Preparing engineers, metallurgists in the Kiev Polytechnic Institute started in the early years of the twentieth century. The organizer of the metallurgy specialty and the head of the department for about a quarter of a century was Vasily Petrovich Izhevsky (1863-1926). Under his leadership, there were prepared 156 engineers - metallurgists.

V.P. Izhevsky students were: I.P. Bardin - a world-renowned scientist, a legendary figure in the history of the domestic industry, vice president of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR; the academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR M.P.Chizhevsky; corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences V.Y. Vasilyev: Professor, Head of the Department of Analytical Chemistry in the KPI P.A. Epic; M.I. Mozgovoy, which was first in the world proposed and carried out in 30s years of the twentieth century blowing molten iron with oxygen at the Kiev factory "Bolshevik".

There are widely known scientific works in the field of metallurgy of V.A. Chernushevich, I.A. Feshenko-Chopivskogo, M.G. Korsunsky, S.M. Karmazin, V.P.Mashkovtsya, M.F. Alexeenko, F.M. Shamrai.

Large-scale and targeted training of engineers - metallurgists began in 1944, when Union Committee on Higher Education of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR October 7, 1944, issued an order "On creation of metallurgical faculty in the Kiev Polytechnic Institute". The idea of creating in the KPI metallurgical faculty was actively supported by the academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR I.P. Bardin, president of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences A.A. Bogomolets, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR V.Y. Vasiliev, Rector of KPI A.S. Plygunov. The task of the faculty is the carrying out the training of engineers, metallurgists for the industry and providing highly qualified experts the scientific institutes of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The first dean of the Faculty (1944-1959) was Constantine I. Vashenko, who was tasked with preparing all documents, liaising with the relevant government agencies in Moscow and Kiev.

In 1975 the faculty was named Faculty of Physical Engineering.

Originally the faculty consisted from the following departments:

• Metal and steel industrial furnaces, the head has been appointed the academician of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, M.M. Dobrokhotov, which in 1950 was replaced by Professor V.I. Yavoysky;

• Metallurgy of iron and metallurgical processes theory, Head - Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine V.Y. Vasiliev;

• Foundry ferrous and non-ferrous metals, Head - Associate Professor K.I. Vashenko who in 1945 defended his doctoral dissertation and became a professor;

• Metallurgy and heat treatment of metals, Head - Academician of the Ukraine V.M. Sveshnikov. In 1948 this department was reorganized to form two departments: metallurgy (headed by Academician V.M. Sveshnikov) and heat treatment of metals (led by Professor V.N. Gridnev). Based on the latest in 1952 established the Department of heat treatment and metal physics. In 1963, these two departments merged. Now, in the Faculty there is Department of metallurgy and heat treatment.

In the mid-50s the training of engineers ferrous metallurgy was stopped, and the Departments of steel metallurgy and industrial furnaces and iron and steel, and the theory of metallurgical processes in accordance with the relevant decisions overturned and new departments were opened:

• In 1958. - Automation of metallurgical processes and furnaces, Head - Professor V.S. .Kocho

• in 1962. - High-temperature materials and powder metallurgy, Head - Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine G.V. Samsonov;

• In 1975. - Physics of Metals, Head - Professor A.V. Bilotsky. Training of engineers in "The Physics of Metals" was held in 1952 at the department of physics and thermal processing of metals;

• In 1977. - Physico-chemical bases of technology metals, Head - Professor D.F. Chernega.

The main task of this department is to improve the theoretical and applied training of students of all specialties of faculty in the field of metallurgy. One can rightfully assume that this department became the successor of the first two departments of the Faculty: metallurgy of iron and metallurgical processes theory; steel metallurgy and industrial furnaces. In 1980, in accordance with the order of the Minister of Higher and Specialized Education of the USSR V.P.Elyutin in this department began to train engineers with specialization "special electrometallurgy", and since 1997 it has been established the specialty "Special Metals." The idea of opening this specialty has found active support of the president Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Director of the PWI of E.A. Paton academician Boris Paton, Minister of Higher and Secondary Special Education of the USSR, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR G.G Efimenko, rector NTUU "KPI" academician of NAS of Ukraine and the Russian Academy of Sciences M.Z. Zgurovsky.

Graduates of the faculty, and there are about 10,000, made a significant contribution to the development of metallurgy, engineering and other industries of the state.

Academicians B.E. Paton, V.N. Gridnev, B.I. Medovar, I.M. Fedorchenko, M.Z. Zgurovsky Professors V.I.Shlyuko, A.V. Bilotsky actively participated in the establishment of the new departments.

A significant number of graduates (25%) were sent in jobs at the request of the institutions of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine of material science, as well as in industrial scientific and technical organizations, where they became known scientists, heads of relevant departments. In the Ukrainian educational institutions, they worked and are working in positions of vice-rectors, deans, heads of departments, professors and associate professors. In the metallurgical and engineering industries they were and are factory directors, chief engineer, head shops.

