 Pavel Grigoryevich Demidov established the Demidov Law School by private means in 1803.On June 18, 1803, Alexander the First, signed an Edict to the Senate about opening a higher educational institution in Yaroslavl.At first Demidov has been in contact with the Imperial authorities regarding the foundation of a university in Yaroslavl, even going so far as to promise his own private funding to the new institution; however, when this did not materialise the Imperial government decreed that the school was, upon opening, to have the same status as a university but to carry the title 'higher school of sciences' and thus to be considered junior only to the universities in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.