Room for Astra: Derzhavin University Rolls Out Astra Linux
Derzhavin University has begun migrating its IT infrastructure, with Astra Linux Desktop replacing foreign operating systems.
Russian universities are no longer buying foreign software – they are building digital ecosystems from domestic components. G.R. Derzhavin Tambov State University has gone a step further. It is replacing not just its operating system but also virtualization, backup and directory services – all at once, as part of an integrated overhaul.
Software Steps In
It started in 2023. The university deployed the VMmanager virtualization system and RuBackup backup platform. The migration of its server infrastructure to Astra Linux Server then neared completion. But the university did not stop there. It is now expanding virtualization, deploying the ALD Pro directory service, and moving staff and student workstations to Astra Linux Desktop. Together, these products create a connected environment in which every component works in sync with the others.
The university’s infrastructure spans academic buildings and dormitories. It includes 12 physical servers, more than 100 virtual servers, 40 computer labs and over 1,500 workstations.
The university chose Astra Linux because it offers a complete technology stack under one roof. That approach made it possible to integrate different components, manage them centrally and rely on a single point of technical support. For a university with infrastructure this widely distributed, that proved decisive.
A Backup Route
Russia’s push to replace foreign software in education is becoming increasingly complex. At first, universities replaced operating systems on individual computers. Then they began setting up labs. Now they are rebuilding entire IT infrastructures.
Bauman Moscow State Technical University, for example, found itself at the center of sanctions-related restrictions in 2021. Microsoft had stopped supplying it with software in December 2020, forcing the university to find an alternative. It did – Astra Linux was installed on 1,000 workstations, while another 2,000 computers were migrated to operating systems from the Alt family. A repository of Russian software was also created for the university at the time.
At the next stage, Astra Group began opening Astra-laboratorii (Astra Laboratories) at universities across Russia, including Sirius University and RTU MIREA. By 2024, more than 100 universities and over 70 colleges had become partners in the company’s educational programs.
Kutafin Moscow State Law University joined the transition in 2024. Rather than receiving just an operating system, the university adopted an entire suite comprising Astra Linux Special Edition, the ALD Pro directory service and MoyOfis (MyOffice) office software. In 2026, Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University began migrating its servers and user workstations to Astra Linux.
Protected by Voronezh
Many Russian organizations today run heterogeneous IT infrastructures. Some services have moved to domestic software, while others continue to operate on foreign products. The central challenge is managing what are effectively two parallel worlds. Derzhavin University faced exactly that problem. Alexey Gladyshev, head of the university’s Digital Transformation and Information Technology Department, said most of the issues encountered during migration involved integrating two different infrastructures – one foreign and one domestic:
“This created difficulties, particularly after updates were released on either side. The responsiveness of Astra Group professionals and their readiness to quickly resolve deployment issues confirmed that we had made the right choice. Predictable performance and high-quality support through a single user account encouraged us to accelerate the transition to domestic software – it is cheaper and more effective than recruiting and training staff to manage an unstable dual infrastructure.”
Security is another part of the equation. Previously, protecting personal data required the university to install additional resource-intensive information security tools. Moving to the certified Astra Linux Special Edition with the enhanced Voronezh security level eliminated that need. The system’s high baseline level of protection removed the need for additional security layers, reduced the load on devices and cut costs.
An Infrastructure That Cooperates
Perhaps the most delicate part of any operating system migration, however, is the human factor. Switching operating systems can create psychological discomfort, as people worry about unfamiliar tools and disruptions to established workflows. Derzhavin University therefore took a two-stage approach to preparation: key IT professionals and employees of the integration company received training first, followed by users. Staff were able to see that moving to Astra Linux would not disrupt the way they were accustomed to working.
The Derzhavin University project marks a notable stage in Russian universities’ transition to domestic software. Instead of replacing a single application, the university is changing several critical layers of its infrastructure at once. Importantly, it has also set a firm deadline for completing the transition – 2027.
