A.A. Petrov

Director of IPS of RSPU named after A.I. Hertzen, St. Petersburg

Institute of Peoples of the North of RSPU named after A.I. Hertzen as a Russian National Training Center for Students from the Regions of the North, Siberia and Far East of Russian Federation (based on working experience)

The department of the peoples of the Far North (DPFN) was opened in RSPU named after A.I. Hertzen in the 1930s in order to solve the problem of training of national specialists in the sphere of education. In these years the department has made a significant contribution to the formation of intellectual elite of indigenous numerically small peoples of the Far North, Siberia and Far East, to the formation of national intelligentsia: over 40 graduates of the department became writers and poets, over 50 – researchers specializing in the Northern studies. During the years of its existence the department has implemented historically and politically significant task – the task of preservation and development of unique languages and cultures of indigenous numerically small peoples of the North. In September 2001 DPNF, as a branch of the structure of RSPU named after A.I. Hertzen, was abolished.

According to article 1.10.9 of RSPU Charter and the Resolution of the University’s Academic Council from June, 27 2001 (proceedings № 9) Institute of Peoples of the North (IPN) has been working within RSPU since September, 1 2001.

Students receive professional training at seven departments: the department of Uralic languages and methods of their teaching, the department of palaeoasiatic languages and methods of their teaching, the department of Altaic languages and methods of their teaching, department “Teaching Russian language in the National School”, the department of literature and methods of its teaching, the department of ethnic pedagogics and ethnic psychology, the department of ethnic culture studies.

IPN has three main and three complimentary specializations: “Russian language and literature” (with complimentary specialization “Native language and literature”), “Russian language and literature” (with complimentary specialization “Foreign language and literature”), “Culture studies” (with complementary specialization “History” and qualifications in art and folklore of peoples of the North).

Scientific research is conducted by the faculty of IPN in the area of “Northern studies: education and science”. Researchers of the institute annually publish scientific monographs, books of scientific works (in series «Североведческие исследования» (“Northern studies research”), «Литература народов Севера» (“Literature of peoples of the North”)), conduct international and Russian conferences on the problems of Northern studies. In 2005 the VII International Scientific Conference «Реальность этноса» (“Ethnic Reality”) gathering researchers – ethnologists, pedagogues, historians, philosophers, philologists, art critics from abroad and from over 70 regions of Russian Federation.

Research held at IPN departments yielded in over 200 scientific, scientific educational and methodological works published in 2004, including: 2 monographs, 5 educational manuals (for school and university), 4 educational developments, over 150 scientific and scientific methodological articles.

In three recent years, 4 Dr. Sc. theses were defended by IPN teachers – T.D. Bulgakova (the department of ethnic culture studies); N.M. Artemiev (the department of Altaic languages and methods of their teaching); E.S. Rogover (the department of literature and methods of its teaching); S.A. Myznikov (the department of Uralic languages and methods of their teaching); 3 C. Sc. theses – by S.N. Tereshkin (the department of Uralic languages and methods of their teaching); E.V. Malysheva (the department of ethnic pedagogics and ethnic psychology); L.V. Oganezova (the department of literature and methods of their teaching).

In IPN graduate school such specializations as “Languages of peoples of RF”, “Culture Studies”, “Literature of peoples of RF” exist at the departments of Uralic languages, ethnic culture studies and literature and methods of its teaching, where 17 graduate students are studying at the moment.

At present IPN students include representatives of 21 regions of the North, Siberia and Far East: Khanty-Mansiyskiy Autonomous District, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Autonomous District, Nenetskiy Autonomous District, Evenkiyskiy Autonomous District, Chukotskiy Autonomous District, Koryakskiy Autonomous District, Taimyrskiy Autonomous District, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Krasnoyarskiy Region, Khabarovskiy Region, Sakhalinskaya Province, Murmanskaya Province, Republic of Buryatia, Irkutskaya Province, Amurskaya Province, Chitinskaya Province, Primorskiy Region, Archangelskaya Province, Leningradskaya Province, Aginskiy Buryatskiy Autonomous District, Kamchatskaya Province, Tomskaya Province, St. Petersburg City.

IPN students represent 26 ethnic groups: Nenets – 39, Evenk – 30, Khanty – 29, Chukchi – 19, Even – 28, Mansi – 18, Dolgan – 13, Nanai – 15, Nivkhi – 5, Selkup – 13, Koryak – 3, Saami – 9, Yukagir – 4, Ulchi – 2, Itelmen – 5, Ket – 5, Udege – 3, Chuvan – 1, Veps – 20, Nganasan – 2, Soyot – 2, Aleut – 1; as well as Russian – 24, Yakut – 31, Buryat – 12, German – 1. Total number of full-time students among representatives of numerically small peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East equals to 265 people; among other ethnic groups sent to study from Northern regions – 68 people.

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