Category: Университетская жизнь /

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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On the eve of the Old New Year, the Tower hosted the traditional meeting of Polytechnic University ambassadors. A warm and friendly atmosphere permeated the event. Everyone was delighted to see old friends, meet new like-minded individuals, and simply enjoy a pleasant and enjoyable festive winter evening.

New Year's is never complete without gifts. These were presented by the Fundraising and Alumni Relations Center.

The guests then took part in a traditional quiz. They were divided into 15 teams. They had to answer 20 questions about the history of the Polytechnic University and the biography of the university's first director, Prince Andrei Grigoryevich Gagarin. This year, the ambassadors' meeting was dedicated to the 170th anniversary of his birth.

Some questions were very simple, while others required a lot of brainpower or even just guessing. But the "Once Upon a Time" team handled them all brilliantly. They scored a whopping 17 points out of a possible 20 and became the winners.

After this, the official part of the event began. Maxim Pasholikov, SPbPU Vice-Rector for Information, Youth Policy, and Security, addressed the ambassadors: "It's a pleasure to have you gathered again today for our kind event at the Polytechnic University. As you know, 2024 marked the 125th anniversary of the Polytechnic University. Last year, 2025, marked the 120th anniversary of the Tower, and the main event of 2026 is the 170th anniversary of the birth of our university's first director, Prince Andrei Grigorievich Gagarin. We've already put together a fairly extensive plan of events for this occasion. At the end of last year, we opened an exhibition of art by Andrei Gagarin's great-granddaughter, which is located in the Research Building. This year also marks the 230th anniversary of the Church of the Ascension of Our Lord. It is currently undergoing restoration, and a great deal of work has already been invested in it by Polytechnicians." The church is located a few kilometers from Prince Gagarin's estate in Kholomki. Many of you have been actively involved in replenishing our endowment fund and have helped implement various Polytechnic University projects. So, I say a big thank you for staying with the Polytechnic University.

Maxim Pasholikov also noted other important events planned to mark Andrei Gagarin's birthday, such as the unveiling of a memorial plaque at his estate in Kholomki. Furthermore, as Deputy Chairman of the Polytechnic University Endowment Fund Board, he discussed the program's work for 2025.

Before the meeting of the Polytechnic University ambassadors, a joint meeting of the board and trustees of the SPbPU endowment fund was held, chaired by Elena Vinogradova. Olga Novikova, the fund's executive director, summarized the meeting's key outcomes: "I am delighted to see those who have been here for several years, and new friends of the Polytechnic University, who, I hope, will be inspired by our ideas. The income received by the endowment fund is spent both on preserving historical heritage and developing modern infrastructure projects. I would like to emphasize that we unite not only generations but also historical ideas related to philanthropy. For example, last year we reinstated the Witte scholarship, which was once awarded from charitable funds to low-income students. This was made possible by the reinstatement of the philanthropic mechanism. We are always open to communication with our alumni who are interested in what is happening at the Polytechnic University today. We have a Fundraising and Alumni Relations Center, which organized today's meeting. They will always be happy to see you." Please suggest your ideas for what else we can support with the foundation's funds. Last year, we were also able to reopen after renovations. a large physical audiencePerhaps your ideas will help attract new donors, and we will be able to implement even more useful projects.

After the ceremony, guests were invited to a chemistry show. It was hosted by activists from the ChemTeam student association—second- and third-year students from the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials, and Transport and the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology, Eva Kocharova, Stanislava Kononova, and Kristina Shkedya. Everyone was very impressed. It's worth noting that the chemistry team offers a variety of programs for both adults and children.

At the end of the evening, a buffet was organized for the Polytechnic ambassadors, where they could socialize informally and celebrate the past holidays together.

"I am pleased that new Polytechnic traditions are emerging and growing stronger, which undoubtedly include meetings of ambassadors and benefactors. After all, it is the Polytechnic fraternity and unity that constitutes the strength of our university," noted SPbPU Rector Andrey Rudskoy.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Official website of the State –

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January 14, 2026 marks the 135th anniversary of the birth of the famous 20th-century Russian poet Osip Mandelstam.

The future poet was born in 1891 in Warsaw to a wealthy Jewish family: his father was a glove maker, and his mother was a musician. In 1897, they moved to St. Petersburg, then the capital of our country.

From 1900 to 1907, Osip Mandelstam studied at one of the capital's best schools, the Tenishevsky Commercial School, where he became interested in creativity and wrote his first poems.

After graduating from school, Osip traveled abroad: he attended lectures at the Sorbonne, studied Romance philology at Heidelberg University in Germany, and traveled through Italy and Switzerland. He occasionally returned to St. Petersburg, where he attended literary lectures by Vyacheslav Ivanov, and in 1910, he published his first poems in the magazine Apollon.

