In 2021, the Educational and Research Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute celebrates a significant date - 75 years since its founding.
How ERIEE began
The history of ERIEE dates back to 1946. In those post-war times, the country experienced a dire need of highly qualified specialists for the mining-fuel and energy industries. Under the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Kyiv Polytechnic Institute got the Mining Faculty (MF). The Faculty was supposed to train engineers for the country's mining industry as soon as possible. In 1946, the first students entered the newly created Mining Faculty.
Academicians of the Academy of Sciences of the UkrSSR became the founders of the Faculty. Among them were Oleksandr Shcherban, Mykolai Starikov, Vitalii Solohub, and Corresponding Members of the Academy of Sciences of the UkrSSR Panteleimon Kucherov, professors M. Zhukov, Yevtyhii Ivanchenko, Oleksandr Mykhailov, V. Tsarytsyn, V. Kravets, Vasyl Vynoslavsky, associate professors O. Kuznietsov, I. Fil, P. Rybchenko, Oleksii Vopilkin, and others.
Despite the difficult post-war times, students of the Mining Faculty of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute got increased scholarships and wore attractive uniforms. Their suits distinguished them from students of other universities. Such care for mining students encouraged them to study. The Faculty trained specialists in essential specialties for mining: “Development of mineral deposits”, “Mining construction” and “Mining electromechanics”.
From 1946 to 1951, the Faculty trained 95 mining engineers. The first graduation from the Faculty was in 1951.
Since 1954, due to the continuous growth of the Faculty's authority, highly qualified teaching staff, and significant demand for miners, the Mining Faculty opened new departments: mine ventilation, mining machinery, geology, and mining transport. The new departments provided quality training for students of all specialties of the Faculty of Mining in mining mechanization, ventilation, and occupational safety. Thanks to such qualitative changes, in 1953, the MF trained 244 specialists for mining enterprises. In 1957, the MF prepared 264 specialists.
In 1959, the Faculty started training specialists in the new specialty “Electrification and automation of mining”. In 1961, there were 29 graduates of electrical engineers and automation engineers.
The Mining Faculty had a long way in formation and development. Times and working conditions have changed. However, the MF has always responded with dignity to all the challenges and demands of the time and has only grown its authority.
During the reorganization in 1963, the Mining Faculty became part of the Faculty of Automation and Electrical Engineering.
Turning back the pages of time, one can presume that the Faculty heads (later - the Faculty of Mining Electromechanics and Automation, the Mining Faculty, the Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management) were always prominent teachers and scientists - O. Kuznietsov (1948-1948), H. Rozkoshnyi (1948-1950), V. Kravets (1951-1958), Vasyl Vynoslavsky (1958-1988), O. Pirskyi (1988-1993), V. Smirnov (1993-1997), and Artur Prakhovnyk (1997-2012). Since 2013 and until today, the Educational and Research Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management is headed by Doctor of Science, Professor, Serhii Lebedev Award Holder of NAS of Ukraine Serhiy Denysiuk.
These outstanding people gave all their tireless energy, talents, opportunities, spiritual values, and wisdom for the formation, development, and increase of authority not only of the Faculty but also the University in general. Suffice it to cite just one example of selfless service to the responsible management of the MF: a veteran and invalid of World War II, Professor, Honored Worker of the Higher School, a favorite Dean of FMEA students Vasyl Vynoslavskyi worked as the Faculty Dean dean for 30 years - from 1958 to 1988.
The second birth of the Mining Faculty
In 1967, a significant event took place. The Faculty team had been waiting for the change for several years - the MF got renewed and improved. As a result, it has got a new name - the Faculty of Mining Electromechanics and Automation (FMEA). In 1974, the FMEA got its dream campus building (№22) and dormitory (№ 16).
The teaching and research staff of the departments constantly and traditionally replenished with talented graduates. Prominent scientists headed the FMEA departments. In addition to teaching, they engaged the departments’ staff in research. Each division created scientific and educational laboratories that met the educational needs and scientific level of the time.
The Department of Electricity Supply headed by Professor Vasyl Vynoslavskyi started a scientific school of power supply. The school worked on the optimization of power consumption regimes, power consumption systems of mining enterprises, power supply systems, and more. In 1970-1980, Professor Artur Prakhovnyk founded a scientific direction in electricity consumption management. As a result, the division established the Research and Engineering Center for Energy Saving, which later transformed into the Research Institute of Automation and Energy “Enerhiia”. Today, Associate Professor, Laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine Vasyl Kalinchik heads the Institute.
