Poltava State Pedagogical University

Poltava V.G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University (PNPU) is one of the oldest universities in Ukraine and is practically synonymous with watershed events in the history of Ukrainian national science and education. Its history goes back to the Poltava Teachers Institute, founded in 1914, and the Historical-Philological Department of Kharkiv University in Poltava, established in 1918, which were the forerunners of the higher learning establishment we know today. In 1921, the Institute and Department were united to form the Higher Institute of Community Education, which consisted of the Philology-History and the Math-Science divisions. In 1930, the institution was reorganized into the Institute of Social Education and had two departments, pre-school and school, until, in 1933, it became the Poltava Pedagogical Institute, which consisted of four departments with a four-year course of study. In 1936, it became the Poltava Teachers Institute and had a Language-Literature and a Physics-Math department. Since December 1949 the Institute has borne the name of Russian writer Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko. On December 9, 1999, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers re-established the Institute as Poltava State Pedagogical University, and in 2009, the university received national status.

The University is famous for its educational traditions. Its intellectual climate was crafted by teaching staff including notable historians A.K. Volin, D.I. Baggaley, N.V. Mirza-Avakyants, and P.M. Coynash, world-renowned philosopher A.F. Losev, prominent linguists N.F. Sumtsov, V.A. Shchepot’ev, G.I. Mayfest, V.S. Ogolevets, and D.I. Ganich, the founder of Ukrainian national pedagogy G.G. Vashchenko, and the talented composer and conductor V.N. Verhovinets. Over the course of its more than 100-year history, PNPU has graduated over 50,000 qualified teachers including prominent educators A.S. Makarenko (1914-1917) and V.A. Sukhomlinsky (1936-1938), more than 30 writers, over 100 Merited veteran educators, hundreds of “Excellence in Education of Ukraine” awardees, as well as Heroes of Socialist Labour, Heroes of the Soviet Union, government ministers, and academics of the highest level.

Due to the efforts of many generations of faculty, students, and staff, the University has become well known not only in Ukraine but also outside its borders. The calibre of the institution is evidenced by its high ranking (e.g., “Golden Fortune” and “St. Sophia of Kyiv” ratings) in various categories over many years. In 2011, PNPU was ranked #22 for Ukrainian pedagogical and humanitarian institutions and universities of physical education.