Oleksandr Dovzhenko Hlukhiv National Pedagogical University is the oldest pedagogical higher education institution in Ukraine.

In the autumn of 1873, during a visit to Hlukhiv by Dmitry Tolstoy, Minister of Public Education of the Russian Empire, prominent local and public figures — Ivan Markovych, Head of the Hlukhiv Zemstvo Assembly; Fedir Krasovsky, Head of the Zemstvo Administration; Mykola Tereshchenko, Mayor of Hlukhiv; and the well-known public figure Mykola Nepliuev — raised the issue of establishing a teachers’ institute in Hlukhiv.

On 12 March 1874, a decision was adopted to establish the Hlukhiv Teachers’ Institute with a three-year programme of study aimed at training teachers for primary schools in the Chernihiv and Poltava governorates. Information on the establishment of the Institute was published in Circular No. 8 of the Kyiv Educational District Administration in August 1874.

The first director of the Institute (1874–1894) was Oleksandr Bieliavskyi, Collegiate Councillor and Inspector of Public Schools of the Kyiv, Podillia, and Volyn governorates, a student of the prominent educator Konstantin Ushynsky.

The official opening of the Hlukhiv Teachers’ Institute took place on 21 September 1874. Admission was limited to men who had completed teachers’ seminaries, theological seminaries, or gymnasiums. At that time, graduation from a teachers’ institute did not provide access to other higher education institutions.

Construction of the main building (now Building No. 1 of Oleksandr Dovzhenko Hlukhiv National Pedagogical University) began in 1874 on the site of an unfinished zemstvo hospital building and part of an estate valued at 20,000 rubles, half of which was reimbursed by the city council. The two-storey brick building, originally constructed in the first half of the 19th century, was adapted and expanded between 1874 and 1876 according to the design of architect Paul Schleifer, under the supervision of junior architect Fedora Tukhtieieva.

Classes began on 25 October 1874. The number of students did not exceed 75, with 60 studying at public expense. During 1874–1876, the Institute temporarily operated in the Nepliuev family house; classes were also held in the buildings of the progymnasium, the public library, and the zemstvo school.

According to the Regulations on Teachers’ Institutes (1872), the Institute functioned as a closed educational institution with a three-year curriculum, providing future teachers with the necessary scientific knowledge of primary school subjects and practical pedagogical skills. Graduates were qualified to teach almost all subjects and chose either a humanities or mathematics specialization.

Under the Temporary Curricula and Programmes of 1876, compulsory subjects included general history, pedagogy, religious instruction, Russian and Church Slavonic languages, arithmetic, elements of algebra and geometry, geography, drafting, drawing, calligraphy, and gymnastics. Optional subjects included singing and manual labour, introduced in 1888.

The Institute developed a strong academic staff, including historian Ivan Andriievskyi (Director in 1894–1905), historian of pedagogy Mykhailo Demkov, Ukrainian ethnographer Irodion Zhytetskyi, and artists Vasyl Mokhov and Oleksandr Shaporin (father of composer Yuri Shaporin).

Significant attention to improving the educational process and strengthening pedagogical and psychological training was paid during the directorship of Mytrofan Hryhorevsky (1909–1913). In 1909, a pedagogical museum was established, and teaching methodologies for several subjects were introduced.

Teaching practice for third-year students was conducted at a model two-grade municipal school affiliated with the Institute and consisted of several stages. Initially, students observed lessons, analysed them in writing, then conducted trial lessons, and later credit and reporting lessons under the supervision of methodologists, followed by group consultations.

Throughout its history, the institution has undergone multiple name and profile changes, including:
Teachers’ Institute (1874–1917; 1937–1954); Institute of Public Education (1921–1924); Pedagogical Courses (1924–1925); Pedagogical Technical School (1925–1930); Institute of Social Education (1930–1933); Pedagogical Institute (1917–1921; 1933–1937; 1954–2001); Pedagogical University (2001–2009); and since October 2009 — National Pedagogical University.

Over 30,000 specialists have been trained at the University. Among its graduates are prominent cultural, academic, and public figures, including Oleksandr Dovzhenko, academicians, writers, scientists, athletes, and educators of national and international significance.

The University experienced significant development during Ukraine’s independence, particularly in the early 21st century. In 2008, it was named after Oleksandr Dovzhenko, and in 2009 it was granted National University status by the Decree of the President of Ukraine. Today, Oleksandr Dovzhenko Hlukhiv National Pedagogical University is a modern higher education institution rooted in centuries-old traditions and aligned with the demands of the contemporary information society. It actively develops international cooperation, implements academic mobility programmes, and fulfils its historic mission — training highly qualified, patriotic, and competitive teachers for Ukraine and Europe, even under the challenging conditions caused by the war.

Andrii Hrytsenko
Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor
Director of the Educational and Research Institute of Philology and History
Oleksandr Dovzhenko Hlukhiv National Pedagogical University