The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-01-04
The St. Petersburg University.

Sciences, stands big building of pecu-
liar architecture built during the reign
of Peter the Great. To this building
belongs an observatory, with several
side buildings, containing scientific col
lections, libraries in different languages,
and flats of rooms for the officials and
professors connected with the university.
The entire building is crossed by two
long corridors which are situated one
over the other, and are, next to similar
corridor in the Vatican, the longest in
the world.
The st. Petersburg University has
four faculties. The total number of
regular students was last year 2, 200, and
about as many irregular or free students.
The various branches of study are
strictly prescribed by the authorities.
The other branches which are not obi
gatory the students seldom follow. Most
of the students take the prescribed
branches and leave the others alone, and
mix little or not at all with the other de-
partments, which, by the way. are
strictly separated.
Admission to the University by pay
ing fee of thirty dollars is open to any
! male, without distinction of rank, class,
or caste, but in order to be admitted one
must have the diploma of a gymnasium,
and not be younger than seventeen.
Those who have not been at GYM
nasium have to undergo an examination
at the university. After these condi-
tons have been performed one gets the
rights of student. He can then obtain
studies from the various Governmental
sources existing for this special purpose
in case OF poverty, and at the same time
he is under the most severe regu-
lations. The free or irregular stu
dent has no right whatever, and
can visit the university classes by pay
ing the fee of fifty rubels without
having a diploma of graduation from a
gymnasium, but also can never OBTAIN
the diploma of a graduate or the rank of
Magister. These ranks furnish mostly
the Nihilists, and among them can be
found men as old as forty or more.
Every faculty is divided into four terms
each of one year, and student can re-
main in each longer if at the end of .
term he desires to or does not undergo
successful examination. The longest
time, however, for each term is two and
one-half years. If after this term a
student does not undergo a successful
examination he has to leave the faculty,
but can resume on another branch. For
instance, having been on the first term
of physico-historical study without sue
cess, he can pursue the study of law or
of any other branch. After going sue
cessfully through all four terms the
student gets the rank of Magister of such
or such faculty, and can at once present
himself for office, entering the Govern
ment service with the twelfth rank class.
(There are thirteen in Russia.) Foreign
diplomas are of no account in Russia A
lawyer, a physician, teacher dare not
practice unless he has graduated from
the university. Great leniency, how
ever, exists for professors of foreign
languages, who, with a foreign diploma,
have but to undergo a mock examina-
ton, after which they can open schools
or practice as Professors in Govern
mental academies or schools. In regard
to the student himself, the St. Petersburg
University contains great variety of
classes of all ages and nationalities. Be-
ginning with the swell and ending with
the red national shirt of some lakewood
Russian, who can be compared with
the western farmer in the Territories,
one can find among them rep
resentatyes of the oldest landed aris-
tocracy, sons of Ministers, of high
officials, the clergy, some swells from
the haute finance, and so on to the son
of some farmer or ''mouiie'' (peasant),
whose Unborn thirst for knowledge or
education has made him overcome the
different difficulties and obstacles from
his native village to the Car residence.
AS to the former classes mentioned, they
belong to those young men who have
either failed or out of pecuniary reasons
have left the Lyceum or Law Acade ry
and turned their path by necessity to the
University. as, at ST. Petersburg, under
the term student" nothing very extra
ordinary is understood. The bigger part
of the students belong to the middle
classes, who, by study, and animated by
the wish for higher culture, not minding
the small purse, try their luck in going
to the University, TO find some employ
ment in shape of giving lessons to young
boys, and thus earn the necessary means
to exist during their time of study The
student very often gets disappointed; as
on arrival at the brilliant metropolis. he
finds the demand small, and the papers
filled with Situations wanted as teacher
''for board and room, or aboard alone.'
Besides, this life in st. Petersburg is ex-
pensive for the unwary
Let us take an example Here is
young Russian from some province. 4
After suffering want of the first neces-
stiles of life he has gone through some
small gymnasium in provincial town.
After graduating he secures a ticket of
the third class. He is carried from his
backwoods to the window of the Gar
He arrives at the Capital, and finds
soon that for three rubles (for which his
brother would work month in the vii
lage) he can rent room ''near to
Heaven" No elevators. Daily he de-
sends and goes up six flights, living in
cheap restaurants for six and eight cents
a day. Beside the palaces and rich
stores and elegant carriages is the ground
for Nihilism. Alone and forced to asso-
ciate with a class of people which is not
the best in all large cities, living in SINH
lar conditions without family raliriou