The article is devoted to an under-researched episode in the history of St. Petersburg University — commemorations of the first half of the 19th century. The article, on the basis of the archival sources, reconstructs the context of the preparation and subsequent conduct of solemn university ceremonies of 1838 and 1844. To create a comprehensive picture, the authors refer to the data from the periodical press and personal records in addition to archival sources and regulatory documentation. The authors come to the conclusion that the period of 1830–1840s was of fundamental importance for the commemorative practices of the university and determined the procedure for holding annual solemn ceremonies for many years. The article also shows that during the first university commemorative practices, two main approaches to understanding the corporate history of the university were formulated. The first one concerned the inclusion of institutions of the 18th century in the context of university history, including the “academic” institution. However, it was the second approach that was established, which considered the history of the university as an institution created by the will of Emperor Alexander I and S. S. Uvarov in 1819. The reasons for the success of this discourse can be attributed to both the circumstances of the university history of the reign of Nicholas, and to a perception of the university corporate history as self-sufficient and independent in the Russian science and society, more convenient and acceptable for the nineteen-century students.