The Scientific Legacy of Professor Valentyn Chermalykh
On April 16, 2026, the academic community marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Professor Valentyn Chermalykh (1926–2022)—Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine, Academician of the Academy of Engineering Sciences of Ukraine, Distinguished Professor of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, and Doctor of Technical Sciences. For more than three decades (1973–2006), he headed the Department of Automation of Electrical Engineering and Mechatronic Complexes (known until 1999 as the Department of Mining Industry Automation) of the Educational and Research Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management (formerly the Faculty of Mining Electromechanics and Automation). The department's current scientific achievements are rooted in Professor Chermalykh's many years of leadership and research. He founded a distinguished scientific school dedicated to the development of optimal energy-efficient electric drive systems and microprocessor-controlled technological processes, laying the foundation for the department's continued success in these fields.
Professor Valentyn Chermalykh's principal research areas included the optimization of electric drive control systems incorporating semiconductor converters and microprocessor-based devices; fuzzy control of complex electromechanical systems using multichannel reference models (a mathematical or computer-based representation of a desired process used as a benchmark for comparison with real systems - editor'snote); and the optimization of the dynamic performance of electromechanical systems with distributed elastic components based on the method of limiting elastic couplings, which he developed.
Today, the scientific school founded by Professor Chermalykh continues to develop along a broad range of research directions in control theory, including the mathematical, software, technical, information, organizational, and legal support of electrical engineering and electromechanical systems. Under his leadership, the faculty and researchers of the Department of Automation of Electrical Engineering and Mechatronic Complexes carried out numerous research projects united by a common objective: optimizing the control of complex electromechanical systems, integrated complexes, and technologically controlled electric drive processes with a focus on energy efficiency. The department's researchers are now pursuing new lines of investigation, including the development of national standards for the management of industrial facilities based on energy-efficiency criteria, led by Professor V.P. Rozen. Building on the strong scientific foundation established by Professor Chermalykh, the department continues to advance fundamental systems research while expanding work on energy management in electrical engineering and power systems, the efficient use of electrical energy in electrical engineering and mechatronic complexes, and the theory of processes in complex electrical, electrotechnological, and mechatronic systems for the energy, transport, mechanical engineering, and mining industries. Research also encompasses alternative energy technologies, including biofuel and hydrogen energy systems, which integrate technological, electrical engineering, and computing equipment into unified complexes. These efforts aim to develop new system architectures, control and diagnostic systems, improve reliability, energy efficiency, and productivity, and advance both mathematical and physical modeling. Since Professor Chermalykh's tenure as head of the department, the academic staff has consistently provided high-quality professional education for specialists in the energy sector. His scientific legacy remains a lasting contribution to the development of Ukrainian science and higher education.
Valentyn Mykhailovych Chermalykh was born in 1926 in the village of Velyka Novosilka, Donetsk region. From 1944 to 1948, he served in the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union and was a veteran of the Second World War. He graduated from Donetsk Polytechnic Institute in 1954 and subsequently worked as a junior and senior researcher at the Scientific Research Mining Institute in Kryvyi Rih from 1954 to 1958.
In 1958, he enrolled in postgraduate studies at Kryvyi Rih Mining Institute. After defending his Candidate of Technical Sciences dissertation in 1962, he was appointed Associate Professor and, from 1964 to 1973, served as Head of the Department of Automation of Production Processes, which had been established following the introduction of the academic program in Electric Drive and Automation of Industrial Installations and Technological Complexes.
In 1970, he defended his Doctor of Technical Sciences dissertation, and in 1972, he was awarded the academic title of Professor. During this period, he supervised an extensive body of applied research whose results were implemented in industry, mentored numerous Candidates of Technical Sciences, and published a substantial number of scientific papers and teaching materials.
In 1973, Professor Chermalykh began his academic career at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, having been appointed through a competitive selection process as Head of the Department of Mining Industry Automation, later renamed the Department of Automation of Electrical Engineering and Mechatronic Complexes.
Under Professor Chermalykh's leadership and with his direct participation, the department's academic staff carried out numerous significant research projects and developments, including many government-funded and industry-sponsored projects in collaboration with leading research institutions. Among their most notable achievements was the development and industrial implementation of the first automated electric drive systems using power semiconductor converters for industrial machinery and equipment, as well as automation systems for hoisting and transport facilities, crushing and sorting plants, and other technological complexes serving the mining industry.
Professor Chermalykh's arrival at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute coincided with the establishment of teaching and research laboratories in the university's newly constructed Building No. 22. Within a short period, the department created modern laboratories equipped with advanced instrumentation and state-of-the-art computing facilities. This enabled the expansion of new research directions focused on improving electrical equipment for coal and ore mining enterprises. Working together with specialists from sectoral research institutes, the department's researchers developed microprocessor-based control systems for multifunctional underground mining manipulators, synchronous motor drive systems based on alternating-current machines, auger mining complexes for extracting coal from thin seams, and programmable control, protection, and diagnostic systems for mine hoisting and conveyor installations.
The results of Professor Valentyn Chermalykh's extensive scientific work were reflected in more than 250 publications, over 10 textbooks and teaching manuals, and three monographs. He also received 38 inventor's certificates for his developments. As a scientific organizer, he served on the editorial boards of several professional academic journals and was a member of two specialized councils responsible for defending Candidate and Doctoral dissertations. From the 1980s onward, he was a member of the Mining Section of the Scientific and Technical Council and the Scientific and Methodological Council of the Ministry of Education of Ukraine. From 1978 to 2000, he served on the committee responsible for Ukraine's State Prizes. Professor Chermalykh continuously supervised postgraduate researchers; under his guidance, 34 postgraduate students defended their Candidate of Technical Sciences dissertations, including seven international students from Germany, Algeria, Syria, Jordan, and russia. Five of his students went on to become Doctors of Technical Sciences and professors.
Professor Valentyn Chermalykh taught a wide range of specialized academic disciplines, including automatic control theory, intelligent automatic control systems, digital and microprocessor systems, and others.
For his achievements in scientific and educational work, as well as in the training of specialists and researchers, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1971), the jubilee medal "For Valiant Labour" (1970), and several honorary distinctions, including "Miner's Glory, III Class" (1996), "For Outstanding Achievements in Work" (1985), "USSR Inventor" (1982), and "For Loyalty to Mining Mechanics" (2004). In 1991, Professor Valentyn Chermalykh was elected Academician of the Academy of Engineering Sciences of Ukraine, and in 1998 he was awarded the honorary title of Distinguished Professor of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
The staff of the Department of Automation of Electrical Engineering and Mechatronic Complexes of the Educational and Research Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute warmly remembers their long-serving head, teacher, and mentor.
Valentyn Mykhailovych was distinguished not only by his outstanding professionalism but also by his exceptional personal qualities. He created an atmosphere of creativity, friendship, and mutual respect within the team. He was known for his approachable manner, warm attitude toward colleagues, fairness, openness, sincerity, high personal culture, sensitivity, and genuine concern for the people who worked alongside him. He was a wise person who knew how to listen, valued the opinions of every member of the team, and treated everyone with respect.
Professor Valentyn Mykhailovych Chermalykh played a significant role in the modern development of automation of electrical engineering and mechatronic complexes through the synergistic combination of scientific and educational achievements.