National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (
NaUKMA) is a
publicA public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities...
,
coeducationMixed-sex education , is the integrated education of males and females in the same institution. The opposite situation is described as single-sex education...
al
researchResearch can be defined to be search for knowledge or any systematic investigation to establish facts. The primary purpose for applied research is discovering, interpreting, and the development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a wide variety of scientific matters of...
universityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in
KievKiev or Kyiv , is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300...
,
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
. The Kiev-Mohyla Academy, the school's predecessor, was established in 1632 making NaUKMA the oldest institute of tertiary education in Ukraine. The university is located on the Academy's grounds in the ancient
PodilThe Podil or Podilskyi Raion is a historic neighbourhood and an administrative raion in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kiev, the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry...
neighborhood. In 1991, it was re-organized, and teaching began the following year. NaUKMA has the highest level of accreditation as outlined by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and is one of the six educational institutions in Ukraine having a status of a research and autonomous university. NaUKMA takes part in numerous international university collaborations, such as the
European University AssociationThe European University Association represents and supports more than 750 institutions of higher education in 46 countries, providing them with a forum for cooperation and exchange of information on higher education and research policies...
. The university is bilingual in English and Ukrainian.
With around 3000 students, NaUKMA is one of the smallest universities in Ukraine. Its multiple-choice entrance examinations make university admission a highly competitive process. Alumni of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy played a formative role in the intellectual and church life of Ukraine and Russia in 17th and 18th centuries. Among the most notable alumni were
hetmanHetman was the title of the second highest military commander used in 15th to 18th century Poland, Ukraine and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, known from 1569 to 1795 as the Rzeczpospolita....
Ivan MazepaIvan Stepanovych Mazepa , Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Left-bank Ukraine, in 1687–1708...
, philosopher
Hryhori SkovorodaHryhorii Savych Skovoroda was a Ukrainian poet, philosopher and composer....
and polymath
Mikhail LomonosovMikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov was a Russian polymath, scientist and writer, who made important contributions to literature, education, and science. Among his discoveries was the atmosphere of Venus. His spheres of science were natural science, chemistry, physics, mineralogy, history, art,...
.
Kiev-Mohyla Academy
The predecessor of NaUKMA, the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, was one of the oldest academic and theological schools among
Orthodox ChristianEastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
East European countries. The Academy was first opened in 1615 as Kiev Brotherhood School. In 1632 the Kiev Brotherhood and
LavraKyiv Pechersk Lavra , also known as the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery in Kyiv, Ukraine. Since its foundation as the cave monastery in 1015 the Lavra has been a preeminent center of the Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. Together with the...
schools merged into the Kiev-Mohyla Collegium . The Collegium was named
Mohyla after
Petro MohylaPetro Mohyla was a Metropolitan of Kyiv, Halych and All-Rus' from 1633 until his death. He was born into a Moldavian boyar family — the Movileşti — one that gave Moldavia and Wallachia several rulers, including his father, Ieremia Movilă...
, the proponent of Western educational standards at the institution. In 1658 under the terms of the
Treaty of HadiachThe Treaty of Hadiach was a treaty signed on 16 September 1658 in Hadiach between representatives of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Cossacks...
the Collegium obtained the status of an Academy, similar to
Cracow AcademyThe Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kraków...
. This was recognized in 1694 by the Russian
tsarTsar or czar , occasionally spelled csar or Tzar in English, is a Slavic term with Bulgarian origins used to designate certain monarchs...
Ivan VIvan V Alekseyevich Romanov was a joint tsar of Russia who co-reigned between 1682 and 1696. He was the youngest son of Alexis I of Russia and Maria Miloslavskaya. His reign was only formal, since he had serious physical and mental disabilities...
, then reaffirmed by
Peter IPeter I the Great or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov ruled Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his weak and sickly half-brother, Ivan V....
in 1701.
The Academy educated the Ukrainian political and intellectual elite in the 17th and 18th centuries, and it was highly acclaimed throughout
Eastern EuropeEastern Europe is a region lying in the Eastern part of Europe. The term is highly context-dependent and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
with students coming from
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
,
BelarusBelarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel , Mahilyow and Vitebsk...
