Moscow State University

Moscow State University, also called MSU or M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, is a big public research university in Moscow, Russia. It has 15 research institutes, 43 different school sections called faculties, over 300 departments, and six smaller campuses. Many important leaders from the past, including leaders of the Soviet Union, studied there. The university has been linked to 13 Nobel Prize winners, 6 winners of the Fields Medal, and one winner of the Turing Award.

History

Main article: Imperial Moscow University

Ivan Shuvalov and Mikhail Lomonosov suggested having a university in Moscow. Russian Empress Elizabeth agreed, and the university was created on 23 January 1755. The first classes started on 7 May 1755. Both Moscow State University and Saint Petersburg State University say they are Russia's oldest university.

In the 1700s, the university had three departments: philosophy, medicine, and law. In 1804, medical education divided into three areas: therapy, surgery, and obstetrics.

After the October Revolution in 1917, the university began letting in children from working families. In 1919, the university stopped charging fees. During Joseph Stalin's first five-year plan from 1928 to 1932, the university grew bigger.

In 1970, the university had special rules for some students. In the middle of the 1980s, a dean was dismissed for doing something wrong. After 1991, nine new departments were added, and the university got special support from the government.

In 2008, Russia’s most powerful supercomputer started at the university. In March 2022, the university’s leader supported the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Because of this, some universities and companies stopped working with Moscow State University.

Campus

Main article: Main building of Moscow State University

Since 1953, many parts of the university have been in a place called Sparrow Hills in southwest Moscow. The main building has a very tall tower. It is 240 meters high and has 36 floors.

The main building holds many important rooms and schools, like the Museum of Earth Sciences and classes for math, geology, geography, and arts. Other schools, such as journalism and psychology, are in another building nearby. The university also has smaller schools in several countries.

Faculties

Moscow State University has many schools, called faculties, where students can study different subjects. As of 2009, there were 39 faculties and 15 research centers. Some of the faculties include:

• Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics
• Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics
• Faculty of Physics
• Faculty of Chemistry
• Faculty of Materials Science
• Faculty of Biology
• Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics
• Faculty of Soil Science
• Faculty of Geology
• Faculty of Geography
• Faculty of Fundamental Medicine
• Faculty of Space Research
• Faculty of History
• Faculty of Philology
• Faculty of Philosophy
• Faculty of Economics
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Journalism
• Faculty of Psychology
• Institute of Asian and African Countries
• Faculty of Sociology
• Faculty of Foreign Languages and Area Studies
• Faculty of Public Administration
• Faculty of World Politics
• Faculty of Political Science
• Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts
• Faculty of Global Studies
• Faculty of Education
• Graduate School of Business Administration
• Faculty of Physics and Chemistry
• Moscow School of Economics
• Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation
• Graduate School of Public Administration
• Graduate School of Public Audit
• Graduate School of Administration and Innovations
• Graduate School of Innovative Business Administration
• Graduate School of Contemporary Social Sciences
• Graduate School of Television
• Center of Military Training

Institutions and research centers

• Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics
• Institute of Mechanics
• Sternberg Astronomical Institute
• A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology
• Research Computing Center
• N.N. Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Problems of Microphysics
• White Sea Biological Station
• Moscow University Herbarium

Academic reputation

MSU is a well-known university. In 2024, it was placed between 101st and 150th in the world. In 2026, it was ranked 105th.

The university works with schools around the world. It shares students and teachers. It has special courses about people moving between countries and water science, supported by UNESCO. In 1991, it started colleges with France, the United States, and Germany.

Because of its support for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the university faced some difficulties. (See: sanctions).

Staff and students

Moscow State University has many teachers and workers. More than 4,000 teachers and 15,000 support staff help the university. There are also about 5,000 researchers in its labs and institutes.

Many students study here. More than 40,000 students are working on their first degrees, and about 7,000 are studying for higher degrees. Each year, the university welcomes around 2,000 students and researchers from many countries.

Notable people

Main article: List of Moscow State University people

Many famous people studied at Moscow State University. Some have won top awards in science and math. The university educated well-known writers like Anton Chekhov, Boris Pasternak, and Ivan Turgenev. It also educated important leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev and scientists like Vladimir Arnold and Andrey Kolmogorov.

Religious organizations

Russian law does not allow religious groups to work inside universities. But at Moscow State University, you can still find religious books and items for worship.

Russian Orthodox Church

There are two Orthodox churches at Moscow State University. One is small and dedicated to Saint Tatiana. The other is named after Saints Cyril and Methodius.

In 2011, a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church asked the university to build a small chapel. He thought it would help teach young people important values. This idea caused different opinions online and in the news.

Later, the university gave an important honor to this church leader for his work with young people. When he visited, some students said they were made to attend the meeting. But university leaders said this was not true.

Criticism

In 2009, a person wrote a book saying that people who were forced to work helped build part of the Moscow Metro. But experts say there is no proof for this.

In 2012, two university workers were caught taking money from someone who wanted to join a special study program. They were arrested for this dishonest behavior.

In 2014, a group online said that some workers at the university helped write fake research papers for others. This was seen as unfair.

In early 2021, some students said they were treated badly by a university leader. She made hurtful comments about students who were standing up for the environment.

Moscow State University in philately

Main article: ru:Московский государственный университет § МГУ в филателии

Moscow State University has appeared on many stamps from Russia and the Soviet Union. Some stamps show the university's tall 26-storey building, older buildings, and events there. Stamps have celebrated important occasions like the Moscow Festival of Youth and Students, meetings of architects and astronomers, and special anniversaries of the university and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.