On the 7th of August marked 105 years since the birth of extraordinary figures and years of training, he dedicated memories Distinguished Professor "KPI" Oleksiy Bilotska that we offer to our readers.
My memories about teaching school of metallurgy, heat treatment and metal physics spanning more than 60-year working period in KPI. I consider myself one of the oldest student of the founder of this school, an outstanding teacher, scholar and public figure Academician Vitaly Nikiforovich Grydnyeva. I have preserved lectures notes, reports on practical training and thesis performed under the supervision of my teacher. His teaching skills and experience in methodical work valued in KPI.
The history of training of specialists of material profile inKyiv Polytechnic Institute originated from the time when, in 1944, after returning from evacuation institution it was established metallurgical department. The faculty included the metallurgy department. It was headed by renowned metaloznavets, scientist and educator Academician V.M.Svyechnikov.
In 1945 V.M.Svyechnikov invited to work his student - a senior researcher of the Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy USSR of the Academy of Sciences V.N.Hrydnyeva. In 1947 he defended his doctoral thesis, after which he was appointed deputy director of KPI for academic affairs. During the year, an experienced and energetic 37 -year-old scientist was in charge of the department for research.
In 1948 there was a reorganization of the department of physical metallurgy to form two departments. The metallurgical department was headed by V.M.Svyechnikov, department of the heat treatment of metals by professor V.N.Hrydnyev.
In 1947 I have changed the soldiers straps to a student card and became the student of the Metallurgical Faculty ofKPI. The first most vivid impression of the profession and future prospects may I got while listening to fascinating lectures of V.M.Svyechnikova academic lectures on metallurgy and lectures on heat treatment and ferrous and non-ferrous metals by V.N.Hrydnyeva. Working in the metallurgical industry and the higher education cational institutions in pre-war and especially during the war, these eminent personalities have gained in-depth knowledge and experience and knew what to teach and how to educate young people.
The great educational, technical, organizational and research experience V.N. Gridnev acquired through painstaking hard work in Novocherkassk and Dnipropetrovsk in the prewar period, Magnitogorsk - during the war and after it - in Kyiv.
In 1949, the steel department of KPI produced first graduates of engineering and metallurgy ternomic treatment of metals. By the time he headed the department V.N.Hrydnyev heat treatment of metals and served as deputy director for educational work, then director of KPI. Soon his active assistants became V.I.Trefilov, O. Belotsky, V.T. Cherepin graduates of KPI and his first post-graduates.
Being well aware of the educational process, he directly participated in the drafting of curricula and attracted to the work of leading experts. However, designed curricula have not yet guarantee high quality training of future engineers, it was necessary qualified personnel and material to support the learning process.
As head of the department V.N.Hrydnyev attracted to teaching well-known specialists, like himself, during the war, worked for the defense industry and well- known areas of production of the future. Among these professors M.P.Braun, S.V.Malashenko, H.K.Lvov, Associate S.S.Holubyev and others.
Of course, the growth of skill and authority V.N.Hrydnyeva contributed to its communication and cooperation with prominent scientists and educators as academics H.V.Kurdyumov, V.D.Sadovskiy, V.M.Svyechnikov, V.I.Danilov, I.M.Frantsevych, K.F.Starodubov, K.P.Bunin.
At various times students weregiven masterful lectures by famous scholars, Akademy of Sciences of Ukraine A.A.Smirnov, H.S.Pysarenko, M.O.Kilchevskyy, YL Daletskyy, A.H.Lyesnik professors O.S.Smohorzhevskyy, V.A.Zmorovych, T.V.Putyata, L.I.Lysak, I.Y. Dehtyar.
V.N.Hrydnyev has paid much attention to the development and introduction of new teaching methods and research students’ work, post-graduates, professors and all members of the department. Thus, during the study of the peculiarities of metastable properties in metals V.N.Hrydnyev and his students had faced great problems of methodological nature, which they could overcome only by creation of their own experimental base. In the KPI developed the original equipment for studying the speed of structural changes during the electro-thermal treatment (V.I. Trefilov, V.T. Cherepin) and equipment for high-temperature roentgenography of phase conversion (O.V. Bilotskiy). Department post-graduates of previous years remember the names of B.B.Umov, O.Ye.Sklyarova, I.M.Muha, V.V.Yaremchuk, B.D.Savka; they created the new original equipment and devices. They can be called the “co-authors” of many students’ diplomas, candidates and doctoral dissertations of department members. In the department established by VitaliyNikiforovich in the favorable and creative atmosphere successfully completed and defended candidate’s dissertations Y.O. Kocherzhynskiy, V.I. Trefilov, V.T. Cherepin, O.V. Bilotskyy, M.V. Bilous, B.H. Nechyporenko, O.I. Yefimov.
1960 was the year when V.N. Hrydnyev focused on the activities of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – in 1955 he held the position of Director of the Institute of Metallophysics. Heading of the Department he handed to the Professor V.H. Permjakov, experienced lecturer and tutor of the young people.
Keeping the style and tradition of pedagogical school of V.N.Hrydnyev, V.H. Permjakov has extended the work of specialists’ preparation through post-graduate course. Because of intensive research work the Department prepared and conducted more than 50 defenses of dissertations.
The logical conclusion of a large number of scientific papers had become the defense of doctoral dissertations by O.V.Bilotskiy (formation of solid solutions and phases of penetration during the heat treatment and nitrating alloys) and by M.V.Bilous (transformation during tempering of steels (1972)). New Ph.D. in science became professors of the Department.
