From the History of the National Technical University of Ukraine

“The Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”

On August 31 1898, the order of the Russian Emperor Nicolai II on the opening of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute was proclaimed. The following four Colleges were established: Mechanical (109 students), Engineering (101 students), Agricultural (87 students) and Chemical (63 students). The idea to establish a technical educational institution was generated 18 years earlier on February 18, 1880.

The Association of Sugar Mill Owners decided to collect the necessary funds to establish a technical institution. About 139 associations, banks, departments and citizens donated funds for the construction of the University. The total cost of the construction and equipment was 2,650,000 roubles. A huge sum for that time!

The total area of buildings of the KPI without some wooden constructions was impressive – 9,111,080 cubic feet.

On November 25, 1896 the first document in the history of the technical educational institution in Kyiv proclaimed “Most appropriate type of a new educational institution is defined as a Polytechnic Institute, consisting of several departments of different specialties, similar to the Polytechnic Institutes in Zurich, Munich, Vienna, Dresden, Riga, etc.”

Essential scientific management assistance was made by the following leading scientists: D. Mendeleev, M. Zhukovskiy, K. Timiryazev, V. Kirpichev (appointed the first Director of the KPI), M. Konovalov, E. Paton, I. Sikorskiy.

The KPI became the foundation for broadening and reinforcing higher education networks in Kyiv and Ukraine. From 1922 to 1933, and later, some KPI departments and colleges were transformed into many technical institutes in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Kharkiv, Vinnytsa, Cherkasy, Chernihiv.

The enthusiasm of the KPI professors, their care and thoughtfulness about students, the collaboration and free flow of ideas that was needed in truly remarkable scientific research – all that helped these famous teachers to raise the pleiad of talented engineers and to take great pride in their students. They inspired, supported and encouraged students to do great things.

Nowadays our University’s teaching staff, which is famous for its academic excellence and innovative research, supports the great spirit created by the famous scientists. Our faculty provided the world’s highest-quality university education that makes National Technical University of Ukraine “The KPI” the right place to study and to work.