Brest State A.S. Pushkin University celebrated its 75th anniversary

Brest State A.S. Pushkin University celebrated its 75^th anniversary on October 30. Representatives of the Ministry of Education, the Regional and City Executive Committees, the Belarusian Trade Union of Education and Science Workers and other guests congratulated the University on this landmark date.

The ceremonial enlarged meeting of the University Council began with a video chronicle “The University: Year after Year” and a photo album showing significant events and facts of alma mater history.

In her welcoming speech, Rector Anna Sender turned to the history of the University, emphasising that Brest State A.S. Pushkin University is the same age as the Great Victory. Anna Nikolaevna said that the University is first of all people, thanks to the work and efforts of whom BrSU occupies a worthy place among the country's higher education institutions. Anna Nikolaevna expressed confidence that the close-knit team of the University will be able to realize all plans and implement new ideas and projects.

The anniversary is a time of celebration and an evaluation of the opportunities in the present to create the future. This is why many employees and trainees received awards on this festive day.

Sergei Kasperovich, Head of the Main Directorate of Vocational Education of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, congratulated BrSU. He noted that the 75^th anniversary is a date when it is necessary to summarise and emphasise achievements, and our university has many of them. Sergei Kasperovich read out the congratulatory message from the Minister of Education Igor Karpenko, which said that a glorious history, strong traditions are the key to the successful future of the University and expressed confidence that the university staff will continue to set ambitious goals and achieve them. Sergei Antonovich presented Anna Sender with a gift – a certificate worth 75,000 Belarusian roubles to improve the material and technical base of the University.

Sergey Kasperovich presented the Badge of Ministry of Education “Excellence in Education” to Larisa Maximuk, Head of the Chair of Foreign Languages, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor and Olga Perekhod, Head of the Chair of General and Russian Linguistics, Candidate of Philological Sciences.

The First Vice-Rector, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Sergei Severin, Dean of the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Tatiana Nichishina, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor Vasily Senkevich, were awarded certificates of honour of the Ministry of Education.

The certificates of merit the Ministry of Education were presented to the Dean of the Department of Foreign Languages, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Evgeny Osipov, the Dean of the Department of Law, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor Maria Varakulina, the Head of the Chair of Pedagogy, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Tatyana Kovalchuk, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Andrei Bodak, the Vice-Dean of the Department of Law, Candidate of Political Sciences, Associate Professor Eduard Severin and the Head of the Department of Educational Work with Youth Tatiana Koshik.

Gennady Borisyuk, the Vice-Chairman of the Brest Regional Executive Committee, congratulated the University. He read out the welcome message from the Governor, Anatoly Lis. It was noted in the message that 75 years for an institution is a time of flourishing, which means that the university will conquer many more peaks. Gennady Iosifovich, a graduate of the Department of Philology, expressed great gratitude to the teachers of his native department, who generously shared their experience, provided valuable advice and support in all their endeavours. Gennady Borisyuk awarded the Head of the Chair of Physical Education, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Tatiana Demchuk and Doctor of History, Professor Boris Lepeshko with certificates of merit from the Brest Regional Executive Committee.

Alexander Rogachuk, the Chairman of the Brest City Executive Committee, addressed the University with warm words. Aleksandr Stepanovich noted that the leading educational institution of the region is harmoniously integrated into the urban environment and is a driver of Brest's movement towards something new and better. He thanked the staff of the University for their joint work in preparation for the millennium. Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Associate Professor Larisa Borsouk was awarded the certificate of merit of the Brest City Executive Committee, and the certificate of merit of the administration of the Moscow district of Brest – the Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Natalia Tarasevich.

Valentin Miloshevsky, the Head of the Lenin District Administration of Brest, noted the important role of the University in strengthening cooperation with other educational institutions, including foreign ones, and presented a certificate of merit to Alexander Kolbas, Head of the Ecology Centre, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor.

