Yaroslavl State University

The Yaroslavl Demidov State University is an institution of higher education in Yaroslavl, Russia. In 1918, Yaroslavl Demidov State University became a successor university to the Demidov Lyceum, which was founded in 1803.

Pavel Grigoryevich Demidov established the Demidov Law School by private means in 1803. On June 18, 1803, Alexander the First, signed an Edict to the Senate about opening a higher educational institution in Yaroslavl. At first Demidov has been in contact with the Imperial authorities regarding the foundation of a university in Yaroslavl, even going so far as to promise his own private funding to the new institution; however, when this did not materialise the Imperial government decreed that the school was, upon opening, to have the same status as a university but to carry the title 'higher school of sciences' and thus to be considered junior only to the universities in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. At first, the new institution enrolled only 11 students, but this situation quickly changed and soon the school was able to found a number of new faculties, including, amongst others, law, mathematics, chemistry, political economy and financial science . In 1819 modern French and German were also added to the syllabus.