Faculty of Transport

History of Transport faculty

The Transport (and previously the Automobile, Automechanics) Faculty is one of the oldest faculties of the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University. Its appearance at the university dates back to the post-war years, when the city of Zaporizhzhia became the most important industrial center of the country and there was an acute need for specialists, especially in the field of domestic transport engineering.

The Automotive Faculty was established at the Zaporizhzhia Machine-Building Institute by order of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of the Ukrainian SSR on May 10, 1961, as part of the departments: «Resistance of Materials» (head of the department, associate professor G. A. Ovanesov), «Theoretical Mechanics and Theory of Mechanisms and Machines» (head of the department, associate professor I. I. Ivakhnin), «Heat Engineering and Hydraulics» (head of the department, associate professor V. D. Oljak) and «Sketchy Geometry and Drawing» (head of the department, P. F. Bulat).  The need to open the faculty was due to the rapid development of the automotive and aviation industries in those years. In different years of the faculty’s existence, it was headed by Assoc. Prof. Boris Petorvich Borisov (1961 – 1985), Assoc. Prof. Volodymyr Khomych Kozyrev (1985 – 1998, 2000 – 2016), Assoc. Prof. Oleksandr Viktorovich Yavtushenko (1998 – 2000). Since 2016, the faculty has been headed by Prof. Oleksiy Feliksovich Kuzkin.   In 1964, the Department of «Automobiles» was separated from the Department of «Heat Engineering and Hydraulics» of the Zaporizhzhia Machine-Building Institute, the first head of which was Assoc. Prof. A. M. Golomidov. A year after the organization of the Department of «Industrial Transport» at the institute in 1972, which was headed by Assoc. Prof. I. P. Zavgorodny, the specialty «Industrial Transport» was transferred from the mechanical engineering to the automotive faculty and in 1974 the automotive faculty included the departments «Automobiles» (head of Assoc. Prof. A. M. Golomidov), «Industrial Transport» (head of Assoc. Prof. G. F. Babushkin), «Heat Engineering and Hydraulics» (head of Assoc. Prof. V. D. Oljak), «Theory of Mechanisms and Machines and Theoretical Mechanics» (head of Assoc. Prof. I. Ivakhnin), «Resistance of Materials» (head of Prof. V. V. Abramov), «Sketchy Geometry and Drawing» (head of Assoc. Prof. Yu. O. Vinogradov). The latter in 1980 became part of the Faculty of Mechanical Technology established at the institute.   In 1994, the Automobile Faculty was renamed the Automobile Faculty, the Department of «Sketching Geometry and Drawing» returned to its composition and the Department of «Automation of Forging and Stamping Production» (Head: Prof. V. I. Dubina) entered. On the basis of the Department of «Automobiles», the training of specialists in the specialty «Internal Combustion Engines» was started.  In 1999, the Department of «Industrial Transport» was renamed to «Transport Technologies», and in 2014, the Department of «Heat Engineering and Hydraulics» became a graduate department in the specialty «Internal Combustion Engines» and received the same name. In 2017, the Department of «Mechanics» became part of the newly formed Faculty of Construction, Architecture and Design.

