Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Dmitry Ponomarev, Ekaterina Kashitsyna and Daria Petrova
In anticipation of Defender of the Fatherland Day, the Automobile and Road Construction Faculty of SPbGASU opened a permanent exhibition dedicated to the heroic past of its members. Students implemented a project to restore the Walk of Fame, which existed in the Faculty building over 20 years ago but was dismantled during renovations. The initiative team not only restored the exhibition but completely reimagined it, adding new materials and creating a contemporary format for displaying historical memory.
Fifth-year student Ekaterina Kashitsyna spoke about how the project was created.
According to Ekaterina, the idea arose from the desire to restore a lost part of the university's history.
"We previously had a Walk of Fame in our building, created over 20 years ago, but it was removed during renovations and never returned. We decided we needed to restore the walkway, but make it modern and accessible, with historical background and additional important information."
She formed a team of proactive students and took on the substantive part of the project – transferring texts from the previous exhibition and supplementing them with new historical materials.
Fourth-year students Daria Petrova and Dmitry Ponomarev also participated in the project. The work was carried out in close collaboration with Andrey Zazykin, Dean of the Faculty of Automobile and Road Engineering, and Igor Chernyaev, Head of the Department of Technical Operation of Vehicles.
Participants assigned responsibilities (text preparation, design development, selection of stands and technical solutions) and, after each stage, held joint discussions, making necessary changes and additions.
One of the central elements of the renovated Walk of Fame is a display dedicated to the faculty's participants in the Great Patriotic War. The exhibit tells the story of university employees who served at the front, in the army's automobile and technical units, and contributed to the Victory.
Among them are Oleg Verkevich, former dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Highways; Mstislav Masino, professor and department head; and Nikolai Sobolev, head of the Department of Metals Technology. After the war, they dedicated themselves to the development of science, engineering education, and the training of new generations of transportation specialists.
The exhibition also reveals the historical context of their service, in particular the history of the creation of automobile troops. During the war, these troops played a key role in supporting combat operations: they transported personnel, delivered ammunition and food, evacuated the wounded, provided supplies to the front, and repaired equipment in front-line conditions. The army's mobility, the stability of its defense, and the conduct of offensive operations depended on the reliability of these transport columns. Automobile workers worked around the clock, often under fire, while repair units returned thousands of vehicles to service right in the combat zone.
"We wanted to show not only the history of technology and the automobile troops, but also the lives of the people who defended the country and later dedicated themselves to the development of education and science," notes Ekaterina Kashitsyna.
The stand emphasizes the continuity of generations: the front-line experience of the faculty has become part of the professional history of the faculty and its scientific school.
The most challenging part of the project was verifying the historical information. The team strove to accurately reflect events related to the development of transportation, military equipment, and automobile troops.
"There was very little accurate and verified information. We received help from the teachers who created the previous Walk of Fame—they knew how the events described actually unfolded, having been fortunate enough to speak with eyewitnesses—our heroes who returned to their native university after the war," Ekaterina said.
The updated exhibition will become a permanent part of the university space. In addition, its electronic version on the university website.
The students hope that the Walk of Fame will help visitors learn more about military equipment, the country's history, and the history of the Automobile and Road Engineering Faculty of SPbGASU.
According to Ekaterina Kashitsyna, such initiatives help students not only study the history of their professional field but also develop research, organizational, and teamwork skills.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.