Beginning of the university

Atyrau University named after Khalel Dosmukhamedov is distinguished by its rich and remarkable history.

The issue of establishing a higher education institution in the city of Guryev was first raised even before the Great Patriotic War. The reason was the steadily growing demand for qualified teaching staff in regional schools and other public education institutions. At that time, apart from the pedagogical college established in Atyrau (then Guryev) in 1929 to train primary school teachers, there were no other educational institutions in the city. Meanwhile, the number of general secondary schools in the region was increasing every year.

Under these circumstances, the Ural Pedagogical Institute, opened in 1932 in West Kazakhstan, was unable to fully meet the region’s need for highly qualified teaching personnel. In addition, the number of specialists with higher education sent from other universities within Kazakhstan and neighboring republics was insufficient.

In 1939, the Council of People’s Commissars of the Kazakh SSR adopted a resolution to open a two-year Teachers’ Institute in Guryev and to admit 120 students to the first year in specialties approved by the People’s Commissariat of Education of the Kazakh SSR. Based on this resolution, on May 27, 1940 (Protocol No. 13), the Guryev Regional Executive Committee adopted a decree to establish the Teachers’ Institute, assigning to the city executive committee the responsibility of transferring the academic building of the Guryev Pedagogical College to the new institute and preparing dormitory accommodations for 120 students.

At the same time, a proposal was submitted to the Council of People’s Commissars of the Kazakh SSR to construct a dedicated academic building and a dormitory for 500 students beginning in 1941.

In accordance with the resolution, the regional department of education was tasked with carrying out preparatory and organizational work prior to the institute’s opening in September 1940. As planned, the Guryev Teachers’ Institute was prepared for operation by September 1, 1940, and officially began its work on that date.

The first rector of the Guryev Teachers’ Institute was appointed by the Ministry of Education: A.B. Tursynbayev - a graduate of the Moscow Planning and Economics Institute, an outstanding Kazakh scholar, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, and Honored Worker of Science of the Kazakh SSR.

However, one year later, due to the outbreak of war, the institute was closed.