In 1886, an interesting article appeared—albeit somewhat belatedly—in an issue of the weekly illustrated magazine *Vsemirnaya Illyustratsiya*. Its value lies in the fact that the author was personally present at the event he described, allowing us to view the events of 1885 as if through his eyes.
The Opening of the Kharkiv Institute of Technology
On September 15 in Kharkiv, the consecration and opening of the Technological Institute—whose building is depicted in our illustration—took place. The modest ceremony began with a prayer service conducted in the institute’s auditorium by Bishop Ambrose, assisted by three archpriests. His Eminence offered words of encouragement to the students, and then the trustee of the educational district delivered a speech, urging the young people to work honestly and tirelessly in their chosen field of technical education. The ceremony concluded with the singing of the national anthem, accompanied by a loud “hurrah” from those present….
In the 1896 publication dedicated to the organization of the industrial and art exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod, there is an interesting detail.
Just this year, we established the first department of agricultural engineering at a higher technical educational institution (at the Kharkiv Technological Institute).
From this, we can conclude that the first department of agricultural engineering in the entire Russian Empire was established in Kharkiv. That said, I’m not particularly surprised. Kharkiv has quite a few “firsts.” You can get used to it, but it’s impossible not to be delighted every time.
The name of this university—which has been known as the Emperor Alexander III Technological Institute since 1898—is associated with many outstanding discoveries and numerous figures renowned both in Kharkiv and around the world.
Alexander Konstantinovich Pogorelko, mayor of Kharkiv, taught at the Kharkiv Technical Institute from 1885 to 1903. His son, Konstantin, graduated with honors in 1913 after completing the full course of study in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and was awarded the title of engineer-technologist.
One of the nephews of the well-known industrialist and patron of the arts M. H. Gelferich is Maximilian Albertovich Helfferich.
Much has been written about the great figures associated with the history of KHTU. Today, I would like to reflect on the various student organizations at the university, which have been an integral part of its life.
Of particular interest are student regional associations, founded on a regional basis with the aim of providing financial support to fellow regional natives. As of November 18, 1915, the following regional associations were active at the Emperor Alexander III Kharkiv Technological Institute:
- Vyatka-Perm-Siberian
- Kharkiv
- Oryol
- Voronezh
- Saratov
- Poltava
- Izyum-Slavyanskoye
- Tambov
- Yekaterinoslav
- Chernihiv
- Taurian
- Volzhskoye
- Southwestern
- Kremenchuk
- Sumy
- Priozernoye
By that time, however, the Kherson, Polish, Northwest, and Bessarabian regional associations had ceased their activities.
Kharkiv has been a tolerant and multinational city for centuries. Given this, it is hardly surprising that on February 1, 1914, the charter of a Muslim student club was approved at the Technological Institute. The club’s purpose was to study the history of Islam, promote cultural development, and provide financial support to fellow believers. In addition, a mutual aid fund for Jewish students was established on November 28, 1909.
In addition to groups organized along territorial, religious, and national lines, interest-based student organizations existed at the Kharkiv Technical Institute in the early 20th century. On October 8, 1907, the Student Technical Society was founded. Over time, the following organizations emerged from it:
- October 20, 1910 — The Labor Commission,
- October 30, 1910 — Chemistry Section,
- The Aeronautics Section of the Technical Society.
The aviation section’s charter was approved on December 3, 1911. It was named in honor of a former student of the university—Lev Makarovich Matsievich, a renowned aviator who became the first person to die in an aviation accident in the Russian Empire. It is believed that it was his death on September 24, 1910, that led to Gleb Kotelnikov’s invention of the rucksack parachute.
In addition to aviation-related topics, the section’s meetings also featured presentations on automotive topics.
In the early 20th century, the use of refrigeration to preserve perishable food products was a pressing issue in the empire, and the university’s Refrigeration Section held meetings to discuss this topic.
On September 10, 1915, members of the Photography Club submitted an interesting request to the institute’s director. In it, the members proposed that they be allowed to take photographs of the students themselves for use on admission tickets. The leadership of the Photography Club noted that they were prepared to produce photographs according to the institute’s established template as quickly as possible and for a minimal fee. This would save students time and avoid the unnecessary expenses that would inevitably arise from hiring professional photographers.
As for the needs of the mind and body, HTI had a student orchestra, a library, and sports, literature and drama, and chess clubs.
I should note that in 1915, the student choir, the painting, sculpture, and drawing club, and the club for students who played plucked and percussion instruments apparently ceased to exist due to the small number of participants.
Student organizations, their members, and the presentations they give there—all of this demonstrates the students’ burning desire to take action and change the world. This is an integral part of the youth culture from our beloved city’s past. And I am sincerely convinced that, upon closer examination, researchers will make many pleasant discoveries in this area.
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