Departments "History and Cultural Studies" and "Philosophy" as independent units existed separately from 1961 to 2014, then, in accordance with the order of the MGSU Rector , they were merged. Nevertheless, each of them has its own rich history, traditions and achievements in science and vast experience in educational and methodological work with students and young people.
The Department of History and Cultural Studies experienced several stages of formation and development, each of great importance, both in the life of the department's staff and in the activity of the University as a whole.
The Department of History and Cultural Studies was led by five Heads:
The first Head of the Department of Philosophy was Ph.D. Professor Vasily F. Glagolev in 1961 - 1988. From 1988 to 1999 Ph.D., Associate Professor Vasiliy V. Gapich headed the Department. In 1999 - 2014 the Department was headed by Ph.D. Professor Elena G. Krivykh. Due to the transition to a two-level educational system, it was necessary to rethink the content of philosophical courses, to develop new educational and methodological literature. A powerful incentive to intensify creative work of the Department’s academic staff was the introduction of a new philosophical course in the history and philosophy of science and the exam of the candidate minimum.
From January 2000 to August 2014 the Department was headed by the Cand. Sc. History, Professor T.A. Molokova, who went through all stages of professional growth: from senior laboratory assistant (1968) to professor (1999). From 2006 to 2009 she was the Deputy Director of the Institute of Fundamental Education for educational work. She is the author of over 150 papers, including the "History" textbook and 13 monographs, three of which were prepared and published in English, one in Chinese. Her scientific interests are related to the issues of improving humanitarian education at a technical university, upbringing of young students, issues of historical, cultural, philosophical and social development of the city, construction industry and architecture.
T.A. Molokova took a direct part in the teaching of several thousand future specialists in the construction industry for her over 50 years’ experience of scientific and pedagogical activity at the MISI - MGSU. Since 2001 she is a Member of the Russian National Committee of IKOMOS, Honorary Worker of Higher School of the Russian Federation, awarded the badge Honorary Worker of Higher Professional Education of the Russian Federation, Veteran of Labor; she has a medal "In memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow" and a medal of the Moscow State University "For Merits in Construction Education and Science" in three degrees. In 2014 she was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Department of Urban Planning Policy of Moscow, in 2017 - the distinction "For impeccable service to the city of Moscow" XL years.
In November 2000 the Department of History was renamed to the Department of History and Cultural Studies by the decision of the Academic Council of MGSU, because the Department officially assigned the teaching programs in two basic fields: "National History" and "Cultural Studies." At the same time, the staff of the Department sought to preserve and develop the traditions and principles of corporate university culture that had developed at the Department.
Today the Acting Head of the Department of History and Philosophy is a highly qualified specialist and teacher, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor Tatyana V. Bernyukevich. She started her career at MGSU in 2017 and today she is responsible for scientific, organizational, methodological and educational work at the Department. Her research interests include philosophical issues of the development of the city, philosophy of culture, religious studies and Buddhism in the Russian culture. T.V. Bernyukevich is the author of over 100 scientific publications, including 5 monographs on the issues of culture, science and religion philosophy. Under the leadership of T.V. Bernyukevich, 16 Candidate (3 of them are citizens of the People's Republic of China) and one Doctoral dissertations have been defended. T.V. Bernyukevich is a Member of two dissertation councils in philosophical sciences. She has the following achievements: a participant and manager of several projects of the Federal Target Program at Russian Foundation for Basic Research; a Member of the Editorial Board of the "Humanitarian Vector" journal (Transbaikal State University, Chita) and the Scientific Council of the "Philosophy, Religion, Culture" Journal (MGIMO, Moscow), the journals relegate to the list of Higher Attestation Commission; the Expert of the Center for the Prevention of Religious and Ethnic Extremism in Educational Organizations of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Moscow State Pedagogical University); the Chairman of the Audit Commission of the Russian Philosophical Society since 2017; Member of the Bureau of the Moscow Philosophical Society.
