Moscow State Pedagogical University

The history of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, which spans almost 150 years, began in November 1872 when Russian historian and public figure Vladimir Gerye, with the approval of Emperor Alexander II, founded the Moscow Higher Women's Courses (MWZhK) — the first educational institution in Russia to provide women of any class with access to higher education in their homeland. Previously, they could only study at foreign universities. The educational program was initially two-year, with almost no specializations, and historical-philological disciplines predominated. Courses were located in different buildings in different years, including the Polytechnic Museum building. By the mid-1880s, the number of female listeners exceeded 200 people—quite a number for those years. Enrollment at the MVZhK was discontinued in 1886, after which they existed in the format of "public lectures" for women at the Polytechnic Museum and "collective lessons" organized by the Moscow Society of Educators and Teachers.