After the reorganization in 2024, the Department of «Automobiles, Heat Engines and Hybrid Power Plants» was formed at the Faculty of Transport by merging the Departments of «Automobiles» and «Internal Combustion Engines» (acting head Assoc. Prof. O. M. Artiukh). In addition to the aforementioned department, the faculty currently includes the Department of «Transport Technologies» (head Prof. S. M. Turpak) and Department of «Theoretical and Applied Mechanics» (head Assoc. Prof. V. G. Shevchenko).   In different years, the faculty trained specialists in the following specialties: «Automobiles and Tractors» and «Aviation Engines» (since 1961), «Industrial Transport» (since 1972), «Wheel and tracked vehicles» (since 1995), «Organization of transportation and management in transport» and «Pressure processing of metals» (since 1994), «Internal combustion engines» (since 2000), «Organization and regulation of road traffic» (since 2001), «Transport systems» (since 2005). In 2024, the training of bachelors under the educational program «Flight operation of aircraft» specialty 272 «Aviation transport» was launched on the basis of the department «Transport technologies».  From the first years of its existence, the staff of the Transport Faculty has carried out extensive research work. Back in those years, the main directions of fundamental and applied research were determined, on which the faculty members are still conducting significant work. The faculty operated research laboratories for high-speed separation of grain heaps, research of metal structures of lifting cranes, and development of technology for pressing and stamping of non-ferrous and liquid powdered metals.   Since 1962, great attention has been paid to involving students of the faculty in research work. The main forms for junior students were essays, translation of scientific articles from foreign languages, participation in student scientific creativity circles, and olympiads; for senior students – performing laboratory work on the subject of research of the faculty, participation in research works on extrabudgetary topics, performing real course and diploma projects on the subject proposed by enterprises or related to the scientific developments of the departments, participation in student scientific works competitions. In 1975, a council for scientific research of students was created at the faculty, headed by the dean of the faculty, associate professor B. P. Borisov.   A significant achievement of the faculty was the creation in 1972 by students V. Myagkov, V. Kostychev, S. Titov and S. Korzh under the guidance of senior lecturer G. Borisenko of the children’s microcar «Pioneer». The students independently developed the project, made most of the parts and assemblies themselves and submitted the assembled and tested car for consideration by the state examination commission. The microcar was demonstrated at the exhibition of achievements of the national economy of Ukraine and was recommended for serial production.  A group of students under the leadership of the head of the «Automobiles» department, A. M. Holomidov, created a light, maneuverable sports car «Buggy», which proved itself to be promising at the first demonstration competitions. A great contribution to the development of motor sports on «Buggy» cars was made by student Yu. V. Avalyani, who still creates sports cars for her.   An important step towards further improvement of scientific research conducted by scientists of the faculty, together with specialists of the Zaporizhzhia Automobile Plant «Kommunar», was the publication in 1970 of a collection of scientific works «Calculation, design and research of the car »Zaporozhets«.   In the 80s of the last century, with the direct participation of the staff of the »Automobiles« department, recommendations were developed and implemented regarding the parameters of installation of steered wheels of cars VAZ-2108 and ZAZ-1102 »Tavria«, design features of front and rear suspensions, and recommendations were implemented at the »Bobruiskshina” Industrial Plant regarding the design features of radial car tires with metal cord.   In In the second half of 1984, the construction of student dormitory No. 5 and an extension to the main building of the university began. Nineteen students of groups A-113 and A-123 of the Automobile Faculty worked on the construction in three shifts and studied in two shifts. Thanks to the excellent work of the students, the construction work was completed in May 1986, and on the wall of dormitory No. 5 you can still see the abbreviations of the groups, confirming the active participation of the faculty students in intra-university construction.  Under the leadership of the dean of the faculty, candidate of technical sciences, associate professor, academician of the Transport Academy of Ukraine Volodymyr Khomych Kozyrev, since the mid-1980s, the faculty has become a powerful educational and research complex. It has created scientific schools in the fields of general issues of vehicle design, controllability and stability of vehicles, cross-country ability of wheeled vehicles, heat engineering, and mechanics of dynamic systems.   In 1987, by order of the director of the Kommunar automobile plant S. I. Kravchun, a branch of the «Automobiles» department was created at the enterprise, which later became a branch of the transport faculty. Over the years of cooperation between PJSC «ZAZ» and the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University, a large number of specialists have been trained who have worked and are working at the enterprise in various areas of production, including in managerial positions. In 2017, to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the branch of the Transport Faculty at PJSC «ZAZ», the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University received from the graduates of the «car» – the Kravchun family, a valuable gift – a ZAZ-965 «Zaporozhets» car in fully working condition, which became the central exhibit of the revived museum of the history of technical progress at the university.   In 1998, a university school for driver training was opened at the Department of «Automobiles» of the Transport Faculty, which over the 13 years of its existence has trained more than 900 drivers of category «B».   In the fall of 2003, with the support of the university management and the Transport Faculty, the staff of the Department of «Automobiles» carried out a reconstruction of the territory around its educational building. In the planting of young chestnuts and birches, dedicated to the anniversary of the university’s foundation, graduates of the faculty from previous years took part and planted their trees: the mayor of Zaporizhzhia, Ye. G. Kartashov, the rector of the university, S. B. Belikov, the first dean of the faculty, B. P. Borisov, and others.  Together with the Zaporizhzhia Institute of Teacher Improvement, since 1978, the Department of Graphic Geometry, Engineering and Computer Graphics of the Zaporizhzhia National Technical University has annually held a regional Olympiad for schoolchildren in technical drawing. In 2017, this Olympiad was held for the last, fortieth time. It was attended by 54 participants of grades 8-11 of educational institutions of the city of Zaporizhzhia and the Zaporizhzhia region.   In 2007-2016, the All-Ukrainian student Olympiad in the specialty «Organization and regulation of traffic» was founded and held for the first time on the basis of the Department of Transport Technologies. The Olympiad was attended by students of the leading transport universities of Ukraine: National Transport University (Kyiv), Kharkiv National Automobile and Road University, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Lviv State University of Life Safety, Kharkiv National University of Urban Economy, Automobile and Road Institute of Donetsk National Technical University (Horlivka), Donetsk Academy of Automobile Transport, Kremenchug National University named after M. Ostrogradskyi. Conducting similar events at Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University contributed to the establishment and strengthening of creative and scientific ties between related departments of the participating universities, and to the improvement of the quality of training of specialists for the transport industry.   Student life is not limited to studies and scientific work. Scientists, teachers, employees and students were engaged in sports, artistic creativity, took an active part in the life of the faculty, university, city and country.  For many years, the faculty’s national teams from various sports became the champions of the university sports day. Every year, the number of participants in the «For cheerfulness and health» university sports day increased, the faculty team constantly took part in inter-faculty competitions.   Today, the faculty of transport includes three departments: two profiling departments («Cars, heat engines and hybrid power plants», acting head associate professor O. M. Artyukh; «Transport technologies», head Prof. S. M. Turpak, and the head of the «Theoretical and Applied Mechanics» Department Assoc. V. G. Shevchenko.  For more than 60 years of its existence, the faculty has trained about 15,000 specialists for the transport industry. The contingent of students in 2024 includes more than 800 students of full-time, part-time and dual forms of education.   Today, the Faculty of Transport not only relies on the rich experience of traditions, but also constantly improves along with the latest trends in the engineering and transport industries. The consensus of teachers of different age groups – the «old» school, the first specialists in the field in independent Ukraine and the new young generation of teachers and researchers makes it possible to use the potential of scientific creativity and teaching-educational activities to the fullest. The quality of training of specialists is ensured by the teaching staff, which includes 9 doctors of science, professors; 17 candidates of sciences, associate professors; highly qualified and experienced senior teachers, assistants and educational support staff.   The department of the faculty has educational laboratories for testing internal combustion engines, thermal engineering and hydraulics, operation and repair of wheeled and tracked vehicles, electrical and electronic equipment of cars, testing and diagnostics of cars, organization of traffic on road transport, logistics on road and railway transport, rolling stock of transport, mechanical tests, educational and production workshop.