,
MoldaviaMoldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
,
SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a country located in both Central and Southeastern Europe. Its territory covers the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and central part of the Balkans...
,
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
and
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
. The admissions were open to all
social classSocial classes are the hierarchical arrangements of people in society as economic or cultural groups. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political economists and social historians...
es. Due to the exceptional quality of the language program, its students often continued their education abroad, which required many to convert from
Orthodox ChristianEastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
to
Roman CatholicismThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
. However, upon their return, they returned to their Orthodox roots in order to attain positions in the clergy or academia. In this way, the Academy played an important role in transmitting
RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
ideas from
Western EuropeWestern Europe is the collection of countries in the westernmost region of Europe, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a cultural entity—the region lying west of Central Europe...
to Ukraine and Russia. The Kyiv Academy also supported a number of other colleges built on its model, like
Vasilian CollegeThe Vasilian College or Vasilian Academy was an institution of higher learning in the Principality of Moldavia, founded by Prince Vasile Lupu in 1640....
in
MoldaviaMoldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
.
HetmanHetman was the title of the second highest military commander used in 15th to 18th century Poland, Ukraine and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, known from 1569 to 1795 as the Rzeczpospolita....
s of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, military leaders second only to the monarch, actively supported the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. The school flourished under the term of Hetman
Ivan MazepaIvan Stepanovych Mazepa , Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Left-bank Ukraine, in 1687–1708...
, an alumnus.
Kiev Theological Academy
Kiev Mohyla Academy was closed in 1817 by
Alexander I of RussiaAlexander I of Russia , also known as Alexander the Blessed served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and Ruler of Poland from 1815 to 1825, as well as the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania.He was born in Saint Petersburg to Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, later...
. In response, alumni of the Academy made numerous unsuccessful petitions to the Tsar to turn Kyiv Mohyla Academy into a university. Instead, in 1819 Kiev Theological Academy, a purely clerical institution, was opened. In contrast to its predecessor, admissions became open only to children of the existing clergy. The key positions were held mostly by the alumni of the
Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
Seminary.
During the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
era, Kiev Theological Academy was closed, its library plundered, and the main church of the school, the
Bohoyavlensky cathedral was destroyed. In its place, a military school was developed and today a university building still bears a mosaic portraying a military ship with the words of
Vladimir LeninVladimir Ilyich Lenin , born Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov , was the Bolshevik Leader of the 1917 October Revolution, and the first Head of State of the Soviet Union; in the course of his political career, he used the pseudonyms Lenin, V. I. Lenin, Nikolai Lenin, and N. Lenin...
as a remembrance of the school's totalitarian past.
Reestablishment as a modern university
In 1991, following the fall of the USSR, Kiev-Mohyla Academy was reestablished with the assistance of Vyacheslav Bryukhovetskiy, who became the first president of NaUKMA. The returned institution was modeled on the North American post-secondary system and
Bachelor'sA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for four years, but can range from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and
Master's degreeA master's degree is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s were offered according to a
creditsA course credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course taken at a school or other educational institution.-United States:...
system. On August 24 1992, which is also the
independence dayAn Independence Day is an annual celebration commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another state, more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Most countries honor their respective independence day as...
of Ukraine, the first students matriculated. NaUKMA saw its first six graduates in 1995. In order to establish continuity between the two century-long break and today, a Research Center "Legacy of Kiev Mohyla Academy" was founded. NaUKMA also initiated the revival of another historical Ukrainian educational institution the
Ostroh AcademyOstroh Academy was founded in 1576 by Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski. It was the first university-like school in Eastern Europe.It was recreated in 1994 in Ukraine.- Departments :...
. NaUKMA is notable for being the first university where students and professors openly protested against massive electoral fraud during the
Ukrainian presidential election, 2004The Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 was held in November 21 and December 26, 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union. The last stages of the election was contested between the opposition leader Viktor...
. After those events a museum dedicated to the
Orange RevolutionThe Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
was opened at NaUKMA.
