New-York tribune., 1901-04-25
THE RUSSIAN STUDENTS.

The recent and current disturbances in Russia
have served to call attention to the university
students of that unhappy country, whose lot is
like that of other students in the world.
Theoretically the Russian Empire is divided
into fourteen educational districts, each of
which should contain great university. Gin
land, with its splendid schools and university,
now being crushed and despoed, is not included
in this consideration) AS Il matter of fact there
only six important universities in Russia,
with several smaller ones. the oldest, that of
Moscow, dating from 1865. In recent years
women have gained admission to several of
them on equal terms with men, and the women
students now number probably two thousand.
Nominally there is a considerable degree of
freedom of teaching. Professors and lecturers
can inculcate doctrines which outside of uni
versty would be rank treason, and the publica-
tions of a university and the books it imports
from abroad are exempt from censorship.
This freedom is. however, more apparent than
real. y university is governed by two officers,
both appointed by the imperial government.
One is the rector. who has charge of the insti-
tuition educationally, and who generally makes
pretty sure that no professor Is teaching liber-
alism and that no liberal books are imported
printed. The other is prefect of police who
has charge Of the discipline and of the social
life g. Of the university. This policeman and
his assistants keep close espionage over all
students and discipline them at will. For
example, a student has been sent 70 jail for a
week for neglecting properly to salute an Off
Ger. and another has been expelled for speaking
10 a person who had been excommunicated bv
the Church. If any professor is suspected of
unsound teachings all students who attend his
lectures are especially spied upon. All students
ar oil lpI 70 ictipo iva
They forbidden to form fraternties. 10
meet together in assemblies. or even to asso-
ciate or talk with one another save in the most
formal manner. Social life among them, such
as is so conspicuous feature of German Eng
lsh and American universities Is altogether
unknown.
Depressing as these conditions are the young
men and women Of Russia have so great an
avidity for learning that they flock to the uni
versities in numbers beyond the capacity of the
institutions to accommodate. And, as most
Russians are poor they do so often amid much
priyation and sacrifice. 1t costs about S3oJ
year to live and study at university with
reasonable comfort. But more than half of the
students cannot afford anything like so great
sum. Not few strive to get along on a pit
tance of ten cents day, or even less Now
with such zeal for study. with such unnatural
deprivation OF the social pleasures of life. and
with all the passions and ambitions of lusty
youth at the full 1t is easy to understand how
often the students come into conflict with the
police and how 1t is that universities hocone
honeycombed with what is regarded as treosnn
The pity OF ii is inexpressible seeing that with
more than 80 per cent of her people iIliterate
Russia is in need of education above mosr
other things. The young men and women should
be the hope and promise Of the nation At
present they are regarded and treated rs its
enemies