Today, on September 1, the renovated BNTU History Museum was solemnly opened. The event was attended by Elena Morgunova, Chairperson of the State Standard Committee of the Republic of Belarus; Archpriest Nikolai Korzhich, Rector of the Church of Saint Right‑Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky; and Sergey Kharitonchik, Rector of BNTU.
Speaking to the audience, Sergei Kharitonchik noted the importance of preserving memory and the continuity of generations:
“This year, we have launched research work within the framework of the state scientific research program, focusing on the history of the Belarusian National Technical University during the war period. We need to study this thoroughly, because a lot was done during that period, including the formation of the university, and this had an impact on the development of our country: we transitioned from an agrarian economy to an industrial one. And indeed, our graduates made a contribution when the opportunity arose for more rapid development of our economy.” It is important to study the era, relying on the development of our university, including in the post‑war period, because it was thanks to BNTU that the country received many skilled personnel for the development of our entire modern industry: MAZ, MTZ, and later BelAZ and Integral. The personnel were trained here. And it is precisely these personnel who compete on the global market to this day. We want to continue to find new data about those epoch‑making moments when our university and the country were developing. During the period of our independent Belarus, we became an even stronger university because new fields of study emerged, we began to develop new specialties, and the number of students increased significantly. Today, it has already been said that new buildings are being constructed. This is costly. In no country can a university, especially a technical one, develop without strong support from the state. I am very pleased that the President of the Republic of Belarus recognizes our role.
The tour of the updated exhibitions for the honored guests was conducted by Svetlana Dolyuk, the head of the museum and a lecturer at the Department of History of the Faculty of Management Technologies and Humanitarian Studies. The reconstruction not only made it possible to carefully preserve unique artifacts but also to integrate modern multimedia solutions. Today, the museum’s collections include more than 300 historical originals, each of which preserves unique moments from the life of the country’s leading technical university.
The exhibition is arranged in chronological order and includes five thematic halls: the first hall is dedicated to the founding of the university and its development; the second hall preserves the memory of the heroic and tragic pages of the Great Patriotic War; the third hall – “The Golden Age of Science” – reflects the period of flourishing research and engineering achievements; the fourth hall covers the period of independence and the sovereign development of the country; and the fifth hall – “Modernity. The Centennial Step” – demonstrates the university’s achievements at the present stage.
The route concludes with a spacious gallery of souvenirs and memorable gifts received from international guests and partners of the university, which underscores the high status of BNTU on the world stage.
After the honoured guests viewed the exhibition, a solemn ceremony was held in the museum to sign a cooperation agreement between the university and the State Committee for Standardization of the Republic of Belarus.
Elena Morgunova and Sergei Kharitonchik affirmed the document with their signatures. At the signing ceremony, the rector of BNTU noted the symbolism of the place and the date, emphasizing: “A new history has been made in the history museum.”
The signed agreement is aimed at developing and deepening partnership relations in the field of technical regulation and standardization, metrology, conformity assessment, and quality management. The key areas of joint work will be personnel training and the implementation of joint educational projects.
The updated museum of the history of BNTU will become not only a focal point for students, graduates, and university staff, but also an important platform for career guidance activities, clearly demonstrating that technological progress is inextricably linked to respect for one’s roots.
