The article reconstructs the contradictions and drama in Russian universities in the nationwide crisis of 1917. Despite the granting of "university autonomy" and the attainment of control over governmental higher education policy, the professoriate faced numerous challenges from Russian society, from junior colleagues and students. The article demonstrates that the metropolitan universities, considered to be the traditional centers of the Russian liberal movement, adopted a strict policy towards professors who had been appointed by the old regime but whose appointments had not been ratified by faculty vote. At the same time, the metropolitan universities appeared consistently to support maintaining the university hierarchy and to oppose artificial democratization of universities.