The first graduates of the KPI in 1903 along with diplomas were awarded with the Badge of graduate. There was an idea to find it. It seemed that it would be easy, but...
It was known that KPI graduate’s badge was transferred to the Museum of the city of Kiev during the institute creation. He reminded the tsar's reward: double-headed eagle in the oval crown of oak and olive branches, which are at the bottom tied with a ribbon, a cross of blue was placed above, and on top of it, on the substrate, it can be clearly seen the coat of arms of Kiev - the Archangel Michael.
The question has arisen, when this badge was given to the graduates. To get the information we asked the National Museum of History of Ukraine. There are here the biggest both numismatic and faleristic collections of our state.As witnessed by inscription, the badge of KPI graduate 1903 was exhibited in the current exhibition on the third floor. We were very surprised: it is not very different from the previous one, but on closer inspection turned out to be: an oval crown was of laurel, the cross - green and in the place of the Archangel, there is the breastplate. Museum experts have assured that this badge graduate of the Polytechnic Institute, we are looking for.
For the documentary evidence, we requested the State Archives of Kiev. There we found the clear definition in the document with a long and strange name: "Circulars of the Ministry of Finance, the Kyiv city police and other agencies to impose national restrictions on admissions. On the introduction of the badge for graduating the Institute, on the ban of gatherings and meetings, and other issues”. Badge for persons who have graduated from Polytechnic Institutes: Warsaw Emperor Nicholas II, Emperor Alexander II of Kiev and St. Petersburg, approved February 14, 1903 by decree of Emperor Nicholas II. It consisted of the State Emblem, placed in an oval laurel wreath tied with a ribbon at the bottom, which put four-point cross, which reached up to half of the emblem. National Emblem, crown and ribbon covered with gold, and the cross - green enamel with gilt edging. It was customary to wear a sign on the right side.
K.K.Siminsky, M.M.Afanasev, I.P.Bardin, M.P.Chizhevsky et al., who called their Alma-Mater Kiev Polytechnic Institute have obtained these badges.
Thus, the authentic sign is in the collection of the National Museum of History of Ukraine, while the badge from the Museum of the History of Kiev collection is the sign of the graduate of the Kiev Commercial Institute (Petrikeev, Voinovich "Badges of Russia", the current edition).
There are archival documents on the website of the State Polytechnic Museum - http://museum.kpi.ua. We will be very grateful if somebody, who has this badge, who care about the history will present it to the State Polytechnic Museum as a memorial, as a drop of the history. We hope that the next generation of graduates will be able to get their own badge and will wear it with the pride as their illustrious predecessors.