The fate of the faculty of law as a department of Saratov University has not been easy since its very appearance. Its intended opening in 1909 did not take place for political reasons as well as financial ones. Only on 1 July 1917, after the overthrow of the monarchy, a faculty of law (along with some other ones) was opened at Saratov University by a decree of the Provisional Government. In 1920 a historical department joined the faculty of law and the latter was renamed to the legal faculty and, after a while, to the faculty of social sciences.