In 1967, the Department of Mining Automation was founded. It later became one of the most famous and most successful departments of the Faculty. Until 1973, Associate Professor Heorhii Yanchuk was Head of the Department. From 1973 to 2006, Professor V. Chermalykh continued the traditions and created an authoritative scientific school of automated electric drive with semiconductor converters. The Department actively developed research in automated control systems and automation of machines and technological complexes. Since 2006, the Department Head, which received a new name of the Department of Automation Control of Electrotechnical Systems, is a famous scientist Professor Viсtor Rozen.
In 1957-1991, V. Tsarytsyn and O. Pirskyi headed the Department of Mining Technology and Mechanization, in turn. They contributed to forming scientific directions of effective geotechnologies, mining mechanization, creating a highly effective rock-destroying tool.
One of the oldest Faculty divisions is the Department of Labour Protection. From 1962 to 1973, Associate Professor V. Kravets headed the Department of Labour Protection. From 1973 to 2007, the winner of the State Prize of Ukraine and Professor K. Tkachuk took the lead of the Department. As Head of the Department, K. Tkachuk initiated the National Research Institute of Labour Protection in 1994, where he worked as a director from 1994 to 2000. Since 2007, the Department of Labour Protection, Industrial and Civil Safety is headed by Professor Oleh Levchenko.
The Department of Mining Electromechanics, founded in 1949, trained specialists in electromechanics for fuel and power energy systems. Its first head from 1949 to 1953 was a famous scientist Professor Yevtyhii Ivanchenko. The Department of Mining Electromechanics graduated its first specialists in 1951. From 1953 to 1966, Professor Vasyl Vynoslavskyi headed the Department. In 1989 (until 2021), Associate Professor and later Professor Stepan Shevchuk took the helm of the Department. In 1995, the division got a new name - the Department of Electromechanical Equipment of Energy Consuming Industries.
Since 1991, the Department of Technology and Mechanization of Mining (TMM) started to train specialists in ecology and environmental protection when the Head of the Department became Professor O. Pirskyi. In 1993, the Department of Underground Construction was created based on the Department of Technology and Mechanization of Mining. The Head of the new direction became Professor V. Kravets. The Department trained specialists in “Mining and Underground Construction” and “Development of Mineral Deposits”. In the following years, the division under the new name – the Department of Geoengineering - is headed by Professor V. Kravets, Associate Professor S. Stovpnyk, and Professor O. Vovk.
In 1993, the Department of Engineering Ecology was established to train specialists in "Mining Ecology" and "Energy Ecology". For many years its Head was Professor O. Pirskyi. Then, Professor A. Smirnov, Associate Professor Anatolii Kriuchkov, Professor I. Luchko, Professor K. Tkachuk. successfully headed the Department.
An essential milestone towards the further development of the FMEA was the implementation of the “Comprehensive State Program for Energy Saving”. In 1997, the Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management merged with the Faculty of Mining. Together they established a new educational unit - the Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management (IEE). For a long time (1997-2012), a well-known scientist in energy-saving, Professor, Laureate of the State Prize, and Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine Artur Prakhovnyk headed the IEE.
In Ukraine, the IEE became the founder of a new science direction and educational specialty “Energy Management”. Together with the Institute of Electrodynamics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the IEE starts a scientific and educational direction “Intelligent energy and electric power systems of energy-efficient technologies”.
In 1997, the Department of Heat Engineering and Energy Saving joined the IEE. From 1986 to 2000, its Head was Professor S. Konstantynov, from 2000 to 2021 - Professor Valerii Deshko, and from 2021 - Associate Professor I. Bilous. From 2007-to 2015, the famous scientist Professor V. Yaroshenko created a powerful scientific school “Thermomolecular Energy” at the Department.
The ERIEE today
As for the present, the ERIEE continues to develop its glorious traditions established in 1946 and preserves the Institute’s specific nature. The ERIEE is a team with high scientific and pedagogical potential. It has campus building №22, modern scientific and educational laboratories.
In recent years, to meet the current demands and to improve the efficiency and quality of training, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute restructured the faculties and divisions. The ERIEE went through with the reorganization as well. Now the Institute consists of five departments: the Department of Power Supply; the Department of Automation of Electrical and Mechatronic Complexes; the Department of Heat Engineering and Energy Saving; the Department of Geoengineering; the Department of Labour Protection, Industrial and Civil Safety. Besides the departments, the ERIEE includes the “Enerhiia” Research Institute, 2 research centers (the Center for Training of Energy Managers and the Center for Energy-Saving Pulse-Wave Structures and Technologies), and 3 laboratories (the Laboratory of Thermomolecular Energy, the Laboratory for Resource and Energy-saving, the Laboratory for Training Module Modernization).