Claims on continuity of Kiev-Mohyla Academy traditions
Except NaUKMA, there are two modern theological schools, which also claim the continuity of the old Kyiv-Mohyla Academy academic tradition. These are
Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is an autonomous Church of Eastern Orthodoxy in Ukraine, under the ecclesiastic jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate...
and
Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchate)Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate is one of the three major Orthodox churches in Ukraine, alongside the Ukrainian Orthodox Church , and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church...
.
Academics
Kyiv Mohyla Business SchoolKyiv Mohyla Business School is a business school in Ukraine. It was established in 1999 in of the oldest universities in Eastern Europe – Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.Being intellectual leader in Ukrainian business-education market, kmbs strives for continuous improvement and wishes to create environment...
|
Profile
NaUKMA holds the highest accreditation level given by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and is organized similarly to North American post-secondary institutions. The academic year runs on a trimester system with the longer fall and spring trimesters and a short summer trimester. Fall and spring terms include an extra
week of independent study which is aimed to assist students needing to catch up with their coursework and prepare for exams. During undergraduate study students have an
academic majorAn academic major, major concentration, concentration, or simply major is mainly a U.S. and Canadian term for a college or university student's main field of specialization during his or her undergraduate studies which would be in addition to, and may incorporate portions of, a core curriculum...
and can choose either a minor or electives. Each course is assigned a number of
creditsA course credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course taken at a school or other educational institution.-United States:...
based on credit hours and grading is done on a 100 point scale.
NaUKMA Bachelor's degree holders can continue their studies in any of the Masters programs at the university. Graduate academic programs leading to a
Master of Business AdministrationThe Master of Business Administration is a master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
, Candidate of Science (
PhDDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated PhD , for the Latin , meaning "teacher of philosophy", or alternatively, DPhil, for the equivalent , is an advanced academic degree awarded by universities...
) and
Doctor of ScienceDoctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, such as the UK, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and several Commonwealth...
are also offered at NaUKMA. The university was first in Ukraine to join the reforms of the doctoral education within the
Bologna processThe purpose of the Bologna process is to create the European higher education area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
.
NaUKMA is a bilingual institution with Ukrainian and English being the languages of instruction, although the primary language is Ukrainian. The university offers business courses in English to the general public, in partnership with
Grant MacEwan CollegeGrant MacEwan University is an educational institution located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1971 as "Grant MacEwan Community College" and offered primarily one and two year programs, such as diplomas and certificates. In 1988 it received approval to offer university transfer...
of
EdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. The city is located on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. NaUKMA organizes an annual
summer schoolSummer school is a school, or a program generally sponsored by a school or a school district, that teaches students during the summer vacation....
in Ukrainian studies for international students and an English-language term program for international students entitled "Transitional studies: Ukraine and post-soviet space". Recently a Master program "German and European studies" is offered in collaboration with the University of Jena. The program is offered in
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
.
Similarly to other public universities in Ukraine, students receive modest monthly scholarship payments from the government. The amount varies according to the student's grades in the previous trimester. Additionally, a number of private scholarships are given to the best students on a merit system. Further, students are rewarded scholarship monies for their social activities, thus awards are given to those who make the greatest contribution to the revival of NaUKMA or to those who excel in the promotion of Ukrainian language and culture.
NaUKMA is a state university and governed by the Supervising Board appointed by the
Government of UkraineUkraine is a republic under a semi-presidential system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Ukraine has recently undergone an extensive constitutional reform that has changed the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches and their relationship to the...
. The highest university official is the
President of NaUKMAUniversity president is the title of the highest ranking officer within the academic administration of a university, within university systems that prefer that appellation over other variations such as chancellor or rector...
, who is Prof. Serhiy M. Kvit. Education and research at the university are coordinated by the Scientific Board. Several public bodies consult the management of the university. These include the International Consulting Board, Board of Trustees, Student Council and Arts Board.
Admissions
Admission to NaUKMA is open to both Ukrainian and international applicants. Admission is granted based on entrance examination scores. Entrance exams are administered as multiple choice tests covering several subjects including Ukrainian, English, law, mathematics, history of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, humanities (literature or history) and one of the
natural scienceIn Science, the term natural science refers to a naturalistic approach to the study of the universe, which is understood as obeying rules or laws of natural origin...
s with the tests being machine scored. The admissions procedure was introduced in order to stem alleged corruption in the admission process. Admission tests are considered challenging and cover a broader range of subjects than the typical entrance examinations held at the majority of other universities in Ukraine. Testing the knowledge of history of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is exceptional among Ukrainian universities. It was introduced because of the role of the university in Ukrainian history. The university also has a Department of Preuniversity Training, which organizes test preparation courses for prospective students as well as trial testing sessions.