In 1911, the young poet entered the Faculty of History and Philology at St. Petersburg University and joined Nikolai Gumilyov’s “Guild of Poets,” which included Sergei Gorodetsky, Anna Akhmatova, and Mikhail Kuzmin.

Osip Mandelstam's first collection of poems, Stone, was published in 1913.

After the 1917 Revolution, the poet found success, working for newspapers and the People's Commissariat of Education, traveling the country, publishing his poetry, and performing it. In 1919, he met his future wife, Nadezhda Khazina, who became his reliable support throughout his life.

In 1922, Osip Mandelstam's second book, "Tristiy," was published, reflecting on his experiences with the Revolution and World War I. From 1923 to 1926, the poet explored prose and children's poetry, writing several works. In 1928, his final book of poems, "Poems," and a collection of sketches, "On Poetry," were published.

Mandelstam's life changed dramatically in 1933, when he wrote and publicly read the poem "We Live, Not Feeling the Country Beneath Us," which later became known as "Epigram on Stalin." In 1934, the poet was arrested and sentenced to three years of exile in the Perm region. Thanks to the intercession of several poets, Mandelstam and his wife were able to move to Voronezh, where he worked for magazines, newspapers, and theaters, and wrote poetry.

In 1937, the period of exile ended, and the Mandelstams moved to Kalinin, but in 1938 the poet was arrested again, sentenced to five years in a camp for counter-revolutionary activity, and sent to the Far East.

Osip Mandelstam died in December 1938. He was rehabilitated after his death: in 1956 for the 1938 case, and in 1987 for the 1934 case.

The poet's poems, prose, and memoirs were preserved by his wife, Nadezhda Mandelstam. She carried some with her in a "handwritten suitcase," while others she kept only in her memory. In the 1970s and 1980s, Nadezhda Mandelstam published several memoirs about the poet.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: January 14, 2026.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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The grand opening of Russia's largest seismic test rig, designed for comprehensive seismic testing of building structures, took place in Moscow. The event was part of the All-Russian Scientific and Technical Council "Metal and Wooden Structures" and the International Scientific and Practical Conference "Steel. Wood. Seismics."

Vladimir Tarasov, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Industrial, Civil, and Road Construction, represented the SPbPU Institute of Civil Engineering at the opening ceremony. The research topics of Vladimir Tarasov, head of the new educational program "Construction of Thermal and Nuclear Energy Facilities" at the Institute of Civil Engineering, are directly related to seismic resistance calculations for buildings and structures.

The new seismic rig boasts unique technical characteristics, including not only translational but also rotational components, bringing test conditions closer to real-world earthquake scenarios. It enables testing of structures weighing up to 100 tons with the simulation of six-component seismic impacts.

The new seismic stand opens up broad opportunities for experimentally validating or refuting numerous scientific and engineering results obtained by earthquake engineering specialists through theoretical and numerical research and modeling, noted Vladimir Tarasov.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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A research team led by Anatoly Popovich, Director of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials, and Transport at SPbPU, has developed a technology for multi-material 3D printing of complex metal parts. This technology allows for the creation of components and parts from up to four alloys in a single production cycle. This significantly reduces costs and time. The size of a single 3D printing unit for a specific material, less than one millimeter, allows for programming on a truly microscale.

The need to create structures from multiple materials arises when a product requires different, sometimes conflicting, properties: increased hardness and simultaneous ductility, thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance. In medicine, components made from multiple materials are used to create biocompatible components with specific mechanical properties, such as titanium and cobalt-chromium implants.

A new technology developed by Polytechnic researchers enables the production of a component with a pre-programmed set of properties by creating zones of materials with the desired characteristics. This eliminates the need for a sharp transition between layers of different materials. The composition and properties change smoothly from one metal to another, preventing defects at the joints. This makes it possible to combine even materials that are initially unweldable, such as aluminum and steel.

To date, SPbPU specialists have tested over 20 materials and their combinations, including titanium, aluminum, and shape-memory alloys. The developers have already applied the new technology in practice. Engineers have created a prototype of a compact combustion chamber: the interior is made of heat-resistant bronze, the exterior is a nickel-alloy shell, and between them is a thin mesh structure that effectively dissipates heat. The new technology significantly reduces manufacturing time. While a traditional manufacturing cycle takes months (the inner shell is manufactured, milled, and then the outer elements are welded to it), with the new development, the entire process is completed in a single cycle. Taking into account subsequent mechanical surface treatment, the process takes only a few days.

Another component is a gear, which requires internal vibration absorption and external hardness to prevent wear. Improving the mechanical properties is achieved by creating a complex transition from one material to another. This condition can also be programmed and implemented in the finished product.

Thus, the Polytechnic's development allows not only to obtain stronger connections, but also to save money and time during their production.

The development is being carried out with the support of the federal program "Priority-2030".

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.