The article covers the stages of development of literary education in Nizhyn Higher School from its formation to the present days. The methods of teaching literature at the Gymnasium of Higher Sciences named after Prince O. Bezborodko, which allowed to train a number of world-famous writers, such as Mykola Gogol, Nestor Kukolnyk, Yevhen Hrebinka, Viktor Zabila, Leonid Glibov and others, are studied. The study reviews the organization of the Mathematical and Legal Lyceums named after Prince O. Bezborodko, as well as the Institute of History and Law. The analysis of the educational institution, including many prominent scientists and writers of the time, such as academicians of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, Professors M. Grot, Speransky, R. Brant, Y. Karsky and others, and literary writers I. Kulzhinsky, P. Marochevsky, M. Zaterkevich, selection of teachers M. Lavrovsky, A. Budilovich, M. Also writers-literary critics I. Kulzhinsky, P. Marochevsky, M. Zaterkevych. The process of formation and evolution of the Department of Ukrainian Literature at Nizhyn Higher School from its inception (1930) to the present day has been researched in the article. The most important periods in the life of the department are covered, the directions of its scientific and methodical work, the organization of extracurricular work with students are investigated. The process of the literary study of the university is studied separately. Nizhyn Higher School from its classrooms 196 pupils embarked on the path of literary process. Among them are the winners of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize Yuriy Zbanatsky, Yevhen Gutsalo, Leonid Horlach, famous writers and literary critics of the Ukrainian diaspora Olga Mak, Anatoliy Kalinovsky, Leonid Poltava, Petro Odarchenko, Ivan Koshelivets and others. The creative destinies of the heads of the literary studio, writers Mykola Saik, Oleksandr Korolevych, Pavlo Serdyuk, laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize, academician of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Dmitry Nalivayko, translator, poet and professor Oleksandr Astafyev. Much attention in the research is paid to the process of emergence of democratic Nizhyn higher school in the 60–90s of the XX formation of national views among teachers of the century. The democratic views of Lesya Kotsyuba, Hryhoriy Avrahov, Ivan Brovko, Dmytro Nalyvayko and others will be told. Much attention in the study is paid to the functioning of the Department of Ukrainian Literature, teaching methods and Journalism Department in Nizhyn State Mykola Gogol University in our times.