The publishing activity of engineering and technical societies at higher educational establishments of Katerinoslav and Kharkiv – as an important source of research on their history and activities (in the late XIX – early XX centuries)

Abstract

The second half of the ХІХ century was a period of active development of science and technology in the Russian Empire, the characteristic feature of which was the formation of various public and scientific associations and organizations which were set up to consolidate advanced scientific and technical thought and the dissemination and promotion of scientific knowledge. After the reforms of the 1860s the various scholarly societies appeared on the territory of the Russian Empire at a rapid pace. The scientific and technical societies, which were created to promote the development of a particular field of scientific and technical knowledge, took a prominent place among such a large number of scientific and technical societies.

The most famous scientific and technical society, which united representatives of the industrial bourgeoisie and advanced technical intelligentsia in its circle, is considered the Imperial Russian Technical Society (IRTS). It was created in St. Petersburg on the initiative of scientists and engineers in 1866.

The leading activity of the Russian Technical Society was the publishing activity of both the society itself and its branches established in industrialized regions of Ukraine (in particular, Kharkiv and Katerynoslav branches). However, apart from the branches of the Imperial Russian Technical Society in the specified territories publishing activity was also taken care of by the societies of the technical universities graduates of Kharkiv Practical Technological Institute and Yekaterinoslav Higher Mining School: Society of engineers graduating from Yekaterinoslav Higher Mining School and South Russian Society of Technologists.

The purpose of our research is to carry out a detailed analysis of the various areas of publishing activities of the determined scientific and technical societies, to find out their contribution to the development of engineering and scientific thought and the consolidation of technical intelligentsia in Ukraine.

The purpose of our research is to carry out a detailed analysis of the various areas of publishing activities of the determined RTS branches, to find out their contribution to the development of engineering and scientific thought and the consolidation of technical intelligentsia in Ukraine.

The content of the information and publishing activity of engineering and scientific societies, the printed organs of which were the only local source for obtaining the necessary information from various fields of technical knowledge at times, was determined by the professional requests of the engineering and technical community of the industrial complex of the studied region and covered a wide range of scientific and technical and socioeconomic information. The latter has become an important factor in creating an effective system of communication and information communications of the technical intelligentsia.The main types of printed products of public scientific and technical associations of the region were periodicals and technical literature. