The Mechanical Department (now the Mechanical Engineering Institute of NTUU "KPI") has its history since 1898 and together with the Faculty of Chemical Technology is the founder of Kyiv Polytechnic.
Due to the great shortage of engineering personnel for the industry of southern Russia at that time, the mechanical department was tasked with training general mechanical engineers in the field of metalworking, foundry, steam engines, internal combustion engines, fiber processing machines, agricultural machines, electric generators. and electric motors.
The first rector of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute - an outstanding scientist-mechanic, honorary professor Victor Lvovich Kirpychev - invited famous scientists to work in KPI: professors S.P. Tymoshenko, O.M. Dinnika, K.O. Zvorykina, D.P. Ruzsky, M.A. Artemyeva, O.P. Котельникова, V.P. Izhevsky, M.B. Delaunay, E.O. Paton, O.O. Radciga, O.Ya. Stupin, Y.M. Markovich and others, who laid the foundation of promising scientific schools at the IMF.
Professor Konstantin Zvorykin, who worked at the Kharkiv Institute of Technology, was invited to the position of professor and the first dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Until 1901, the scientist held the position of dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and in 1904-1905 he was director of KPI. Prof. K.O. Zvorykin played a significant role in the creation and development of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, as well as the entire institute.
The first enrollment of students in KPI for the mechanical department was 109 people.
When the institute was founded, 35 departments were created to ensure the educational process. Departments of theoretical mechanics (headed by Prof. OP Kotelnikov), applied mechanics (headed by Prof. D.P. Ruzsky), resistance of materials (headed by Prof. V.L. Kirpychev) and mechanical technology were created at the mechanical department. head Prof. K.O. Zvorykin).
Academician of Architecture O.V. Kobelev since 1899 taught architectural drawing and architectural design at the mechanical department. The famous Ukrainian artist O.K. Pymonenko taught drawing to mechanical students.
Creative communication in the team contributed to the development of science, the formation of scientific schools, including schools of mechanics and mathematicians at the Faculty of Mechanics. VLKirpychev's scientific school on hydrostatics and the theory of durability is formed here; O.P. Kotelnikov - the founder of the theory of propellers, S.P. Schoenberg and GY Sukhomel - in hydraulics; O.M. Dynnyk and S.P. Tymoshenko - on the resistance of materials and the theory of elasticity; M.B. Delaunay - in aircraft construction,
KKSiminsky - on the theory of fatigue and strength of materials, Ye.O. Paton - in bridge construction, KG Schindler - in agricultural engineering, prof. MA Artemyeva - from electric machines, prof. V.P.Yermakov and M.P.Kravchuk - in mathematics and others. Scientific schools of KPI and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering have risen to the level of world science. At the same time, many scientists had the opportunity to undergo a long scientific internship in leading research centers in Europe and America.
When organizing the educational process, the KPI administration paid great attention to developing a model of engineer education. From the very beginning of the training of engineering personnel at Kyiv Polytechnic, the educational model of European Technical Universities (including the Paris Polytechnic School, Aachen and Vienna Technical Universities) was established. This model provided for an organic combination of deep fundamental natural science training in mathematics, physics, chemistry, mechanics and other disciplines with general engineering and the acquisition of practical professional skills in the future specialty in production and research institutions. This model of engineering training has become decisive for KPI, and the age-old experience of training specialists for the machine-building complex has fully confirmed its viability and viability.
Deep fundamental and general engineering knowledge gives the young specialist a broader scientific and technical worldview and the least "aging" in our rapidly changing progressive technological world. They provide greater opportunities in competitiveness in the international market of engineering work in selected and related specialties.
The first graduation of engineers at the faculty took place in 1903. Of the 109 people who entered the first year in 1898, only 10 students received diplomas.
Graduates of the mechanical department had good knowledge and necessary practice. Therefore, from the first years of work, they established a solid reputation and they held high positions without hindrance after graduation, they were immediately allowed to perform serious technical tasks. These qualities, according to DI Mendeleev, the first chairman of the Commission for the Admission of State Examinations at KPI, were the result of "... a well-designed educational work in the institution." According to the then existing Regulations, after successful engineering activities for 10 years, those who did not have a noble title, could get it.