Founded in 1991 by Yury N. Afanasyev and financed by a grant from businessman Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, the Russian State University for the Humanities has quickly become one of the most prominent institutions of higher learning in Russia. This article discusses alleged governmental pressure against the university, its financial difficulties since Khodorkovsky's arrest in 1993, ongoing scholarship and research, and the politicization of the university's administration and aims.