The Chairperson of the Belarusian Trade Union of Education and Science Workers, Tatiana Yakubovich, also joined in congratulating us. She said that young people at our university receive not only quality knowledge but also the right ideological guidelines. Tatiana Romanovna presented Anna Sender with a certificate of honor of the Central Committee of the Trade Union Organization and the same awards and thanks to other university employees and students. Ivan Vasilenko, the Chairman of the Brest Regional Organization of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers, presented a certificate of merit, letters of commendation and thanks to the staff of Brest State A. S. Pushkin University.

This year the certificate of the V.A. Kolesnik Prize laureate was received by a team of authors consisting of the Associate Professors of the Chair of General and Russian Linguistics Lyudmila Goduyko, Stanislava Korolevich, Tatiana Lyantsevich and the Senior Lecturer of the Chair Olga Korabo.

A colourful concert programme to celebrate the anniversary of the beloved university was prepared by students. The studio of pop singing “Steps”, Sofia Obrubko, Vladislav Makarevich, Arslan Taimazov and other performers congratulated alma mater with musical numbers.

The festivities continued with the opening of the exhibition “Education and upbringing in the context of traditions and perspectives”. The red ribbon together with the Rector Anna Sender was cut by the Associate Professor of the Department of Philology Vladimir Senkovets and the Vice-Dean for Educational Work of the Department of Social and Pedagogical Sciences Nikolay Yakimovich, who prepared the stand. Important events of the University life are harmoniously inscribed in the exposition: opening of the winter garden, awarding the Belarusian Government Prize for quality achievements, meetings with heads of ministries and departments, regions and cities, Friendship Festival, etc. Anna Nikolaevna expressed confidence that every ten years the exposition will be supplemented by new significant events.

It is symbolic that another exposition opened on this day – “Through the long roads of war...”. Opened in 1945 as a Teachers' Institute, it was reorganised into the Brest State Pedagogical Institute five years later. Over the years, the institution expanded, its material and technical base was strengthened and traditions were created. The teaching and laboratory building on Cosmonauts Boulevard, which was commissioned in 1984, made it possible to train specialists in new areas. In 1995, the Pedagogical Institute was transformed into the University. Today Brest State A.S. Pushkin University is one of the best institutions of higher education in the country, which is confirmed by the Government Prize for Quality awarded again.

The new exposition included photographs of Great Patriotic War veterans who worked at our University. As the Dean of the Department of Philology, Tatiana Senkevich, noted, the memory of these legendary people will forever remain with those who have been fortunate enough to learn from outstanding teachers. The Dean of the Department of Foreign Languages, Evgeny Osipov (grandson of the Senior Lecturer of the Chair of Philosophy and Political Economy, holder of the medal “For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945”), is sure that those who followed in the footsteps of veterans, having chosen a noble cause - teaching and educating young people – will continue the glorious traditions of the older generation with dignity.

The opening of the classroom for the first Doctor of Physics and Mathematics at the University, Professor S.G. Condratenia, was especially awaited by teachers and students of the Department of Physics and Mathematics. The story about the stages in the life and professional life of the Doctor of Sciences aroused genuine interest among students.

On that important day for the University, an exhibition of students' decorative and applied art worked. It exhibited oil paintings, fabric illustrations and ceramics. All the creative work was done by activists from the creative workshop “Povyaz”, which works under the guidance of Marina and Valery Marchuk, and teachers from the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy.

The exhibition “The 75^th Anniversary of Brest State A.S. Pushkin University: Contribution to Science and Education of 2019–2020 Academic Year”, prepared by the library staff, presented printed and electronic educational and methodical complexes, monographs, publications that received the stamp of the Ministry of Education of Belarus or specialized educational and methodical association, educational and methodical publications, materials of scientific conferences, materials of student scientific and practical conferences and teachers' works in periodicals.

For 75 years, BRGU has brought together several generations of talented teachers, highly qualified specialists and talented students. We have no doubt that only enthusiastic and creative teachers and students will continue the pages of our glorious history with new achievements and good deeds for the benefit of alma mater, the city, the region and the country.

Julia Vovk, student club