Reputation
In 2009
Delovoy magazine ranked NaUKMA as the second best university in Ukraine, being nationally the strongest in humanities, third best in economics and second best in law. According to the independent ranking of 228 universities in Ukraine performed by
Compas, NaUKMA was ranked second best in Ukraine regarding the adequacy of alumni to the labor market of Ukraine. In 2007, both the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the
Dzerkalo TyzhniaZerkalo Nedeli , usually referred to in English as the Mirror Weekly, is one of Ukraine’s most influential analytical newspapers published weekly in Kiev, the nation's capital. It was founded in 1994, and as of 2006 its print circulation was 57,000. It offers political analysis, original...
, a weekly national newspaper ranked NaUKMA in third place among the Ukrainian universities. Likewise, the university's business school has the best reputation in the country. The
Delovoy magazine ranked the
Kyiv Mohyla Business SchoolKyiv Mohyla Business School is a business school in Ukraine. It was established in 1999 in of the oldest universities in Eastern Europe – Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.Being intellectual leader in Ukrainian business-education market, kmbs strives for continuous improvement and wishes to create environment...
as the best business school in Ukraine in 2007. NaUKMA was ranked as number four in the ranking "Top-200 Ukraine" conducted by
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945...
in 2007.
NaUKMA often hosts visits of foreign and national politicians. Among the latest visitors were
Jaap de Hoop SchefferJakob Gijsbert "Jaap" de Hoop Scheffer is a Dutch politician and a former NATO Secretary General. De Hoop Scheffer served as the Dutch foreign minister, and was an important figure in the Dutch decision to participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
,
Alejandro ToledoAlejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique is a Peruvian politician and economist. He was President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He was elected in 2001 defeating former President Alan García. Toledo came to international prominence after leading the opposition against President Alberto Fujimori, who held...
,
David KilgourDavid Kilgour, PC is a former Canadian politician.Kilgour graduated from the University of Manitoba in economics in 1962 and the University of Toronto law school in 1966. From crown attorney in northern Alberta to Canadian Cabinet minister, Kilgour ended his 27 year tenure in the Canadian House of...
and
Jean ChrétienJoseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , is a Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003, and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1990 to 2003.-Early life:Chrétien was born on January 11, 1934 in Shawinigan, Quebec, as the 18th of 19...
.
Institutions associated with NaUKMA
Following its reestablishment, NaUKMA has been active in the revival and founding of institutions sharing a common vision of educational standards. Thus, NaUKMA assisted with the development of the
National University of Ostroh AcademyOstroh Academy was founded in 1576 by Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski. It was the first university-like school in Eastern Europe.It was recreated in 1994 in Ukraine.- Departments :...
, the T. Shevchenko Kremenets Pedagogical Institute, and the Petro Mohyla Mykolayiv State University until they became separate universities. However, these schools still share a common admissions system with NaUKMA. Moreover, NaUKMA is an umbrella institution for a network of
high schoolHigh school is the name used in some parts of the world, particularly in Scotland, Northern America and Oceania, to describe an institution that provides all or part of secondary education...
s throughout Ukraine called the
collegiums. The curricula of collegiums aim to prepare the students for the NaUKMA entrance exams.
The university publishing house "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy", which specializes in publishing scientific and educational literature in Ukrainian, is situated on the NaUKMA campus.
Research
Science at NaUKMA is organized into six faculties, 29 departments and 24 research centers. An annual scientific conference
Dni nauky NaUKMA (The Days of Science at NaUKMA) takes place in the last week of January. The main focus of research at the NaUKMA is in the fields of economics, law and humanities. Many faculty members hold permanent positions at the research institutes of the
National Academy of Science of Ukrainethumb|200px|National Academy of Sciences of UkraineThe National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is the highest state research organization in Ukraine. Like many other academies, it has a two-tier membership: academicians, and corresponding members. There is also an additional membership category...
and NaUKMA students are allowed to use its facilities for scientific and educational purposes.
