Category: Университетская жизнь /

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 22 (old style) marked the 170th anniversary of the birth of the first director of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, Prince Andrei Grigorievich Gagarin.

Andrei Grigorievich not only directed the Polytechnic Institute; he was also an outstanding scientist and inventor. One of his inventions, the Gagarin press, is the centerpiece of the new exhibition at the SPbPU History Museum, dedicated to the memory of one of the Polytechnic's founders and opened on his birthday.

"The anniversary of Andrei Grigorievich Gagarin, the first director of the Polytechnic University, is a very important event for us," said SPbPU Rector Andrei Rudskoy during the opening ceremony. "We honor history and today are taking another step toward perpetuating the memory of one of our great founders. We spent ten years restoring his family estate in Kholomki, and now it's a beautiful building with white columns, a ballroom, and a museum dedicated to the Gagarin family, with whom we maintain close ties."

After welcoming remarks, Andrei Rudskoy, together with Valery Klimov, director of the SPbPU History Museum, cut the green ribbon, and the first visitors entered the museum's new premises.

"Andrei Grigorievich Gagarin was not only the first director but also the chairman of the institute's construction committee. And, in fact, everything we see around us is also his achievement," said Valery Klimov. "170 years have passed, and everyone at the Polytechnic University knows who Prince Gagarin was, but there was no exhibition dedicated specifically to him. And now there is one. Andrei Grigorievich has made history for everyone, not just the Polytechnicians, as a mechanic thanks to this device, which everyone can now see. It's Gagarin's fully restored press, and everyone can now see it."

A. G. Gagarin's crushing press is a device for mechanically testing materials. Its purpose was to test samples for compression and tensile stress and record stress-strain curves. Andrei Grigorievich developed the press while working at the St. Petersburg Arsenal, and in 1896, he received a gold medal for it at the All-Russian Industrial Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod.

Today, the Polytechnic University houses three Gagarin presses, two of which are housed in the Materials Strength Laboratory of the Mechanical Engineering Building and used in teaching. The third press is now housed in a museum, making it available for public viewing. Digital technology also allows visitors to see how it operates.

In addition to the press, the new museum exhibition includes unique materials chronicling the life and work of the Polytechnic's first director. These include pre-revolutionary furniture from the Gagarin family apartment, personal belongings, portraits and photographs from the prince's family archive, laboratory equipment, and books from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

"I am grateful to Andrei Grigorievich's descendants for selflessly sharing with us the things he used," Andrei Rudskoy said, sharing his impressions of the exhibition. "When you understand the kind of person who sat in that chair, at that table, and wrote with that pen, you feel a sense of awe."

The exhibition features numerous interesting exhibits, including samples for testing metals for tension and bending, gas burners, glass from the analytical chemistry laboratory, samples of refractory products for foundry production from the metallurgical laboratory, and a collection of minerals donated to the SPbPU History Museum by the Educational and Historical Reserve "A. G. Gagarin's Estate "Kholomki".

The exhibition "Gagarin's Press" is located in the basement of the Main Building of SPbPU.

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.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The year 2025 marked a significant period of active work by Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University to strengthen ties with leading Slavic universities. Large-scale events were held, allowing the universities to exchange experiences, develop common approaches, and lay the foundation for a long-term partnership.

First visit: introduction and arrangements

One of the first significant events was the arrival of delegations from the Belarusian-Russian University (BRU) and the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (KRSU) to SPbPU.

Visit program:

Tours of the university campus and the SPbPU History Museum; a meeting with Maxim Pasholikov, Vice-Rector for Information, Youth Policy, and Security, and Ivan Khlamov, Head of the Youth Policy Department; a visit to the SPbPU Hydrotower, and an introduction to the work of the Youth Trajectory Center and the Psychological Support Center;

Negotiations with representatives of the SPbPU Student Trade Union were held in St. Petersburg. These negotiations resulted in the signing of an agreement between the SPbPU Trade Union and the BRU Trade Union.

In addition, the guests took part in the Family Victory Day festival, took a tour of the historic center of St. Petersburg, and visited the Great Country – Great Victory 1941–1945 exhibition.

Second visit: strategic planning

During the KRSU delegation's return visit, a two-part strategic session was held: "SPbPU as a Flagship University"—a discussion of the university's role in the education system; and "The KRSU Student Community Model"—an exchange of experiences in organizing student self-government.

Participants developed a common understanding of working with student associations, identified their key ambitions, and developed a plan for joint work for 2025–2026.

A key milestone in the development of youth policy at KRU was students' participation in the 33rd All-Russian "Russian Student Spring" festival of higher education institutions, held in Tatarstan. The festival was timed to coincide with the Year of Defender of the Fatherland in Russia. The event was held under the slogan "Spring of Victory."

Another significant event was the participation of KRSU faculty in the educational program "Conductors of Meaning. The DNA of Russia" hosted by the Saint Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation. The program is being implemented by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education jointly with the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) with the support of the "DNA of Russia" project. The program's primary goal is to build a sustainable professional community of educators and develop a unified value platform for youth policy and educational work at universities across the country.

Slavic Summit: Sharing Best Practices

The key event of the year was the Slavic Summit, held at SPbPU. It was attended by the heads of youth policy departments from all partner universities: the Belarusian-Russian University, the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, the Russian-Tajik Slavic University, and the Russian-Armenian University.

A workshop of practices, supervised by Vladimir Migunov, administrator of the SPbPU Center for Youth Trajectories, featured universities presenting their best projects in the areas of "Media," "Adaptation," "Creativity," and "Sports." Ivan Khlamov presented a report on the structure of SPbPU youth policy; and Maxim Susorov, Chairman of the SPbPU Students' Union, presented a presentation on the principles of student self-government at the Polytechnic University.

Participants not only shared their experiences but also selected the most promising practices for further implementation and identified opportunities for future partnerships. They identified well-developed sports programs at all universities, evaluated promising projects, and discussed the development of student government bodies. Representatives of the Slavic universities agreed on joint extracurricular projects.

Fourth visit: transfer of experience

The year concluded with a visit by a delegation from SPbPU's Youth Policy Department to RAU. Polytechnic University specialists held a series of meetings dedicated to the development of youth policy and developed initial project solutions for strengthening RAU's student communities, drawing on our university's successful experience.

The year of cooperation proved fruitful: strong contacts were established between the universities, best practices in youth policy were exchanged, partnership agreements were signed, and plans for joint work for the coming years were developed.

These achievements lay the foundation for further development of international cooperation and the creation of a unified youth policy space among Slavic universities. New projects, initiatives, and opportunities for students and staff at partner universities lie ahead.

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.