In 1963, from the Department of metal science, heat treatment and metal physics evolved the department of powder metallurgy under the guidance of corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine G.V. Samsonov.
For the purpose of improving the level of training of specialists in metal physics in 1975 on the engineering and physics department was created the Department of Metal Physics. It was organized and headed by Professor O.V. Bilotskiy. Curricula and work programs were corrected and was developed and agreed the comprehensive specialists’ training plan with the involvement in the educational process leading scientists of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the use of material resources by some of its institutions.
Performing laboratory work with metals roentgenography, physical research methods and electronic microscopy, the students had access to sophisticated equipment, on which they were learning not only to work independently, but also to conduct researches.
The department occasionally organized meetings with V.N.Hrydnyev - an academician, director of the Institute of Metal Physics, Head of the Department; with leading scientists of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, during which the problems and achievements of modern science of materials were discussed. Many useful advices for collaboration between scientists from the Department of the Institute of Metal Physics were given by academicians V.G. Bariyakhtar, V.V. Nemoshkalenko, V.P. Shpak.
Practical training was of a great importance. It usually was held on the best industrial plants, industry research organizations and Institute of the USSR and the Soviet Union. They were giants of metallurgical production such as Azovstal,Zaporizhstal, DniproSpecStal, Leningradskiy Metal Plant, Electrosyla, Minsk Automobile and Tractor Plant, Kharkov Tractor Plant, I.P.Bardin Central Research Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy, O.O.Baykova Institute of Metallurgy USSR (Moscow), and the USSR Academy of Sciences research institutes and design bureaus of the Ministry of Medium Machine Building. Note that the practice manager duties included not only teaching and production issues, but students free - trips to museums, theaters, exhibitions, places of military and labor glory, visiting sporting events, trips to a one-day holiday with labor groups and so on.
Students of the Institute of Metal Physics regularly won prizes in competitions for the best institute academic group. Chancellor of KPI Professor H.I. Denysenko encouraged the winners, allocated funds by which the students during holidays were traveling around interesting tourist routes of the country. Annually, during many years, almost one of three graduates of Department of Metal Physics had received diploma Cum Laude. The members of Metal Physics Department for achievements in the research study in 1982 were awarded with the title of exemplary unit of the institute.
In 1992 the Decree of the President of Ukraine employees of the department Bilotskiy and Bogdanova were awarded the honorary title "Merited worker of national education of Ukraine."
High level of training and good organization of the educational process even contributed to the formation of dynasties of graduates of the Faculty on a specialty "Physics of Metals."Beginning from the times of teaching.Gridnyeva two or three generations of many families received education in this profession. This in particular, Firstova, Minakova, Zasymchuky, Oshkadorovy, Nerodenky, Malashenky, Pakharenky, Mokhorty, Timofeevy etc.
It is difficult to enumerate graduates who became candidates and doctors, spearheaded companies and research institutions. Outstanding graduates of reputable schools have become academicians of RAS V.I.Trefilov, O.O.Dyhne, academicians of NASU - V.V.Nemoshkalenko, Yu.V.Naydych, P.S.Kyslyy, V.V.Skorohod, V.L.Naydek, S.O.Firstov and others.
It should be noted that the Department Physics of Metals of KPI were educated and qualified students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Uzbekistan. Undergone training, studied in postgraduate study and defended their candidate dissertations scientists from Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, Cuba, Egypt, China, and Vietnam. Teachers of the department gave lectures to students and academics at universities of India, Egypt, Cuba, Poland, Uzbekistan.
Pedagogical School V.N.Hrydnyeva that was created in the KPI, has passed a large number of professionals who became famous personalities and identify modern tendencies of development of the education, science and production. Here were brought up high professionalism diligence, creativity and mutual respect. As they passed the relay race to the future generations and were an integral part of the program of action of each of the head of the department. Thus the tradition of the department, laid by V.M.Svyechnikovym and strengthened by V.N.Hrydnyevym, picked up by V.G.Permyakov, O.V.Bilotskyy. Brightly described V.N.Hrydnyeva's pedagogical by the Academician of NAS of Ukraine S.O.Firstov (graduate the KPI, gr. MF-10): "VitaliyNikiforovitch exclusively done a lot for the establishment of the department, the selection and education of teachers, special courses and teaching level. Then, after its transition to the Institute of Metal Physics the AS of the USSR, there were some administrative restrictions on the possibility of combining by the members of the Academy of Sciences of research and teaching in universities, and we (those who enrolled in 1957 in the KPI) were the first course, which was deprived of direct communication with the teachers of such class, as V.N.Gridnev. But laid by him basics of the preparation that was proved to be such serious, and his immediate students, among which were M.V.Belous, V.T.Cherepin, A.V.Belotskiy such gifted, including talented teachers, that most of us got very confident impulse for its further work and never regretted the choice of specialty, the foundations of which were laid by NikiforovitchVitaliy. "
In the last years of his life V.N.Hrydnyev often recalled the KPI, work at the department and his place in the activity of IMP.
At the distance of past years in the memory of the grateful students forever are the memories of the good things that are left by our teacher. In honor of V.N.Hrydnyev in the KPI on the engineering and physics department was established his bust and founded the scholarship due to his name. In the housing number 9 of IFF of the KPI to the centenary of his birthday was opened the audience addressed to V.N.Hrydnyev.
The value of V.N.Hrydnyev's school, determined by that there was prepared a large army of highly skilled professionals not only for Ukraine and the former Soviet Union, but also for a number of countries in Europe, Asia, America and Africa, which are now successfully operating around the world, confirming the authorityof NTUU "KPI".