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The history of the Department of Mining Machinery at the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU) dates back to the establishment of the Belarusian State Polytechnic Institute (BPI) on December 10, 1920. Initially, the specialties of the department were closely tied to the exploration of Belarusian peat reserves, reflected in the names of the disciplines: "peat extraction," "peat industry," and "deep drilling." Due to the significant peat reserves in Belarus, the Torf Institute was opened in Minsk in 1931, initially based at a peat station, though it faced challenges due to lack of facilities. Expensive equipment remained unused in storage. This highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive national educational institution that could consolidate several smaller institutes into one. In his autobiography, future associate professor of BPI, Deputy Minister of Local Fuel Industry of the BSSR (1952-53), Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Committee of the BSSR (1954-61), B.D. Paremsky, wrote that he entered the Goretsk Agricultural Academy in 1928 for the peat department, which was transferred to BPI in 1932. In 1935, he graduated from BPI with a degree in "mining engineering for the exploitation of peat deposits." On July 1, 1933, the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR adopted a resolution "On the organization of the Polytechnic Institute." The Minsk Torf Institute, along with the Goretsk Water Management and Land Reclamation Institute, became part of the newly organized BPI as the Torfomeliorative Faculty, training engineers for the development of peat deposits. Mikhail Vasilyevich Doroshevich became the first dean of the faculty. He served as the director of BPI from 1947 to 1959 and later as the Minister of Higher, Secondary Specialized, and Vocational Education of the BSSR from 1959 to 1968. |
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The Department of Peat Machines was an integral part of the Torfomeliorative Department, which was established at the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute (BPI) before 1941. The department was led by Professor Isidor Grigorievich Blokh, a distinguished scholar in the field of peat industry. Born on September 30, 1888, in Warsaw and passing away on March 10, 1958, Blokh made significant contributions to the mechanization of peat production. Blokh's academic journey began at the Mechanical Department of the Moscow Higher Technical School (1907-1916). He held engineering positions until 1926, when he joined the Research Institute of Peat Industry (Instorf) until 1928. Subsequently, he taught at the Moscow Mining Academy and later at the Moscow Peat Institute. Blokh founded a scientific school focusing on the mechanization of peat production, shaping the field's future. From September 1932 to June 1941, Blokh was the head of the "Peat Machines" department at the Belarusian Peat Institute, later incorporated into BPI. He resumed leadership of the department at BPI from August 1, 1945, to August 31, 1947. Despite his significant contributions, Blokh relinquished his position due to the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR's order No. 1063 of July 26, 1947. Under Blokh's leadership, the department graduated its first specialists in 1935, numbering 132 engineers before the onset of the Great Patriotic War. During WWII, graduates and students of the department courageously fought on the front lines and in partisan units. They also contributed to the peat industry, crucially supplying fuel to the country. One of the department's alumni, F.A. Malyshov, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for valor and heroism in combat against the German fascist invaders. Many others received orders and medals for their contributions. Blokh's legacy continues to resonate through the achievements of his students and the lasting impact of his scientific and educational endeavors in Belarusian peat industry development. |
