On this day, May 26, 1904, Olexandr Serhiyovych Plyhunov, the Rector of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute who made a huge contribution to the development of the institute in difficult times after World War II, was born. For a quarter of a century – from 1943 to 1952 and from 1955 to 1971 – he led Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, he also led the Department of Technology of Inorganic Substances for over 30 years.
It was on Plyhunov’s initiative that in July 1944 the institute was given back its historical name – Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
During the rectorship of Oleksandr Serhiyovych, Kyiv Polytechnic Institute was constantly evolving: new faculties, departments, and specialties were created, the teaching staff grew larger, and the number of students grew.