Libraries
The library of the old Kiev Mohyla Academy contained a notable collection of books. However, the archive was plundered in 1920s when the academy was closed. The university administration focuses on creating a research library equipped to modern standards. In addition to the central undergraduate library there are a number of departmental libraries as well as reading halls for research and periodicals. Further, several international cultural organizations such as the
Goethe-InstitutThe Goethe-Institut is a non-profit German cultural institution operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. The Goethe-Institut also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German...
,
British CouncilThe British Council is a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation based in the United Kingdom which specialises in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is a non-departmental public body, a public corporation incorporated by royal charter, and is registered as a charity in...
and American library are located on campus and are open to the public. Lastly, all NaUKMA students can also use the
Vernadsky National Library of UkraineThe V.I. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine is the main academic library and main scientific information centre in Ukraine, one of the world's largest national libraries. It is located in the capital of the country - Kyiv. The library contains about 15 million items...
.
Campus
The university occupies the grounds of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy in the
PodilThe Podil or Podilskyi Raion is a historic neighbourhood and an administrative raion in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kiev, the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry...
neighborhood, from
Kontraktova SquareKontraktova Square or Kontraktovaya Square is a square in the historic Podil neighborhood of Kiev , the capital of Ukraine...
to the
Dnieper RiverThe Dnieper River or Dnipro River is one of the major rivers in Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea. Its total length is , of which lie within Russia, within Belarus, and within Ukraine. Its basin covers , of which are within Ukraine...
. The campus of NaUKMA is composed of a number of buildings constructed in the times of its predecessor institutions. The oldest buildings date from the 17th century, and include the
Halshka Hulevychivna house and the
old academic building also called the
Mazepa building in honor of its financier Hetman
Ivan MazepaIvan Stepanovych Mazepa , Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Left-bank Ukraine, in 1687–1708...
. The Mazepa building contains the congregation hall for ceremonial events, the Center for Contemporary Art and the research library.
In the same neighborhood is the historical museum complex of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, although the building is undergoing renovation. The complex contains a sundial and the house of Halshka Hulevychivna, which was the first building of the Kiev Brotherhood School. Another historical building called the
bursa faces the
Dnieper RiverThe Dnieper River or Dnipro River is one of the major rivers in Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea. Its total length is , of which lie within Russia, within Belarus, and within Ukraine. Its basin covers , of which are within Ukraine...
and was used as a student dormitory during the time of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. The
Blahovishchenska (Annunciation) Сhurch built in 1740 for students is also on the NaUKMA campus. Most other buildings were constructed during the time of Kiev Theological Academy with some additions made during the Soviet era. The dormitories are situated outside the main campus.
An environmentally friendly office called the
Green Office was recently opened at the Department of Environmental Studies at NaUKMA and uses modern energy saving and environmentally friendly technologies. The project was largely the initiative of students and is the first example of an office based on
sustainable developmentImage:Sustainable development.svg|right|300px|thumb|Scheme of sustainable development: at the confluence of three constituent parts.poly 138 194 148 219 164 240 182 257 219 277 263 291 261 311 264 331 272 351 283 366 300 383 316 394 287 408 261 417 224 424 182 426 154 423 119 415 87 403...
in a Ukrainian educational institution.
University traditions
Following reestablishment, the NaKUMA academic community has attempted to restore the traditions of its predecessor. However, during NaKUMA's reincarnation, several new traditions have been founded. Every year on October 15 the school celebrates
Academy day and NaUKMA students wash the monument of the noted Kiev Mohyla alumnus philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda. This action is called
clean Skovoroda. The monument of Skovoroda in front of the university is also decorated with a mortarboard during the annual graduation ceremony held on June 28. Another tradition during the ceremony is to carry the university turtle named
Alma around the new graduates who make wishes while touching her shell. A student tradition connecting the old Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and NaUKMA is theatrical performances called
vertepVertep was a kind of portable puppet theatre and the corresponding type of drama in the culture of East Slavs which presented the nativity scene, other mystery plays, and later secular plots as well...
s. Verteps possibly were introduced by the students of the old Academy. They are performed during different festive events. Lastly, it is a tradition to open each academic year with a welcome event for the new students, followed by a lecture by a renowned scientist, who is given an honorary professorship at the University. The ceremony of new NaUKMA student initiation includes taking a traditional student oath. During the first term at NaUKMA, students of all faculties introduce themselves to the academic community during the
acquaintance ball.
