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Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute

Logo: KPI, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Public university in Kharkiv, Ukraine

The Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute (abbr. KhPI, officially titled National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute", Ukrainian: Національний технічний університет «Харківський політехнічний інститут», abbr. НТУ "ХПІ") is a public technical university in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Founded in 1885, it is the second-oldest technical university in the former Russian Empire (after Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology).2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1885Founded1
Palace Sports Institute
Photo: Канопус Киля, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons5

The Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute (abbr. KhPI, officially titled National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute", Ukrainian: Національний технічний університет «Харківський політехнічний інститут», abbr. НТУ "ХПІ") is a public technical university in Kharkiv, Ukraine.2

The story

The university was established according to the program for technical education in the Russian Empire set up by Dmitry Mendeleev as a Practical Technological Institute, with two departments (mechanical and chemical) which could offer training to 125 students. The organizer and first rector of the institute was Viktor Kyrpychov, an honored professor specializing in mechanics and resistance in materials. In 1898, the institute was renamed the Emperor Alexander III Technological Institute. After the October Revolution in 1917, the Technological Institute continued its work. In 1921 the institute set up the first department for workers (rabfak) in Ukraine, and in 1923 (at the request of students, teachers and employees) the institute was renamed for Vladimir Lenin. In 1929 the V.I. Lenin institute of Technology was renamed the Kharkiv V.I. Lenin Polytechnic Institute (KhPI), a name kept until the fall of the Soviet Union.

In 1930, five independent higher-educational institutions (for mechanical machine-engineering, electrical technology, chemical technology, engineering and construction, and aviation) were set up as five separate departments of the institute. KhPI, as a whole, temporarily ceased to exist after that. Still, historians consider these five institutions as informal branches sharing a common history. During World War II over 3,000 professors, students and institute employees joined the Army. Evacuated to Krasnoufimsk and Chirchiq, the institute continued training engineering staff; it also solved serious scientific problems related to strengthening national defense (such as contributing to tank-design work spearheaded by Alexander Morozov, one of the key engineers in T-34 design). In 1949 four higher-educational institutions (the institutes for mechanical machine-engineering, chemical technology, electrical technology and the institute of the cement industry) were reunited into the Kharkiv V.I.Lenin Polytechnic Institute. Professor Mikhail Semko was appointed its rector, and remained in this position for 30 years.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, KhPI continued its work as a Ukrainian institution of higher learning. In April 1994, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine granted Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute university status and it was renamed the Kharkiv State Polytechnic University (KhSPU). In September 2000, the status of National Technical University has been given to KhSPU, by decree of the President of Ukraine; since then, it has had its current name (NTU "KhPI"). In February 2010, NTU "KhPI" was granted the status of Autonomous Research National University by decree of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers.

From Wikipedia’s article on Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

Radio-electronic building (modern name: NTU "KhPI" Center for Integrated Technologies)

The Radio-electronic building ("NTU KhPI Center for Integrated Technologies") is a four-floor cement building, with a basement. It is one of the new university's buildings. In this rather small building are housed laboratories, equipment and computer classes. The ground floor windows are protected with grates. Including a basement it is a five-storey building. There is a freight elevator. Floors are connected with big panoramic staircases. Among the university buildings, which were built during Soviet years in the 1960s–1970s, this one has the lowest number of floors. The research institute is on the second and third floors. The building also houses the Institute of Ionosphere of NAS, the Ministry of Education and the offices of Youth and Sport of Ukraine.

Height: 16 m

Number of stores: 4 (5 with basement)

Completion of construction: 1960s and '70s

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Facilities

The university is unique among other Kharkiv educational institutions, as it occupies the same campus that was initially given to it at its foundation in 1885 (the area was formerly called "Technological Garden", after the former name of the university).

Several campus buildings remain intact from the 19th century and may be considered historically significant as samples of past campus architecture:

Main Administrative building

Main Academic building

Chemistry building

Physics building

Technical building

Mathematical building

Engineering building

In addition, these modern facilities were established during the Soviet era:

Electrotechnical building (1929–30)

Administrative and economic building

1st Educational (U-1) building (1977)

2nd Educational (U-2) building (1985)

Computer building (former graduate-education building)

Radio-electronic building

Gigant (Giant) student dormitory (1926–30), located off-campus

From Wikipedia’s article on Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. Sep 11, 2000Renamed Name changed to Національний технічний університет «Харківський політехнічний інститут»1
  2. Sep 11, 2000Renamed Name changed to Нацыянальны тэхнічны ўнівэрсытэт „Харкаўскі палітэхнічны інстытут“1
  3. Apr 20, 1994Renamed Name changed to Харкаўскі дзяржаўны палітэхнічны ўнівэрсытэт1
  4. Apr 20, 1994Renamed Name changed to Харківський державний політехнічний університет1
  5. Dec 1, 1929Renamed Name changed to Харкаўскі палітэхнічны інстытут1
  6. Dec 1929Renamed Name changed to Харківський політехнічний інститут1
  7. 1898Renamed Name changed to Харьковский технологический институт1
  8. 1898Renamed Name changed to Харкаўскі тэхналягічны інстытут1
  9. 1885Founded Founded1