Belarusian newspaper «Nasha Niva» about the foundation of the university in the Western provinces at the beginning of the 20th century

Abstract

The article analyzes the information messages in the newspaper «Nasha Niva», covering the activities around the opening of a higher educational institution in the Belarusian lands at the beginning of the 20^th century. The content analysis of the materials allows us to identify quantitative and qualitative indicators of the development of the controversy about higher education in the region over the years of the newspaper's publication. The argument used by Belarusian figures about the most acceptable format of an educational institution, the choice of the location of the university and other aspects of the development of higher education in the region is considered. The phases of activity of regional elites in the opening of a university in the western provinces are revealed. It is noted that the lack of higher education infrastructure has negatively affected the socio-economic development of the Belarusian lands and negatively affected the dynamics of the promotion of the Belarusian national project. At the same time, the author notes that the government blocked initiatives to open universities in all cities of the empire, as it was generally afraid of the expansion of protest moods in the academic environment.