Институциализация советской высшей школы в России в 1920-е гг.

Abstract

The scientific concept of the Soviet state policy in the sphere of higher education in 1920s and its role in the system of state management of social processes and education of young people is formulated in the article by the aid of modern research methods. The study concludes that after the revolutionary events of 1917 and the Civil war, the leadership of the RCP(b) began to implement practices to radically reform the system of higher education. It was launched onto a new path of development, its proletarization reinforced and introduction of political methods of management continued. While developing state policy in the field of higher education, the emphasis was placed on radical, essential measures that served the goals and objectives of the Soviet power. The result was a qualitatively different content of education, ideological bias of social life, culture, science, and education, and strengthening of repressive policy towards representatives of the ‘old-regime’ higher education. The initiator of all innovations in the system of higher education in Russia in the 1920s was the RCP(b)-VKP(b). The Bolsheviks social experiment in accelerated introduction of new communist socio-cultural values and proletarianization of higher education institutions proved controversial, design of Soviet higher school being extremely poor. At the same time, the higher school that existed in Russia before and achieved the trappings of consistency by 1917, also had its advantages and disadvantages. In early 1920s, in the light of new socio-political reality, main elements of the previous structure were reformed in a fairly rigid way by the ruling RCP(b)-VKP(b). The institutionalization of the Soviet higher school in 1920s took place when a shortage of personnel with socio-cultural, methodological, and scientific experience necessary for successful implementation of the proposed socio-economic reforms was compensated by support of state security agencies.