Graduates of the faculty, who worked the heads of large industrial enterprises: MA Budagyan - Director Lutugino plant of rolls; O.O.Gerasimenko - Director of metallurgical plant "Zaporizhstal"; S.A. Donskoy - Director Ermakovsk Ferroalloy Plant (Kazakhstan), R.L.Snezhnoy - Director of the Research Institute of special methods of casting (Odessa); V.G.Udovenko - Director of Nizhni Tagil Metallurgical Combine; O.V.Shokul - director of "Azovstal". This is not the complete data.

148 graduates received their doctorates and 558 - PhD (this is not the complete data).

Among the graduates of the Faculty there are 9 academicians and 18 corresponding members, among them: A.I. Dihne and V.I. Trefilov – Academicians of RAS; V.I. Trefilov, Y.V. Naiditsch, V.V. Nemoshkalenko, V.V. Skorohod, I.M. Carp, P.S. Kisly, V.L.Naydek, S.A. Firstov - Academicians of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; G.P. Borisov, V.P. Bondarenko, V.P. Gavrilyuk, G.G. Gnesin, Y.M. Koval, S.P. Oshkaderov, A.J. Ishchenko A.V. Kurdiumov, Y.Y. Meshkov, Y.V. Milman, L.O.Poznyak, S.I.Sidorenko, Y.M. Solonin, V.M. Pereloma, V.F. Horunov, V.T. Cherepin, D.F. Chernega - Corresponding Members of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; R.O.Andrievsky - Corresponding Member of the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences. By the number of academicians and corresponding members of the NAS of Ukraine and other academies graduates of the Faculty of Engineering Physics KPI ranks first among the faculties of technical universities in Ukraine.

From March 1973 to 2001 The Institute of Materials Science of I.N.Frantsevich NAS was headed by Academician of NAS of Ukraine and the Russian Academy of Sciences Viktor Ivanovich Trefilov. Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Vladimir Vladimirovich Nemoshkalenko worked as the director of the Institute of Metal Physics of G.V. Kurdyumov NAS of Ukraine (1989-2002). Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Igor Karp from 1986 to 2002 headed the Institute of gas NASU. He now works at the Institute as the Honorary Director. NAS academician Vladimir L. Naydek since 1988 - Director of Physical and Technological Institute of Metals and Alloys National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Academician Valery V. Skorokhod since 2002 successfully directs the Institute for Problems of Materials of I.N.Frantsevicha NAS.

Among the graduates there is a significant number of prominent figures of science and technology - USSR State Prize of the USSR and, premiums of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, academies of foreign countries.

Well-known scientists, metallurgists and materials scientists academics Ukrainian Academy of Sciences N.N. Dobrokhotov, V.M. Svechnikov, V.N. Gridnev, I.M. Fedorchenko; Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine V.Y. Vasiliev, V.G. Samsonov, G.G. Efimenko; Professors K.I.Vaschenko, V.I. Yavoysky, A.A. Sigov. V.G. Permiakov, V.S. Kocho, A.V. Bilotsky, A.F. Chizhsky, I.H. Trush, M.V. Belous worked at the faculty in different periods of time. Current professors, associate professors and assistants, most of whom are graduates of the faculty have a responsible attitude to their duties.

Deans of the Faculty in different periods of the time were: Professors: K.I. Vashenko (1944-1959), A.F. Chizhsky (1959-1972), D.F. Chernega (1972-1988 ), A.P. Somik (1988-2001), A.N. Beialik (2001-2005). Now the faculty is headed by Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor P.I. Loboda.

Today, the department faculty are preparing bachelors (4 years), specialists (5.5 years), Masters (6 years). Additionally to 60 full-time teachers, there are 39 teachers working part-time. It's basically a staff of academic institutions, doctors of technical sciences, professors.

At the Faculty considerable attention is devoted to creating highly intelligent team of teachers for the education of high quality engineering and scientific personnel. Considerable attention has been paid to the dean's office friendly business relationship with the institutions and departments of materials science directions NAS: Institute of Electric of E.O.Paton, Physical and Technological Institute of Metals and Alloys, Institute of Metal Physics of G.V. Kurdyumov, Institute for Superhard Materials of V.M.Bakul, Institute of Materials Science of I.M. Frantsevich, Gas Research Institute. The management of these institutions provides a venue for student practice, creates the appropriate conditions for the preparation of their defense of diploma works, scientific and research work. Close creative and educational ties with academic institutions are supported by the opening of branches of the department.

Outstanding scientists of these institutes V.I .Trefilov, V.V. Skohokhod, V.V. Nemoshkalenko, G.M. Grigorenko, S.V. Ladokhin, V.T. Cherepin, V.P. Bondarenko. S.P. Oshkaderov, V.I. Dubodelov participated in research and in the educational process at the Faculty.

D.F. Chernega head of the Department of Physicochemical Foundations of Metallurgical Processes, corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, prof.

На фото: Завідувач кафедрою матеріалознавства КПІ В.Н. Свєчніков веде бесіду зі своїми студентами.