V.A. Panin, professor, Dr.Sc.Habil.
Lev Tolstoy Tula state pedagogical university, Tula

Key words: history, university, progress, sports achievements.

For its 75-year history Lev Tolstoy Tula state pedagogical university, established in 1938, has transformed from a small regional teacher's college of the TSPU into a huge educational center famous both in Russia and abroad. The university is recognized as the best profile university in Russia and is an effective university.

Nowadays nearly 6000 students are being trained in Lev Tolstoy Tula state pedagogical university in accordance with 126 basic educational standards. One of priority directions of the university activity the work on promotion of students' health, formation of skills of healthy way of life and prevention of asocial behavior has become. The target program " Lev Tolstoy TSPU - University of healthy way of life!" was developed and successfully implemented and its results were presented at the Parliamentary hearings of the Duma’s Committee on Education, Science and Health. Several research projects in this direction were supported by grants (RHSF, Albany-Tula Alliance, governor of the Tula region etc.).

Opening of the faculty of Physical Culture (FPC) in Lev Tolstoy TSPU in 1977 was an act of care of the teaching community about health, harmonious development, physical improvement of the rising generation. The faculty was not only to train school teachers, elite athletes, but also to organize scientific researches in the sphere of physical culture and sport, create regional programs of physical education and recreation of all categories of the Tula region.

For 35 years an active, hard-working teaching staff was formed on the faculty, own staff of teachers and scientists was raised who laid the scientific and methodological basis of the regional system of physical education. Today FPC is a modern subdivision in the structure of Lev Tolstoy TSPU including departments of theory and methodology of physical culture and sports disciplines, physical education, as well as the university sports club. Research and teaching activities are being carried out in well-equipped classrooms, laboratories and sports halls on the faculty by: 5 doctors of science and professors, 25 PhDs. Opening of postgraduate courses on the basis of the faculty in 1994 confirmed the scientific maturity of the team.

Graduates of the FPC have glorified the university with sports victories in national and international competitions, became remarkable organizers of the sports movement and sport in the Tula region and beyond.

The pride of the university are: Olympic champions - V. Petrakov and O. Slyusareva, participants of Olympic games, champions and prize-winners of the World Cup - T. Pil'shchikova, N. Kovyah, E. Karpachyova, E. Savel’eva, L. Chukhnova, N. Glebova, S. Flerko, D. Abramova, A. Demidova, A. Nersesyan, Yu. Loseva, K. Mar’yasova, Russian champions and winners of European championships - B. Nikulin, O. Holandyreva, A. Loseva, P. Dudchenko, E. Zyukina, I. Zhdanova, A. Komarovsky, V. Uskov.

Graduates of the faculty are actively representing the Tula region in social and state structures: E. Atanov - Member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, V. Afonsky - State Duma Deputy of the Federal Assembly of the RF, M. Tsarev - governor assistant, general director of Arsenal FC.

Departments of the faculty are collaborating with the leading scientists of Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism, All-Russia Scientific Research Institute of Physical Culture, Russian State Pedagogical University for the purpose of training elite scientific personnel.

The faculty research work is being carried out on such problems as conditions of individualization of training of a teacher of physical education and designing of personality-centered technologies in the professional activity of a future teacher of physical education (supervised by Dr.Hab., professor V.A. Ermakov); motion control, human physical fitness, prevention of drug addiction among young people (supervised by Dr.Hab., professor I.M. Turevsky); search for innovative approaches to adaptive-recreational activity in Tula and regional educational institutions (supervised by Dr.Biol., professor O.P. Panfilov); design of regional models of physical education of schoolchildren and youth (supervised by Ph.D., professor V.P. Aksenov); vocational training of personnel in the field of physical culture and pedagogics (supervised by Ph.D., professor Yu.N. Shuvalov).

Leading specialists of the faculty are deeply involved in training of elite scientific and teaching staff for Lev Tolstoy TSPU and universities of Russia. 3 teachers have defended doctoral and 19 Ph.D. theses during the operation of the faculty.

During the same time the faculty scientists have published 8 monographs, more than 25 textbooks and manuals for various educational institutions, which received the signature stamp of EMU on pedagogical specializations. In 2005 - 2012 18 student researches, carried out within graduate qualification works, were awarded with medals, diplomas and certificates of open competitions of various levels of the best student work.

The faculty of physical culture celebrates its 35th anniversary with confidence in the future. It has a plan for the nearest future to introduce new specialities, innovative technologies and directions of personnel training, enhance professional skills and obtain big results in science and sport.

Author’s contacts: panfilov30@mail.ru