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From September 1, 1947, to July 28, 1949, the acting head of the Department of Peat Fuel Production and Peat Machines was Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor P.P. Petukhov. Born in 1903 into a peasant family in the village of Slobodka, Kaluga Province, Kozelsky District, his early years were marked by rural life. He completed his rural school education in 1915 and worked in village life until 1920, when he began employment in peat enterprises, initially as a laborer. In 1928, Petukhov was assigned by the Vladimir Provincial Union of Miners to study at the Vladimir Workers' Faculty, which he completed in 1932 before entering the Moscow Peat Institute. He served as Chief Mechanic at Leontievsky Enterprise from 1937 to 1939. In 1939, he was called back to the Moscow Peat Institute for doctoral studies. In May 1943, he was awarded the degree of Candidate of Technical Sciences by the Council of the Moscow Peat Institute. During 1947-1948, Petukhov delivered lectures and conducted practical sessions on the exploration of peat deposits. Subsequently, he taught courses on hydropeat, pumps, and material resistance. In the immediate post-war years, the department focused on training mechanical engineers specializing in peat machines and peat deposit development. Among its faculty and students were former front-line soldiers such as M. Lopotko, S. Volkus, V. Laptev, S. Ovchinnikov, N. Kharitonovich, S. Zhukov, and others. They were joined by scholars and practitioners like G. Filippov, A. Kuzmin, N. Kislov, N. Zub, I. Lishtvan, and many more, who contributed significantly to engineering sciences and the peat industry. The legacy of P.P. Petukhov and his colleagues remains integral to the development and advancement of peat machinery and the exploration of peat deposits within Belarusian scientific and industrial history. |
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From September 1, 1947, to July 28, 1949, P.P. Petukhov served as the Acting Head of the Department of Peat Fuel Production and Peat Machines at the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute (BPI). Born in 1903 in the village of Slobodka, Kaluga Province, Kozelsky District, Petukhov's early life was rooted in rural upbringing. He completed his rural schooling in 1915 and remained in the village until 1920. From 1920 to 1928, he worked in various capacities at peat enterprises, starting as a laborer. In 1928, Petukhov was selected by the Vladimir Provincial Union of Miners to attend Vladimir Workers' Faculty, which he completed in 1932 before joining the Moscow Peat Institute. He served as the Chief Mechanic at the Leontievsky Enterprise from 1937 to 1939. In 1939, he returned to the Moscow Peat Institute for his doctoral studies. In May 1943, the Council of the Moscow Peat Institute awarded him the degree of Candidate of Technical Sciences. During 1947-1948, Petukhov lectured and conducted practical sessions on the exploration of peat deposits. Subsequently, he taught courses on hydropeat, pumps, and material resistance. In the immediate post-war years, the department focused on training mechanical engineers specializing in peat machines and the development of peat deposits. In 1949, the department was led by prominent scientist in mechanics and peat machines, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Belarusian SSR, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor F.A. Opeyko. During World War II, Opeyko taught at the Chelyabinsk Automobile and Tractor Engineering Institute and collaborated with tank engineering specialists. From 1943 to 1949, he headed the Department of Descriptive Geometry and Drawing at the Moscow Institute of Mechanization and Electrification of Agriculture. In 1948, he defended his doctoral dissertation on "Some Issues of Friction Mechanisms" at the Institute of Machine Science of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. From July 28, 1949, following the Order of the Main Directorate of Polytechnic Institutes of the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR, F.A. Opeyko was appointed to act as the head of the Department of Peat Fuel Production and Peat Machines at BPI, transferring from the Moscow Institute of Mechanization and Electrification of Agriculture. During this period, the department trained engineers in two specialties: "development of peat deposits" (qualification: mechanical engineer) and "mining machinery" (qualification: mechanical engineer). Under F.A. Opeyko's leadership from 1954, the BPI collective from the 1950s to the 1980s dedicated significant attention to the development and implementation of scientific research in production. Faculty of the Peat Faculty were engaged in improving technology and mechanizing the processes of peat fuel production, studying the durability of peat machines. In January 1955, F.A. Opeyko highlighted that the main research of the Department of Peat Fuel Production and Peat Machines was aimed at addressing the study of the physical and mechanical properties of raw peat and milled peat crumbs. This included research topics such as stress analysis of raw peat under high pressure (by Candidate of Technical Sciences S.S. Ovchinnikov), milling peat pressure on a supporting wall (Senior Lecturer N.N. Kharitonovich), frictional compaction of raw peat (Senior Lecturer A.A. Pigulevsky), volumetric shrinkage of peat depending on the shape and