On April 12, National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” became a partner of Poltava Online Future Day to celebrate the International Day of Human Space Flight in honour of the first astronaut of independent Ukraine Leonid Kadeniuk. On April 14, a student round table took place for the International Day of Human Space Flight in honour of Candidate of Historical Science, Associate Professor Nadia Kocherha and to denote the 90th anniversary of the university.
Rector of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, Honored Worker of Education of Ukraine, Winner of State Sward in Science and Technology of Ukraine, Professor Volodymyr Onyshchenko became a speaker at Poltava Online Future Day. Co-organizers and partners of the event were National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, Poltava Museum of Aviation and Space Navigation, the Division of the National Military History Museum of Ukraine - the Museum of Heavy Bombardment Aviation, Poltava Organization of Astronaut Veterans “Bainokur” of Aerospace Association of Ukraine, STEAM-Education Studio “Technolab”, Online Univer Association.
Poltava citizens and everyone who wished to could join the discussion of current problems of worldwide and Ukrainian space navigation, the preservation and multiplication of Poltava scientists’ achievements in the space field, the reasons of “vacuum” appearance in the space field, the strategies of solving the “crisis of new social technologies”, the problems of high technologies development in the future and the perspectives of Ukraine in the nearest future. The discussion was moderated by the leader of Poltava Republican Movement Oleh Slizko.
“It was Poltava region where the dream of space exploration and interplanetary flight theory were born. Poltava region was home to Oleksandr Zasiadko and Oleksandr Sharhei (widely known as Yuri Kondratyuk) where they lived and dreamed.
“National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” has been named after the famous Ukrainian engineer and inventor, who created the lunar orbit rendezvous to travel to the Moon, since 1997. Ten years later, to celebrate 120 year anniversary of Yuri Kondratyuk’s birthday, I initiated to install a monument to the genius who was ahead of his time. The project was developed by our teachers, architect Andrii Koniuk and sculptor Valerii Holub.
“Yuri Kondratyuk discovered new possibilities for the humanity. NASA sent a spaceship to the Moon within the Apollo program using Kondratyuk’s lunar orbit rendezvous. He dreamed about interplanetary space colonization and his dream came to real life.
“Our university respects his contribution to the development of both Ukrainian and worldwide engineering and we are inspired by him to create modern innovations. I can surely say that National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” is the place in Ukraine for the most unreal dream to come true.
“I participated in Poltava Online Future Day. We talked about the famous past and discussed the future of Ukraine as a high-tech country. In the Industry 4.0 era, our university is developed confidently on the basis of digitalization and modern technologies. Yuri Kondratyuk National University is a leader of modern education, students of which are studying high-technology specializations necessary for the economic development of Ukraine!” - Volodymyr Onyshchenko commented and spoke about the new possibilities for students provided at the university (You can watch the video at YouTube channel “Poltava Polytechnic”).
Rector also showed a few exhibits of National Museum named after Nadia Kocherha of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, such as the watch from Yuri Kondratyuk’s house, recreated drawing of Yuri Kondratyuk’s lunar orbit rendezvous, autographs given by Leonid Kadeniuk, the first astronaut of independent Ukraine, during his visits to the university.
“It’s important to mention the names of those Poltava citizens without whom the space navigation would not be possible, particularly Yuri Kondratyuk. And without Serhii Koroliov’s managing and scientific talent the world would probably not even learn about Yuri Gagarin. Unfortunately, the names of young Ukrainian scientists are not really known in Ukraine, we haven’t yet learned to appreciate our co-citizens and that’s why they are working abroad - Andrii Kolesnyk, Myroslav Vasylenko, Andrii Muzychenko. In particular, Muzychenko developed the Mars Hopper research vehicle, which will use the energy of the ice sheet of Mars. Unlike China, India, The USA, unfortunately Ukraine is one of the spacefaring nations which do not have their own space strategy. Ukraine has two alternatives of development; one is being an agricultural superpower with aborted education, science and technologies, including the space field; the other is having high-tech development with nanotechnologies, genetic engineering, space exploration, including by nanorobotics during the Forth Industrial Revolution,” said Vladlen Orlov, Candidate of Historical Science, Chief Scientist of Poltava Museum of Aviation and Space Navigation.
Veronika Shostak, the Head of Poltava Organization of Astronaut Veterans “Bainokur” of Aerospace Association of Ukraine, shared her memories on meeting the genius constructors and on professional activity at Bainokur spaceport.
Vladyslav Kushnirov the Head of STEAM-Education Studio “Technolab”, Andrii Holota and Oleh Holota from Online Univer Association shared their experience on introducing innovative technologies in education and science.
These topics were further discussed by future specialists and scientists on April 14 during the annual students round table dedicated to the International Day of Human Space Flight. The meeting was held in two languages, English and Ukrainian. More than 85 participants joined the round table in Zoom, including students and academic staff of the university and of Poltava Oil and Gas College.
Rector of the University Volodymyr Onyshchenko began the online conference with congratulations, “It is of great pleasure for me to congratulate all the participants of the conference, students and academic workers of university and college. The event form is still unusual for us, but I am sure that after the lockdown we will practice this way of holding conferences and round tables in the future. This will become normal, and most scientific discussions will be switched to online-mode. I am very thankful to the Department of Ukrainian Studies, Culture and Documentation for keeping the tradition and holding such events. Undoubtedly, Nadia Kocherha did a great thing founding such a scientific meeting dedicated to human space flight. Now we meet every year to discuss the scientific achievements of our co-citizens, scientists of Poltava and personalities famous worldwide. Our university is proud to be named after Yuri Kondratyuk, whose dream to explore space have come true. Your dreams will also come true, and the university will help it.”
