I want to show to the reader the peculiarities of my group in the former Geoengineering Faculty. I’ll try to demonstrate the influence of my group on subsequent changes in life of Geoengineering Faculty by scientific, educational and social activity of MA-6 group alumni.
Dedicated to Profs. Artur Prahovnyk, Bronislav Rohalskiy, Associate Professor Mykhailo Konotsov…
1961 was unforgettable. It was a “harvest” in the KPI – admission campaign. The new specialization Automation in production process in the mining industryattracted more attention than expected in Geoengineering Faculty. Themajority of applicationwere submitted for this new specialization. During the entrance examination I first met my group mates. It was easy as a pie to get acquainted and communicate for applicants who were in the Soviet Army or the Soviet Navy. Many of applicants worn military uniform that helped us to get on well with new acquaintance.
All applicants from other towns were housed in dormitory on Polova Street (now academician Yangel Street). Entrants to Geoengineering Faculty generally were housed in Dormitory №1. Here I first met demobilized sailor Konov, sergeants Rogalsky, Fialko and others. I want to emphasize that the biggest competition was on the new specialization MA (Mining Automation). There were 5 applicants per 1 place on a course. The following example helps reader to understand what a stiff competition it was! My friend Ivan Ivanovsky submitted our application to the KPI. Together we had studied at the Kamyanets-Podilsky Industrial College, worked in the Donbas mines, served in the military unit in Baku and had training course at the Officer House in Baku to be accepted at the Institute. Ivan was better at Math than me.
Finally the day of the entrance exam came. It was a big Physics lecture hall at the 1st building. Ivanivsky sat at the edge of long desk, near the wall, I sat near him. Assistant examiner gave us the variants of Math test along the desk. Ivanovsky first got the task, then me and then other applicants at the six-seat desk. Almost I completed the task buy Ivan couldn’t manage to do his task. So I looked over and tried to help Ivan with his task but I couldn’t. What could I do? The time was out and we had to finish our test. As a result, I got good mark for my Math entrance exam and Ivan got unsatisfactory. I was lucky. If I had gotten Ivan’s variant, I would have failed the exam too. Later Ivanovsky had correspondence study and worked for regional energy structure. We’re friends for a lifetime.
We were demobilized and got to the institute from the military units. Someone didn’t see relatives for three years. That’s why we came back home without admission after entrance exams.
O. Turenko, the secretary of the department admission commission, informed all enrolled students that first group’s meeting and meeting with the dean and professors would hold on the 31st of August 1961. On that day we got to know each other. We were 26 happy students – we were students of MA-6 group.
Vasyl Vinoslavsky, the dean of the Faculty told us about future student’s life, mentioned about dormitory requirements and conditions and explained us what is terms and exam sessions. He pointed out that one could hardly enter the KPI but could easily be expelled. That was what happened. Later we respected him very well.
I want to share with reader my first impression of new group mates. Immediately I identified former soldiers and sailors. They were young, athletic, slim and highly motivated. Other students in the group were reputable; they had a rich experience, both in life and profession. The majority of group mates was here to get work-directed leaning and already had a necessary labor experience. There were two beautiful girls in our group: Valentina Bezryadina and Zhanna Onyshchenko. David Cornitas was directed to study at the URSR University by the Government of the Republic Of Cuba.
During the 5-year study 7 students left university. 3 of them continued their study at the higher military institutions. They were replaced by other students. New group mates had correspondence or evening study. Two other great girls Emma Gorynska and Lida Kushnirenko became our group mates.
The dean appointed me the Head of the group at the first meeting. During 5 years I had to be in charge of my group, I had to be engaged in each and every problem that my group mates had. I had to put in a good word for my colleagues before an exam session. My group mates were from other towns so I had to talk to student council in order to get places in the dormitory for all of them.
The joy of being the KPI student was in the past. It was time for everyday student’s life. The biggest problem was to get place in dormitory. There were no places for new students. Facing great difficulties, finally we got places in the dormitory №2 at Polova Street. During the first days of study we judged each other and decided to be rooming in this dormitory. There were 6 students: A.Gedz, V.Konontsov, A.Prahovnik, B.Rogalsky, L.Sachkov and E.Stogrin. And as fate had it, that’s dormitory brought us together for years. We became a big student’s family, a real fraternity. It’s hard to tell the reader our pain when we lost our friend after first year of study. Anatoliy Gedz passed away in the summer working on Kyiv factory. Students of our faculty were put in dormitories №2, №6 and №8. But the 5 of us were always in the room together.
