The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-12


Although we are familiar with the names
OF many distinguished Russian scientists
and men OF learning very little is known
In this country about the scale and aim OF
the arrangements for promoting the higher
education In the Cars dominions. we
have read. therefore. with unusual interest
an article on the subject In the last number
OF the Scottish Rerie,c by contributor
who has attended lectures In the University
of Kev. and who has consequently OBJ
taiucd his information ut first hand.
Tho Russian university system Is OF COM
parativcly recent date. the first experiment.
in this direction having been made less
than century and a half ago. There nre
now, however. eight universities IN the
Russian empire. exclusive OF Dorpat In the
Baltic provinces and Helsingfors in Fin
land. Dorpat. which Is just now passing
through crisis of change. has always hith-
erto been more German than Russian. Its
I, C92 students in 1883 included l.l79 Protes-
tants, mostly Of German descent. $50 Jews,
and only 95 orthodox Russians. The eight
Russian universities. named in the order OF
their foundation. are Moscow. kazan. Char
kov. St. Petersburg. Kiev Odessa. Warsaw.
anu lOnSh. All VI ILtSo alc Chuo"SN ~
the State, and have to great extent been
organized after the German system. At
the head OF each university stands Rec
tor, who holds the place for four years
and is eligible for disappointment. The
Rector is assisted by Board composed
of the deans of the four faculties.
IN inspector, and an official to look
after the domestic economy. What is
called the Council OF the University con-
sists OF the professors under the Presidency
OF the Rector. Upon this body devolves
the duty of selecting names to be submitted
to the Curator. or provincial supervisor OF
education. and to the Minister OF Public In
struction for appointments to vacant posts
OF readers" and professors as well as can
dldates for honorary degrees. All scientific
societies connected with the university also
come under the control Of the Council.
The faculties in the Russian universities
were originally only three. but are now
four namely. law. medicine. philosophy.
physics and mathematics. The University
OF st. Petersburg has faculty Of Eastern
languages, but none of medicine. There
are five distinct classes Of teachers. viz.
the emeritus professor. the ordinary or
the decent. and the lector or reader. A
professor keeps his appointment for term
OF twenty-five years. after which he may
be reappointed for five years more. At the
close OF thirty years service he must retire
from the regular staff. but may retain the
title of emeritus professor. and may deliver
lectures for one or two additional periods
of five years. The incomes of Russian pro-
fessors vary widely. The ordinary and ex-
traordinary professors are paid three and
two thousand roubles respectively. but they
receive in addition fees which constitute
the variable element. The Rector gets If
teen hundred roubles extra and the dean
OF each faculty six hundred. The homo
rarium OF a decent varies still more. being
mainly dependent on the bounty OF the
Minister Of Public Instruction. The docents
are the class from which professors are
chosen. The five chief universities employ
about three hundred and fifty professors Of
both grades and two hundred and ten do
cents, with some twenty lectors. In Russia.
as in Germany. the rivalry between pro-
fessor and decent is generally wholesome {:
it keeps the former from relaxing his ex-
ertions. while it stimulates the latter to
incessant activity.
One of the improvements recently intro
| duced in Russian universities is the insti-
| tuition OF Examination Boards. The tests
applied by these Boards are guarantees
that students on leaving the university
have attained to the standard required for
entrance into the civil service. No student
| Is admitted to the examinations who has
not kept ten half-yearly terms in medicine
and eight in any OF the other faculties
Each faculty prescribes the examinations
for degrees and prizes. 1t should. by the
way, be noted that in the Russian universe,
ties the degree Of Bachelor Is not conferred
At the conclusion Of their course the gradu.
ates are practically divided into three
classes: those who pass out first receive the
title Of candidates. next come the real
students" and. finally. those who merely
obtain certificates. The higher degrees are
those OF Doctor and Master.
To show the course OF studies pursued In
the Russian universities the Scottish Re.
view selects Moscow for an example. Here
In the School OF Ancient Philosophy. Prof
GRoTA in 1880 took for his subject PLATo's
Dialogues and the Platonic Philosophy
Decent LoPATISA lectured on KANT. An
Gent art was expounded by Prof. TsvRrAEv
who illustrated his subject with plaster
models borrowed from the Museum. II
connection with the lectures. students were
expected to study PLISYs Natural History
BRUINS History Of Greek Art. OvERBEcK',
History OF Greek Sculpture. and BAU
MEIsTRR's History Of Monuments Of Classi
cal Antiquity. Four other professors ant
six docents lsctured on various othe
branches OF classical literature. Their
were also lectures on Sanskit. on Oh
Slavonic. and on Russian literature. Fac
foreign language has its iector. generally
foreigner. and among the European author
discussed were SCHILLER. BEAUMARCHAIs
and BYRON. In the mathematical and phys
ical faculty three professors and two dc
cents were engaged 10 lecturing on pur
mathematics; two professors and two dc
cents on mechanics and Its branches; Will
about twenty-five OF both classes OF teacher
lectu-ed on astronomy, physics, chemistry
mineralogy. geology. paleOntology. botany
zoology. physiology. anthropology. and ae