Student life
Despite the relatively small number of NaUKMA students (about 3000 in 2006) there are a number of extracurricular activities on campus. NaUKMA students are also known for their
activismStudent activism is work done by students to effect political, environmental, economic, or social change. It has often focused on making changes in schools, such as increasing student influence over curriculum or improving educational funding...
, which is also supported by the university administration. Notable among the student organizations on campus are: the Student Council, the Christian Students Union, Mohyla Intellectual Club, the Student Brotherhood, the ecological club
Zelena Hvylya, and the Youth Center for Humanities. The NaUKMA student portal
Bo.Net.Ua is an online platform for student and alumni communication.
Sports courses are compulsory for NaUKMA students in their two years of study. These courses include elements of calisthenics, sport (soccer, basketball, volleyball and swimming) and fitness exercises. Additionally, there are a number of student sport groups ranging from
Combat HopakCombat Hopak is a martial art, based on the Ukrainian traditional dance Hopak. It was revived by Volodymyr Pylat in the 1980s.Pylat analyzed both the fighting and dancing tradition of Ukraine...
to
GoGo is a strategic board game for two players. It is also known as igo , weiqi or wei ch'i or baduk...
.
Arts and music at NaUKMA are represented by the Center of Culture and Art and the Center for Contemporary Art.
Kiev-Mohyla Academy in literature and popular culture
Kiev-Mohyla Academy is mentioned in a number of novels. The main characters of
Nikolai Gogol'sNikolai Vasilievich Gogol was a Ukrainian-born Russian novelist, humorist, and dramatist. His early works, such as Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka, were heavily influenced by his Ukrainian upbringing and identity....
novel
Taras BulbaTaras Bulba is a romanticized historical religious novel by Nikolai Gogol. It tells the story of an old Zaporozhian Cossack, Taras Bulba, and his two sons, Andrey and Ostap. Taras’ sons studied at the Kiev Academy and return home...
Ostap and Andriy Bulba were alumni of the old Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Kiev-Mohyla Collegium is mentioned in several novels by
Pavlo ZahrebelnyiPavlo Arhypovych Zahrebelnyi was a well-known Ukrainian novelist. In 1941, when Germany invaded the Soviet Union Pavlo enlisted the Red Army as a volunteer. He participated in the Battle of Kiev and was severely wounded. He was the editor-in-chief of Literaturna Ukrayina...
including
Southern Comfort and
I, Bohdan. Kiev Theological Academy is mentioned in
Nikolai Leskov'sNikolai Semyonovich Leskov was a Russian journalist, novelist and short story writer, who also wrote under the pseudonym M. Stebnitskiy. By many Russians he is considered "the most Russian of all Russian writers"....
Pecherskie antiki.
To note the importance of the university in Ukraine's history, a
postage stampA postage stamp is adhesive paper evidence of a fee paid for postal services. Usually a small rectangle attached to an envelope, the stamp signifies the person sending it has fully or partly paid for delivery...
dedicated to Kiev-Mohyla Academy and its revival was issued in 1992. Moreover, a building of Kiev-Mohyla Academy is portrayed on the 500 hryven' banknote.
Notable alumni and faculty members
Alumni of the old Kiev Mohyla Academy have played an important role in Ukrainian professional life. Many
hetmans of Zaporozhian CossacksHetman was the title used by commanders of the Ruthenian Dnieper Cossacks from the end of the sixteenth century. The title hetman was adopted from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth....
, political leaders of the Ukraine in the 17th and 18th centuries, were educated here. These include
Ivan MazepaIvan Stepanovych Mazepa , Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Left-bank Ukraine, in 1687–1708...
