The Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University opened a historical and documentary exhibition dedicated to the outstanding students of Russia's first higher technical education institution. The exhibition is based on the documents of the Central State Historical Archive of the city on the Neva River, as well as the funds of the university itself, other educational institutions, various enterprises and organisations.
There are 10 stands displaying unique exhibits. For example, Andrey Deryabin's certificate of graduation from Tobolsk seminary. This graduate and later director of the Mining Cadet Corps in the first decade of the 19th century prepared and implemented the project of the most modern at that time in Russia weapon factory in Izhevsk. Already by the beginning of the war with Napoleon, the advanced enterprise produced about 10 thousand soldiers' smoothbore flintlock rifles, which were loaded from the muzzle, many shotguns, carbines, muskets and pistols, that is, it made a significant contribution to the victory of our army over the French.
Among other interesting archival documents are the results of entrance tests of Pyotr Frese, who 31 years after graduating from his alma mater designed the first domestic car. It was based on a two-seat light carriage and a one and a half horsepower engine located under the seats. The car developed a speed of 21 kilometres per hour.
"Empress Catherine the Great's visionary decision to establish the Mining School 250 years ago was of colossal importance, because it led to the emergence of a class of domestic engineers in the country. It is their dreams, thoughts and deeds that form the basis of our current sovereignty, our strength", - emphasised Pyotr Tishchenko, Chairman of the St. Petersburg Archive Committee, during the exhibition opening ceremony.
He dwelt in detail on the biographies of some of the university graduates. For example, Pavel Obukhov, who in the fifties of the 19th century invented an innovative method of steel smelting, which made it possible to produce cannons of much higher quality and durability than English or German ones. And, importantly, they were also cheaper, about 5-7 times cheaper. At that time it was extremely important, because the defeat in the Crimean War made it clear that Russia was seriously behind the leading Western powers, which by that time had already made the industrial revolution, and needed a technological breakthrough. Thanks to the scientist's legacy, the country's metallurgical industry was reformed and the army rearmed.
"It is thanks to such breakthrough decisions that our state and all its inhabitants have been given the right and opportunity to take advantage of the competitive advantages that our geographical location gives us. The exhibition telling about the graduates of the St Petersburg Mining University of Empress Catherine II, who made a huge contribution to the formation and development of Russia, is timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the founding of this institution of higher education. I have no doubt that its modern representatives will also inscribe their names in history with golden letters and in fifty, one hundred, two hundred years the results of their research activities, stored in the archives, will also be on public display and will receive a worthy assessment from the descendants", - assured to the audience Pyotr Tishchenko.
Vice-Rector Dmitry Petrakov noted the importance of the exhibition, "especially for students, who will find it useful to learn new information about their predecessors. After all, the current success of the St Petersburg university, which ranks third in the world in terms of its training profile, is based primarily on a symbiosis of advanced technologies and educational methods implemented in the teaching process, as well as rich historical traditions.
"Here we present only a small fraction of those names and achievements for which the Mining University is famous. Nevertheless, the main idea that the organisers of the exposition wanted to convey to the visitors is very clear. The continuity of generations is extremely important for each of us, as well as for the state as a whole. It makes us stronger, more united and gives us the opportunity to look to the future with more confidence," said Dmitry Petrakov.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Roman Kiselev, Director of the Central State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg, Mikhail Shabalov, Director of the Mining Museum, Mikhail Ivanov, Chairman of the Museum Scientific Council of the Mining University, employees of the university and various archives of the city. The exhibition will run until January and is located in the lobby of the assembly hall.