The faculty maintains creative, scientific and industrial relations with a number of industrial enterprises, scientific and educational institutions, including: JSC «Motor-Sich», PJSC «ZAZ», Melitopol Motor Plant, ZMKB «Progress», Zaporizhzhia State Medical University, Eastern Research Center of the Transport Academy of Ukraine, National Transport University, Kharkiv National Automobile and Road University, NTU «Kyiv» Polytechnic Institute, NTU «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute», Kharkiv National University of Urban Economy, National University «Lviv Polytechnic», PJSC «Zaporizhstal», PJSC «Dniprospetsstal», Zaporizhzhia River Port and others.  A significant contribution to the formation and development of the material and technical base of the faculty’s departments, scientific research and training of scientific personnel, education of the growing generation of specialists was made by: the rector of Zaporizhzhia Machine-Building Institute prof. P. A. Mykhaylov; chief designer of Zaporizhzhia Automobile Plant V. P. Steshenko; deans B. P. Borysov, V. F. Kozyrev and O. V. Yavtushenko; Honored Worker of the Higher School of the Ukrainian SSR Prof. V. V. Abramov; professors M. G. Garmash, V. I. Dubina, G. F. Babushkin, G. I. Slynko; Laureates of the State Prize Assoc. S. Z. Yudovych and I. P. Zavhorodniy; associate professors P. M. Kichaev, A. M. Holomidov, V. D. Olyak, V. I. Dechev, G. M. Kidina, I. I. Ivakhnin, Yu. O. Vinogradov, V. P. Yudin, I. D. Bulavchenko, Yu. I. Tyshchenko, V. V. Brylov, E. V. Gavrov, G. O. Pugachev, V. I. Sumskyi, V. G. Shevchenko; teachers P. F. Bulat, V. K. Lyakh and many others.  The Faculty is proud of its graduates who have worked and will continue to work in various positions, performing research, engineering, technological, teaching and management functions. Among the most famous graduates of the Faculty of Transport is the long-term rector of Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University, prof. S. B. Belikov; Kand Philos. Sciences, former head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration and mayor E. G. Kartashov; People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the 6th convocation, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration in 2010-2011 B. F. Petrov; O. Kh. Papashev, vice president of the «Ukravto» corporation; P. M. Prusov, leading design engineer of PJSC «AvtoVAZ»; Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PJSC «AvtoKrAZ» S. V. Sazonov; chairman of the supervisory board of PJSC «Trust »Zaporizhaluminbud« Yu. P. Yakovenko; people’s deputy of Ukraine of the 2nd and 3rd convocations associate professor V. I. Ponedilko; president of the association »Zaporizhobalavtotrans« E. I. Ivanov; in the past general director of KPMET »Zaporizhelectrotrans«, and now – director of the Zaporizhzhia Vocational Lyceum of Motor Vehicles M. V. Ryzhenkykh; director of TPU M. M. Molchanov, former head of the Zaporizhzhia city council of transport and communications, V. I. Pylypenko, the founder of the »VEPR« family href=»https://zp.edu.ua/faculty/mashinobudivnij-fakultet/”>engineering and humanitarian faculties docents V. I. Hlushko and M. V. Diedkov and others.