135 students, two faculties, a single small building in which both teaching and living took place for teachers and students – such was the Lutsk Teachers' Institute in the already distant spring of 1940. Over 12,000 students earning bachelor's, specialist, and master's degrees, three institutes, 15 faculties, 69 departments employing 646 teachers, including 41 professors, 14 full members and corresponding members of branch national and foreign academies of sciences – such is Lesya Ukrainka Volyn State University as of spring 2005. These figures were proudly cited at the celebrations marking the university's 65th anniversary, held at the university's Palace of Culture.
And from the lips of the host of the solemn event, Svitlana Kresak, and the speakers, the stages of the birth and development emerged – first of the teachers' institute, from 1951 the pedagogical institute, and from 1993 the Volyn State University. With warmth they recalled the leaders of the institution at various times – Ivan Sokur, Ivan Bilyi, Mykola Babliak, Pavlo Denysovets, Dmytro Tsymbaliuk (who headed it for a full two decades), Mykhailo Kasianov, Nestor Burchak, the first rector of VDU Anatolii Svidzynskyi. And professors Bohdan Zabrovaranyi, who happened to serve as the last rector of the pedagogical institute, and Ivan Oleksiuk, the most recent rector of the university, were invited to the stage and shared their emotional memories. The current acting rector, Professor Ihor Kotsan, also had his say. He assured, in particular, that the university would continue the glorious traditions laid down by all generations of scholars who worked at the university.
– I count myself among those who will always consider themselves students of Volyn State University, – said the head of the regional state administration, Volodymyr Bondar. – I see here many eyes that I have known since my student days, people with whom I have maintained and continue to maintain friendly relations. I am convinced that our university will always be the flagship of higher education in Volyn. I enrolled in the Lutsk Pedagogical Institute, and all of us lived with a single dream – that we would have a university. I am glad to have contributed to the growth of the university and its establishment as a powerful educational institution.
– Just now at an impromptu press conference I was asked what this university means to me, – said the head of the regional council, Vasyl Dmytruk, in his speech. – I answered that it is dear to me because it is Volyn's, it is dear because both my elder and younger sons studied here, and they work quite successfully in their native Volyn, that this is also the path of the region, whose 65th anniversary we celebrated recently, and whose development we noted the contribution of graduates of the pedagogical institute and the university.
Volodymyr Bondar, Vasyl Dmytruk, and the first deputy mayor of Lutsk, Sviatoslav Kravchuk, presented a number of teachers of the jubilee institution with honorary certificates, certificates, and commendations from the regional state administration, the regional and Lutsk city councils. The head of the education and science department of the regional state administration, Mykhailo Popovych – incidentally, also a graduate of this higher educational institution – presented awards on behalf of the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine and the regional department, while acting rector Ihor Kotsan and the university's academic secretary, Mariia Moklytsia, presented the badges "Honorary Professor," "Honored Professor," and "To the 65th Anniversary of VDU."
The solemnities concluded with an emotional word-memory, at once addressed to the present and future generations of the university, from the head of the VDU veterans' council, Professor Vadym Kud, who devoted over half a century to work at the institution. Finally, those present were delighted by the mastery of students and teachers of the university's Institute of Arts: they gave a large, substantive concert, hosted by Honored Artist of Ukraine Larysa Mikoyan.
Volodymyr LYS