Nikolai Kilchevsky - known scientist-engineer and an outstanding teacher takes the rightful place in the galaxy of famous names of the Kiev Polytechnic Institute.

This name is the pride of the city Kamenetz-Podolsk Khmelnitsky region, where he was born June 15, 1909 and received his secondary education. N.A.Kilchevsky  joined the KPI in 1928. Being  a student he began teaching at the Kiev Aviation Institute (KAI). In 1933 he graduated from the Kiev Institute of  physics, chemistry and Mathematics (KSU). After defending his doctoral dissertation in 1936, he entered the graduate school of the Institute of Mathematics, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences (Scientific Adviser - Professor I.Ya.Shtaerman).

In 1940, Nikolai became a Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, in 1961 he was elected a corresponding member, and in 1969 he became the member of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.

Since 1938 N.A. Kilchevsky read theoretical mechanics at the Kiev industrial (Polytechnic) Institute. From 1944 to 1961 he headed the Department of Theoretical Mechanics KPI - one of the largest at the time. Since 1961 he headed the department of analytical mechanics poly-aggregate systems Institute of Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. N.A.Kilchevsky simultaneously worked as a professor-consultant KPI, member of the National Committee of the USSR on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics at the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR, Chairman of the Scientific Council for "General mechanics" Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, a member of the editorial board of the journal "Applied Mechanics".

Generously gifted scientist with an excellent knowledge of complex mathematical apparatus, Nikolai pioneered new ways of investigating the mechanical phenomena in theoretical mechanics, mechanics of plates and shells, numerous tensor theory of collisions of bodies, mechanics poly-aggregate systems, analytical mechanics of continuous systems. And everywhere he found the original methods.

Nikola iAlexandrovich was outstanding, multifaceted talented person. One of these faces - lecturer skills. His brilliant lectures always attract "outsiders". They were teachers or other schools or former students, now distinguished professionals and consistently, his colleagues in the department, postgraduates.

N.A. Kilchevsky paid much attention to work with young teachers in charge of their scientific work, considering it essential to the success of the teacher. He also believed that the active involvement of students in research is essential in the preparation of students for future creative work. Nikolay Alexandrovich believed that technical education should be supported by the fundamental general knowledge, and students should learn all the time to improve their knowledge, develop skills of researchers, have a wide range of scientific interests.

In 1979 Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences A.I.Lure wrote: "The activities of Nikolai Alexandrovich leave a mark in our science, his achievements remain in the books. I do not know anyone in our generation expressed as original ideas and approached him on the amount of accumulated knowledge. "

M.O.Kilchevsky has published more than 200 works, including 11 books, which are among the best in classical literature, and 9 monographs. A characteristic feature of him as a scholar and teacher - extreme demands on himself and to his disciples. In 1977 he received the honorary title of Honored Worker of Science of the USSR, was twice awarded the State Prize of the USSR and the prize of O.M.Dinnik, awarded two Orders of the Red Banner and "Badge of Honor".

L.M.Shalda, Assoc. department of instrumentation and control aircraft systems