size of the chunk (Candidate of Technical Sciences N.S. Kostyuk), and moisture distribution in the upper layer of a peat deposit as a result of plowing (Associate Professor E.A. Aksenov). The department oversaw the completion of six candidate dissertations, including those by industry professionals like Engineer E.A. Zhuk ("Method of Harvesting Granular Peat") and Engineer V.A. Nikiforov ("Hydromass Pouring without Cardboard Pipes"), with four expected to be fully completed by 1955. In 1963, the Peat Faculty established a Student Design Bureau to undertake practical projects crucial for the industry. The faculty's practical approach allowed students to gain hands-on experience with machines and understand their intricacies, reflecting the high standards upheld during their internships. Testimonials from students, such as those shared by group 54's Komsomol organizer A. Orda in the institute's newspaper "Soviet Engineer" in 1964, affirmed the effective organization and educational value of their practical training at Vasyanovskoye Peat Enterprise in the Sverdlovsk region. This period underscores the ongoing commitment of the Peat Faculty at BPI to advance scientific knowledge and practical expertise in peat industry engineering, training generations of specialists essential for the national economy. |
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Since 1970, for 18 years, the Department of Peat Fuel Production and Peat Machines was headed by Ph.D., Associate Professor P. P. Petukhov. He was born in 1903 in a peasant family in the village of Slobodka, Kaluga Province, Kozelsky District. In 1915, he completed a rural school and lived in the village until 1920. From 1920 to 1928, he worked at peat enterprises as a worker. In 1928, he was sent by the Vladimir Provincial Department of the Union of Miners to study at the Vladimir Workers' Faculty, which he graduated from in 1932 and entered the Moscow Peat Institute. From 1937 to 1939, he was the chief mechanic of the Leontyevsk enterprise. In 1939, he was recalled to Moscow Peat Institute for postgraduate studies. In May 1943, the Council of the Moscow Peat Institute awarded him the degree of Candidate of Technical Sciences. In 1947-48, Petukhov gave lectures and conducted practical classes on the course "Prospecting for Peat Deposits." He then taught courses on hydropeat, pumps, and strength of materials. In the early post-war years, the department trained mechanical engineers in peat machines and peat deposit development. Its teachers and students included former frontline soldiers M. Lopotko, S. Volkus, V. Laptev, S. Ovchinnikov, N. Kharitonovich, S. Zhuk, and others. Engineering sciences and peat industry were also mastered by G. Filippov, A. Kuzmin, N. Kislav, N. Zub, I. Lishtvan, and others. |
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Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Nikolai Ivanovich Berezovsky served as the head of the Department of Mining Machinery from 2009 to 2022. He is an engineer-mechanic who graduated from the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute in 1971 specializing in "Peat Machines and Complexes." Since 1971, he has been working at various iterations of the Belarusian National Technical University. In 1980, he defended his candidate dissertation in "Fuel and Gas Chemical Technology." By 1982, he received the title of Associate Professor in "Technology and Integrated Mechanization of Peat Deposits Development." In 2002, he earned his Doctor of Technical Sciences degree in "Mineral Processing." In 2007, he was awarded the title of Professor in "Technology." From 2008 to 2009, he served as the acting Rector of the Republican Institute of Innovative Technologies and later as Vice-Rector for Academic and Scientific Affairs. His expertise lies in mineral processing, geotechnology, and geomechanics. His research focuses on the comprehensive and energy-efficient utilization of local fuels and secondary energy resources across various technologies, resulting in six monographs. He supervises 8 master's students and 3 doctoral candidates. Courses taught include:
He is a member of the Scientific and Technical Society of RUP "Belniitopproject" and serves on the editorial boards of the scientific journals "Environmental Management" (VAK) and "Mining Mechanics and Engineering" (VAK). He has authored over 300 scientific and educational-methodical works, including 6 monographs, 28 textbooks, and educational-methodical guides, as well as holding 29 patents. His scientific work includes mathematical and physical modeling of mechanical dewatering and extraction of solid fossil fuels (peat, brown coal), as well as the extraction, processing, and enrichment of raw materials from sedimentary rocks. |
