BSU was established on September 1, 1919 by the decision of the Parliament of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. In its first year, the university had two faculties — Faculty of Philology and the Medical Faculty — and an enrollment of 1094 students. The first rector of BSU was V.I.Razumovsky, a former professor of surgery at Kazan University.

Among the leading professors in 1920-40 were Azerbaijani writer Abdurrahim bek Haqverdiyev, Orientalist Professor P.K. Juze, Professor A.O. Makovelski, Professor A.O. Mishel and other scholars. During that period the administration of the university invited to Baku such teachers as N.Y. Marr, V.V. Bartold, the academician of the Eastern Science Academy Fuad bek Kuprulluzade. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Lev Landau studied at BSU between 1922 and 1924. Among the graduates of BSU were national leader Heydar Aliyev, Yusif Mammadaliyev, Abdullah Garaev, Zahid Khalilov, Mir Jalal Pashayev, Khudu Mammadov, Aida Imanguliyeva and others.

Press and Information Department, August 31, 2017.