Leningrad Communist University or LKU (Russian: ЛКУ) was a Soviet teaching establishment designed to create cadres for Party and government work.
Created in 1918 as the Zinoviev Worker-Peasant University (Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянский Университет имени Зиновьева), it was renamed in 1921 the Zinoviev Communist University (Russian: Коммунистический Университет имени Зиновьева) and in 1929 the All-Union Stalin Communist University (Russian: Всесоюзный коммунистический университет имени Сталина). It was the first educational establishment in Russia to teach criminal investigation.[1] In 1932 it became the Stalin National High Communist Agricultural University, "the Party smithy of cadres for the socialist village."[2] During the 1933-34 academic year, about 1,200 students were being trained to serve as kolkhoz chairmen and MTS directors.[3]
In 1944 it was reorganized as part of the Leningrad Higher Party School.