History of the Department of Foreign Literature and Slavic Languages

The Department of Foreign Literature and Slavic Languages was created in May 2020 by combining the departments of World Literature and Slavic Languages. The department is staffed with highly qualified lecturers: 5 doctors of sciences (S.K. Kryvoruchko, O.S. Sylaiev, I.I. Stepanchenko, O.O. Skorobohatova, O.V. Radchuk), 1 professor, candidate of sciences (I.V. Razumenko), 8 candidates of sciences, associate professors (T.P. Stakankova, O.I. Artiukh, T.V. Horiacheva, M.M. Zhurenko, O.P. Ilinitska, O.P. Karpenko, A.G. Kozlova, N.M. Khalanska).

The departments of world literature and Slavic languages, which are part of the newly created department, are the oldest not only at the Kharkov National Pedagogical University, but also in Ukraine. Their history dates back to 1805, when the pedagogical institute was opened in the structure of Kharkov University. After the founding of the Institute for Noble Maidens in 1811, which separated from the university, they existed for more than hundred years as part of the institute as a “department of Russian literature”. The lectures of the department had a great influence on the students and contributed to their mass enthusiasm for Russian literature that was confirmed by the students of the institute, the famous writers such as N.S. Kokhanovska and A.S. Shabelska.

After the revolution of 1917, Kharkov Institute of Public Education was established on the basis of the university and the Institute of Noble Maidens, united related departments. This joint period in the history of the two higher educational institutions lasted until 1932 and was distinguished for significant achievements in educational and scientific work.

Department of World Literature

In 1932, under the leadership of Academician O.I. Beletsky headed the department, a new school of literary scholars was formed, which determined the development of the science for many years to come. Such famous scientists of the first generation as E.G. Verbitska, M.J. Gabel, M. G. Guy, Z.S. Yefimova, M.P. Samarin, M.O. Finkel, B.M. Sivovolov, S.M. Utevsky, M.V. Cherniakov, A.P. Shamray, S.M. Shakhovskyy graduated from this school. Each of the researchers worked for some time at the department, which was headed by M.P. Samarin up to the Second World War.

During the war, the institute was evacuated to Kyzyl-Orda (Kazakhstan), where scientists were united into a single department of the Ukrainian University. The work of the department as part of the Kharkov State Pedagogical Institute was resumed in 1943 after the liberation of the city from the Nazi invaders. It received the status of the Department of Russian and Foreign Literature. For over ten years, the department was headed by Doctor of Philology, Professor M.P. Gushchin. At that time, candidates of philological sciences, associate professors S.M. Utevsky, Z.S. Yefimova, M.O. Gabel, B.M. Sivovolov, M.V. Chernyakov who were the students of Academician O.I. Beletsky worked at the department. They were real professors of their field, highly qualified scientists, talented lecturers. All of them carried out serious research work, but constant ideological oppression made their doctoral dissertations unclaimed.

In 1955, the department was headed by the candidate of philological sciences, associate professor M.F. Hetmanets. The older generation was replaced by young talented researches who continued the best traditions of their predecessors such as G.O. Vasilieva, A.L. Svietlychna, I.I. Dotsenko, V.S. Dovgopol, O.V. Vorobyova, L.F. Frizman. According to the level of scientific qualifications of teaching staff and the results of scientific and pedagogical activities, the department occupied a leading place in Ukraine and for more than 15 years, it provided methodological guidance to all related departments of higher pedagogical institutions of the republic by order of the Ministry of Education.

The research authority of the department is evidenced by the fact that after a long break the postgraduate course was restored (first opened in 1936) at the department in 1978, and a doctoral specialty “Russian literature” – 10.01.02 was opened in 1993. Since 1989, a specialized academic council has been functioning for defending candidate and doctoral dissertations. During this time, the department prepared and defended about 100 candidate and 15 doctoral dissertations. Among them are the postgraduate students of the department, Doctors of Sciences, Professors O.S. Sylaev, L.V. Garmash; Candidates of Sciences, Associate Professors L.G. Andronova, M.M. Zhurenko, O.P. Ilinitska, S.O. Kabardin, A.G. Kozlova, I.V.Razumenko, T.V. Horyacheva.

During the existence of the department, its heads were prof. M.F. Hetmanets (1955-1975; 1980-1990), Associate professor A.L. Svetlychna (1976-1980), Associate professor I.I. Dotsenko (1991-1994), professor L.G. rizman (1994-2009), professor O.A. Andrushchenko (2009-2014), Associate professor. M.M. Zhurenko (2015-2020).

Department of Slavic Languages

In 1933, a philological faculty was created at KhINO, consisting of two departments: Ukrainian and Russian. The department of the Russian language provided the educational process in both departments. The first head was academician L.A. Bulakhovsky, professor V.P. Besedina-Nevzorova.

The department staff was very small, because it provided the educational process only in junior courses. In 1934, the teachers of the department developed the «Program of the modern Russian language for pedagogical universities», which was quite politicized according to the time. The department taught specialized subjects (introduction to linguistics, modern Russian language, linguistics) and optional (for example, training workshops on expressive reading, etc.)

The personnel potential of the philological faculty increased along with the number of students due to senior courses. Before the war, autonomous departments of Ukrainian and Russian languages had been created. In 1941 the department of Russian language was headed by Associate Professor A.P. Feoktistov. Associate professors L.A. Kurelyova, B.P. Strelkov, S.S. Magura, lectures Z.F. Goldfein, L.I. Buriak-Nasedkina, B.A. Liezin, I.B. Genshaft, I.M. Marik, R.O. Raikhman, N.I. Yunosheva, and others were lecturers of the department.

During the Second World War, lectures worked at the institute that was evacuated to Kazakhstan.

After the war, the department was headed by Associate Professor A.Ya. Petrenko. At that time, associate professors L.I. Kolomiets, N.M. Cheremisina, G.V. Pavlovska, L.P. Cherkasova and others worked productively.

In 1983, the postgraduate study established in 1936, resumed its work. In 1993, the department trained 6 doctors of philological sciences and more than 50 candidates of philological sciences. In 1989-2010 the department was reorganized many times. The departments of the Russian language, general and Russian linguistics, methods of teaching Russian and foreign philology and experimental work, the sector of linguistics, the department of linguistics, the department of the Russian language, and the department of general linguistics were established on its basis. In 2010 it was established the only department of Russian language. In 2015 it was renamed into the department of Slavic languages.

The heads of the linguistic departments in different years were Professor V.P. Besedina-Nevzorova (1930-1933), academician L.A. Bulakhovsky (1933-1941), associate professor A.P. Feoktistov (1941); in the post-war period the departments were headed by Associate Professor Yu.R. Gepner, associate professor M.A. Britsyn, associate professor N.M. Cheremisina, associate professor G.V. Pavlovskaya, associate professor I.A. Kiryukhina, professor G.F. Kalashnikova, associate professor L.M. Chernyak, professor I.A. Bykova, professor S.V. Lomakovich, associate professor O.P. Karpenko, professor L.M. Pelepeichenko, professor I.I. Stepanchenko, professor O.O. Skorobohatova.