanisms of Stalinist repressions during the period of 1935–1938. Based on an attempt to reconstruct his biography and examine a specific case of political persecution, the article explores how personal and professional challenges intersected with ideological campaigns of the time. It demonstrates that the main impetus behind the persecution and the initiative to remove Seroglazov from his position as dean and expel him from the Communist Party originated “from below” – from the university’s microsociety composed of Communist Party members among faculty, graduate students, students, and staff. The root cause of dissatisfaction was his incompetence in organizing the educational process, irresponsible attitude toward his duties, disregard for criticism from students and postgraduates, favoritism toward close colleagues, corruption in the financing of research projects, and inappropriate behavior toward coworkers. While publicly supporting party decisions, Seroglazov sought to deflect or conceal the confrontation with his colleagues during party meetings. Political terror in the USSR in the 1930s became a tool for resolving internal conflicts within this microsociety. The study reveals how professional, social, and personal grievances intertwined with political accusations in the context of Soviet ideological campaigns. The article raises questions about the moral responsibility of ordinary citizens and the possibilities of resisting repressive policies at the grassroots level. The analysis is guided by historical research methods focused on careful and thorough examination and correlation of all factors influencing an event in its broader context.