The ERIEE trains qualified specialists in energy saving and energy consumption; energy management; geotechnical and urban underground construction; engineering ecology and resource conservation; automation of electrical and mechatronic complexes.
The teaching staff of the Institute provides a high level of education taking into account modern requirements, prepares a worthy young change with great professional and moral potential, and preserves the traditions and specific nature of the Institute.
During its existence, the ERIEE has trained more than 12,000 engineers and Masters in various forms of education. Currently, 600 students and 40 graduate students study at the ERIEE. 100 research and teaching staff work at the Institute, 22 of them are doctors of sciences, professors while 53 are candidates of sciences.
Graduates and lecturers of the Institute have presented more than 30 doctoral and 280 candidate theses. The ERIEE has published over 6,000 scientific papers, obtained about 650 copyright certificates and patents for inventions, and released over 100 textbooks, manuals, and monographs. The Institute publishes two scientific journals – “Enerhetyka: Ekonomika, Tehnolohii, Ekolohiia” (“Energy: Economics, Technology, Ecology”) and “Heoinzheneriia” (“Geoengineering”).
The ERIEE is implementing international projects in improving the efficiency of higher education, research in energy conservation, energy management, urban planning, environmental protection, and labor protection.
The Institute has established educational cooperation and exchange ties with many universities worldwide. Students from Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America studied and are studying here. Teachers and researchers of the Institute go abroad to work at universities, internships, transfer work experience to friendly countries.
The Institute is proud of its former and current teachers and employees - winners of the State Prizes in Science and Technology of Ukraine Vasyl Vynoslavsky, V. Solohub, K. Tkachuk, V. Kravets, Oksana Vovk, V. Lialko, M. Popovych, Artur Prakhovnyk, Vasyl Kalinchyk, Volodymyr Prokopenko, Larysa Nesen, as well as laureates of State Prizes of other countries Adrian Smirnov (State Prize of Lithuania), Oksana Vovk (State Prize of Lithuania), V. Kot and Serhii Fishchenko (both laureates of the USSR State Prize in Science and Technology).
Scientific directions of the ERIEE are presented by schools of well-known in Ukraine scientists - academicians of NAS of Ukraine О. Shcherban, M. Starykov, corresponding members of the NAS of Ukraine V. Lialko, V. Solohub, P. Kucherov, professors V. Tsarytsyn, V. Yaroshenko, A. Prakhovnyk, V. Chermalykh, О. Pirskyi, V. Kravets, A. Samedov, A. Kichihin, O. Vovk, K. Tkachuk, V. Deshko, V. Zorin, S. Denysiuk, V. Vorobiov, V. Rozen, V. Skrylia, M. Popovych, V. Leporskyi and others.
Not only Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute but also many countries of the world have heard of the international RadioClub “Polytechnic” UT7UZA. Its team has repeatedly become the champion of the world, Europe, Ukraine, and winner of major international competitions. Mykola Sergienko UX0UN, a lecturer at the Department of Geoengineering, has been managing the club for 45 years.
Fans of the art are acquainted with the Honored Worker of the ERIEE and the University, Head of the Art Gallery “ECHO”, laureate and winner of many art competitions, master of applied arts, musician and poet Volodymyr Pushkin. Together with his associates, he organizes celebrations, performances, and art exhibitions for students and staff of the ERIEE and Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
ERIEE students take an active part in scientific work, present projects at many competitions and scientific conferences, become winners and prizewinners. They are also active in art, so they are known for their talents not only at the University but far beyond it. Not to mention a graduate of the MF Anatolii Mokrenko - a miner-geologist, who became a world-famous opera singer, People's Artist of Ukraine and the Soviet Union.
The ERIEE remembers and takes care of its graduates, who found their destiny and work in different parts of Ukraine and the world. The ERIEE “Public Organization of Veterans and Alumni of the IEE” keeps in touch and holds meetings with graduates of the Institute.
The anniversary of the alma mater is an excellent opportunity to look back, rethink the past and move on. Recalling the history of the ERIEE, we once again realize that it is many years of hard work of the whole team, creative cooperation with manufacturers, scientists, and our graduates that we owe our achievements.