The article is devoted to the history of St. Petersburg University in the period of revolutionary upheavals in 1905. The research based on the analysis of a wide range of historical sources and, above all, the press as the most powerful tool for shaping public opinion among the various sectors of the country. The authors investigated the role of a professor corporation of St. Petersburg university in the revolutionary events. The authors conclude that the idea of university autonomy, the main aim of professor corporation, was supported not only by liberal but also the conservative press, which had formed in public opinion a direct link between autonomy and stability. At the same time, after adoption of Provisional Regulations on August 27 professors only expanded the list of their demands to the Government. At the same time, they could not fight back more aggressive students, which led to the closure of the university.