Social Portrait of Professors and Lecturers at the Novorossiya Imperial University in Odessa

Abstract

The article represents the main history stages of the first higher education institution in Southern Ukraine from its academic staff perspective. Considering historiographical traditions, modern approaches as well as the defined social portrait of professors and lecturers at the Novorossiya Imperial University in Odessa, we generalized its organizational, academic, international and other transformations. The analysis of different sources made it possible to single out features of the social portrait of university professors and lecturers (especially, those of world-famous graduates and members). Among them, there were founders of new scientific trends, theories, methodologies, schools, etc. The social portrait of professors and lecturers at the Novorossiya Imperial University was established via analysis of classes, professions, job duties and other principles. Therefore, we found out that teaching duration determined staff contributions to university development. In such a way, many professors of the Novorossiya Imperial University became its honorary members. The social and academic prestige of the Novorossiya Imperial University professors is explained by their membership in different societies (including the foreign ones). It is stated that employees of the Novorossiya Imperial University came from different social and professional classes: nobles, petits bourgeois, clerics. Also, there were academic dynasties.