,
Pylyp OrlykPylyp Orlyk was a Zaporozhian Cossack starshyna, Hetman in exile, diplomat, secretary and close associate of Hetman Ivan Mazepa.- Biography :Pylyp Orlyk was born in the village of Kosuta, Ashmyany county, Pylyp Orlyk (born on October 11, 1672 in Kosuta, Ashmyany county, Vileyka district of...
,
Pavlo PolubotokPavlo Polubotok , was a Cossack political and military leader and Acting Hetman of the Left-bank Ukraine between 1722 and 1724.- Biography :...
,
Ivan SkoropadskyIvan Skoropadsky was a Hetman of the Ukrainian Cossacks, and the successor to the famous Hetman Ivan Mazepa.- Biography:...
and
Ivan SamoylovychIvan Samoylovych was the Hetman of Left-bank Ukraine from 1672 to 1687. His term in office was marked by further incorporation of the Cossack Hetmanate into the nascent Russian Empire and by attempts to win the Right-bank Ukraine from Poland-Lithuania....
. The Grand Chancellor of Russia
Alexander BezborodkoPrince Alexander Andreyevich Bezborodko was the Grand Chancellor of Russia and chief architect of Catherine the Great's foreign policy after the death of Nikita Panin.-Ukrainian origins:...
was of Ukrainian origin and an alumnus. The Kiev Mohyla Academy was a religious school of note in the Orthodox world and archbishops of the
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
such as
Stephen YavorskyStephen Yavorsky was an archbishop and statesman in the Russian Empire, of Ukrainian descent, one of the ablest coadjutors of Peter the Great and the first president of the Most Holy Synod....
and
Feofan Prokopovichthumb|Theophan ProkopovichFeofan/Theophan Prokopovich was an archbishop and statesman in the Russian Empire, of Ukrainian descent. He elaborated and implemented Peter the Great's reform of the Russian Orthodox Church...
as well as the metropolitan bishop of Rostov
Dimitry of RostovSaint Dimitry of Rostov was a leading opponent of the Caesaropapist reform of the Russian Orthodox church promoted by Feofan Prokopovich...
were all alumni.
More recently, several generations of writers, artists and scholars have been schooled at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy. Examples include writer Simeon of Polotsk, architect
Ivan Hryhorovych-BarskyiIvan Hryhorovych-Barskyi or Ivan Grigorovich-Barsky is a Ukrainian architect who worked in the Late Cossack Baroque style...
, and composer
Artemy VedelArtem Vedel was one of the most prominent Ukrainian composers of the 18th century. Together with Maksym Berezovsky and Dmytro Bortniansky, Vedel is recognized as one of the big three composers of the period....
. Ukrainian philosopher
Hryhori SkovorodaHryhorii Savych Skovoroda was a Ukrainian poet, philosopher and composer....
was another alumnus of the university.
Mikhail LomonosovMikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov was a Russian polymath, scientist and writer, who made important contributions to literature, education, and science. Among his discoveries was the atmosphere of Venus. His spheres of science were natural science, chemistry, physics, mineralogy, history, art,...
, Russian scientist and founder of Moscow University was briefly a student at Kyiv Mohyla Academy.
After 1819, when the university was turned into a purely religious institution, it still upheld its international reputation and has been an
alma materAlma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother". It was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, and in Medieval Christianity for the Virgin Mary. In modern times it is ordinarily used to refer to the university or college a person attended...
for the Moldavian poet
Alexei MateeviciAlexe Mateevici was a Romanian poet.He was born in the town Căinari, in Eastern Bessarabia, which was part of the Russian Empire, but now is in the Republic of Moldova...
and metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Visarion PuiuVisarion Puiu was a metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church....
.
Alumni of NaUKMA are employed by national and international companies, research and governmental institutions and many graduates continue their studies abroad. Journalist and politician
Andriy ShevchenkoAndriy Shevchenko is a current deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament; a prominent Ukrainian journalist....
and the contemporary Ukrainian writer
Maryna SokolyanMaryna Sokolyan is a Ukrainian author. The critical reviews define her work as “uncommon event in a contemporary fiction”, and draw attention to the exquisite and well-cultivated language and to the complex intellectual references towards English literature....
studied at NaUKMA.
See also
External links