The National Research State University of Nizhny Novgorod named after N.I. Lobachevsky, UNN (Russian: Нижегородский национа́льный иссле́довательский госуда́рственный университе́т имени Н.И. Лобачевского), also known as Lobachevsky University, is a public research university in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and one of the biggest classical universities of the country. The university was established on January 17 (31), 1916 as Nizhny Novgorod People's University. From 1932 to 1990 it had the name of Gorky State University. In 2009, it was granted the status of a National Research University. The university comprises 15 faculties and educational institutes, 5 research institutes, and 4 regional branches. Currently, the university has about 30,000 students (including international students), over 1,000 postgraduate and doctoral students, 1,200 associate and assistant professors, and about 400 professors. History The University was originally opened on 17 (31) January 1916 as one of the three People's Universities of Russia, belonging to the system of "free" universities. It was the first institution of higher education for Nizhny Novgorod. In 1918, the Emperor Nicholas II Polytechnic Institute of Warsaw was evacuated to Nizhny Novgorod. After the merger of the People's University with that institute and with the Higher Agricultural Courses, it became the first institution in Soviet Russia to acquire the status of a state university. In 1921, the number of faculties was reduced considerably. On 4 May 1921, the Soviet government issued a resolution that abolished all history and philology faculties. Instead of them, social science faculties were organized. This resolution also affected the Nizhny Novgorod University. In 1922, the number of teaching staff decreased from 239 to 156. On 14 April 1930, the Soviet government resolved to dissolve a number of higher education institutions, including the Nizhny Novgorod State University. Several of the university faculties were transformed into 6 institutes: - Mechanical Engineering Institute (later, in 1934, it became part of the Gorky Industrial Institute) - Chemical Technology Institute (later, in 1934, it became part of the Gorky Industrial Institute) - Pedagogical Faculty (it was transformed into the Pedagogical Institute in 1930) - Faculty of Agronomy (it was transformed into the Agricultural Institute in 1930) - Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering (it was transformed into the Civil Engineering Institute in 1930) - Faculty of Medicine (it was transformed into the Medical Institute in 1930). However, a year later, on 11 November 1931 the university was re-established with three faculties: Physics & Mathematics, Biology and