During the Revolution of 1956 the University found itself at the centre of events, with its clinics essentially taking the role of war hospitals and the University staff and students showing a truly heroic commitment to the national cause. Within a few weeks, the University buildings were afflicted with damage, and approximately 180 professors and staff members, as well as a large number of students, fled the country in the immediate aftermath of the Revolution. After the Soviet consolidation, development of the University continued, albeit at a slower pace than previously.