During student’s life there were not only happy days but difficult days. Some of the demobilized students and former coal mines workers had problems with Chemistry, Physics and Foreign Language as they forgot their school subjects. It was difficult for them to work in the chemical laboratories and have a colloquium. And it was a complicated task to take the exams and foreign language tests. After having professional lectures on special courses we were more confident. Associate professors G.Danilchuk, O.Pirskyi, O.Tarenko, M.Polyansky, M Popovich, I.Fila, P.Ribchenko, G.Yanchuk, M Kuznetsova, G.Volokha, professors G.Efremov and V.Taritsyn, and the dean of the faculty – V.Vinoslavsky gave us unforgettable lectures. Lots of great memories left behind Y.Burmistrov, M.Borisyuk, V.Leporsky, I.Ryabenko, V.Skryl and others. They were our peers and assistants. A lot of assistant professors and assistants became professors, doctors of technical science, heads of the KPI departments, Y.Burmistrov and M.Borisyuk held important positions in the Ukrainian Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education.
After starting special courses some of us could use our experience and knowledge gained in the technical schools and factories. Since 2nd or 3rd year of study we could easily cope with complicated subject and academic courses. There was almost no problem with seminars, tests and exams. The 5 of us were a close-knit group; our room was so-called ‘commune’. In our ‘commune’ was a person on duty who had to buy food, cook meal and tidy up. We had been living for 5 years in such a way. We always helped each other to do hometask, to prepare paper or laboratory work, to deal with personal issues. We had the same school knowledge but then new material was so easy for V.Konontsov and A. Prahovnik to understand, whereas others had to work hard to learn new topic. 5 of use did everything, even were whips, sports facilitators, heads of the group. Our group gave the positive tone to the faculty’s life. There was the same situation when we were engaged in agriculture work or we took part in sport events or others competitions. According to the curriculum we were going to had 6-month internship at the end of the education. Some doubts rose in me and I decided to share my thoughts with my colleagues. There was total support because there was no need to have such a long-term internship as some of us had worked in coal mines, quarries or factories.
Using the support of the whole group I went to the dean with the written statements. The dean and the rector didn’t support our idea to reduce internship. But we didn’t give up. The next step was the written request to the Ukrainian Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education. And we succeeded. We finished our 5-years education in four and a half years.
The part of my group mate’s diploma projects become a good example for students’ research paper.
It was time to say goodbye to our beloved KPI… It was time to get jobs. Authority agencies and enterprises or so-called ‘buyers’ came. V.Konontsov got an offer to work in research institution in Konotop; B.Rogalsky got work in quarries in Vinnitsa region; E Shtogrin worked as power engineer in Ternopol mining industry. First I worked for Kyiv Institute of Automation; soon A.Prahovnyk and I got an offer to work as engineers for faculty’s department research ‘Explosive Industry’.
And finally, the most important thing, how has our group made a significant contribution to faculty’s life? After a while A.Konontsov, A.Prahovyk, and me, L.Sachkov held postgraduate degree and defended our Candidates Theses. Working as a head of a large mining enterprise, B.Rogalsky also defended his Candidate’s Thesis. After a while V.Konotsov, A.Prahovnik and L.Sachkov were educators at our faculty. After defending his doctoral dissertation, A.Prahovnyk became the leading specialists in theEnergy Saving and the Energy Management field. Working as a deputy dean, associate professor V.Konotsov devoted his life to develop our faculty. Defending his doctoral dissertation, B.Rogalsky became a head of one of the leading professorial chair of the VNTU. Working as a power engineer, E.Shtogrin also defended Candidate’s thesis. I was awarded an academic title of the KPI professor for my teaching, methodological and scientific activities.
After a while A.Prahovnik became an eminent scientific specialist in the energy field. He did a great deal of work in organization and created a new KPI scientific educational institution - Energy Saving and Energy Management Institute.
I headed the trade-union committee of the KPI workers on a voluntary basis for more than 10 years. But at the same time I worked as a professor, conducted academic researches and also I had to handle associate professor’s workload.
My friends, my colleagues had a huge part in transformation and development of the faculty. According to modern needs and priorities of country’s national economy, educational and scientific process had been changed under their guidance. This was made possible by MA-6 group with its wealth of talents, its responsibility of students in education. This was made possible because we honor and respect our educators and were KPI patriots - our alma mater patriots.
Thanks to A.Prahovnik, V.Konontsov, B.Rogalsky and thanks to me, our faculty (now Energy Saving and Energy Management Institute) was acknowledge among a range of higher educational, scientific and industrial circles in Ukraine and in many foreign countries.
We often meet and cherish very good memories of our friends and student’s life that united us forever.