Among the participants of the conference there also were Iryna Perederii, the Head of the Department of Ukrainian Studies, Culture and Documentation, Andrii Pushkariov, the director of Poltava Museum of Aviation and Space Navigation, Iryna Pistolenko, from Poltava Museum of Aviation and Space Navigation, Anna Ageicheva, the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities.
The conference was moderated by Olena Vitrynska, Candidate of Historical Science, Associate Professor at the Department of Ukrainian Studies, Culture and Documentation.
“This year, the round table is dedicated to two things; the first is the 90-year anniversary of our university foundation; the second is to honor the memory of the founder of our department, the author of the National Museum exhibition Nadia Kocherha. She, as a historian and a scientist, made a great contribution to researching the biography of famous scientist Yuri Kondratyuk and promoted the popularization of his personality, finding the information on real events of his life,” emphasized the Head of the Department of Ukrainian Studies, Culture and Documentation of Yuri Kondratyuk National University Iryna Perederii.
Six students of the university gave informational presentations, which analyzed the achievements of Poltava scientists and current tendencies (Anastasia Vypovska, group 501HF: “A pioneer of astronautics from Poltava in International Space Hall of Fame” (academic advisor was the Head of the Faculty of Humanities A. Ageicheva); Roman Mykutsia, group 201HD: “Yuri Kondratyuk’s innovative and rationalization activity in mechanics, construction and alternative energy resources” (academic advisor was Associate Professor at the Department of Ukrainian Studies, Culture and Documentation O. Vitrynska); Kateryna Diachenko, group 501HD: “Life dedicated to serving to science and university (in honor of Nadia Kocherha)” (academic advisor was Associate Professor the Department of USCD L. Cherednyk); Yulia Iliushchenko, group 101pHD: “Beliefs about the world structure in ancient civilizations” (academic advisor was Associate Professor of the Department of USCD V. Voshchenko); Olena Maslivets, group D-2-1 of Poltava Oil and Gas College: “Volodymyr Chelomei, the constructor of spacecraft” (academic advisor was teacher O. Sydoryna), Viktoria Popova, group 201HF: “The role of SpaceX in space exploration” (academic advisor was Associate Professor of the Department of USCD A. Naradko).
A separate exhibition is devoted to Yuri Kondratyuk, as the space theory genius, in the International Space Hall of Fame. Anastasia Vypovska spoke about how his personality is famous all around the world and not only in Ukraine.
Why is the university named after Yuri Kondratyuk, and is the decision of the government reasonable? This name is associated first of all with space innovations, but the scientist is genius in more than just space theory. Space was a dream to him, while scientist’s everyday life was connected with engineering and search for alternative energy resources. Roman Mykutsia elaborated on this during his presentation.
The National Museum of the University has a special exhibition dedicated to the scientific activity of the famous person from Poltava, which Nadia Kocherha, Candidate of Historical Science, the founder of the Department of Ukrainian Studies, Culture and Documentation, the Advisor of the Rector, put a lot of effort in. She was his attentive biographer, spending a lot of time writing scientific articles about him. In 2020, Nadia Kocherha would celebrate her jubilee, but sadly it has been two years since she left us. Organizers could not be silent about her contribution to preserving the history of the university and to founding their department.
“When talking about people devoted to their work, we often mention famous historical personalities. But they are among our contemporaries too. Nadia Kocherha was such a person and she still is such in our memory. She is a famous scientist, Honored Worker of Education of Ukraine, Excellent Worker of Education of Ukraine, winner of numerous scientific awards. Throughout her life, the scientist especially loved books, and always impressed her colleagues with erudition. During her studying at Poltava State Pedagogical Institute Named After V. H. Korolenko, she had a possibility to attend lectures of leading national historians, and this defined her further choices. More than 30 years of her life was dedicated to scientific activity and teaching, she cared for colleagues’ problems, was devoted to the university. She was respected for intelligence and adherence to principles, high professionalism. Nadia Kocherha was the author of the Anthem and the symbols of Yuri Kondratyuk National University. It is hard to overestimate her contribution into the history of the higher education institution, that is why in accordance with the decision of academic staff in spring 2018 the National Museum of the History of University was given the name of Nadia Kocherha,” said Kateryna Diachenko while analyzing Nadia Kocherha’s life in details.
Interesting facts about spacecraft constructor Volodymyr Chelomei, whose mother was a graduate of the Institute for Noble Maidens, were presented by second-year student of Poltava Oil and Gas College of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” Olena Maslivets.
Viktoria Popova’s presentation on the American company SpaceX and its creator Ilon Mask caused a long discussion. “The main achievements of Ilon Mask’s company are producing of and launching heavy spaceships, and one of them was launched in 2018 from a space port in Florida. The competitors of the company criticize its owner for the idea to fly to Mars in the nearest future. The flight, the goal of which will be to found a colony on Mars, is planned for 2023,” - Viktoria Popova.
Every presentation was actively discussed in the conference chat.
“Undoubtedly, such events make for the development of not only the student education, but also for deepening the general interest in the learning process among youth,” - summarized Olena Vitrynska.
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