Institute of Red Professors

It was founded in February 1921 to address a shortage of Marxist professors but only about 25 percent of its graduates continued an academic career; most rather became functionaries of the Communist Party.^[2] At first it was under the jurisdiction of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union and later under the Department for Agitation and Propaganda (Agitprop).^[3] The studies lasted four years and students (nicknamed ikapisty) were required to write research papers, which were often published and represented a significant body of Marxist historical research. Two hundred thirty-six students completed the course between 1924 and 1929.^[3] In 1929, there were 69 teachers at the institute, seven of whom were not members of the Communist Party.^[2] Its rectors were Mikhail Pokrovsky (1921–31) and Pavel Yudin (1932–38). The institute was abolished in 1938.^[4] The institute was integrated into a system of higher party schools of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.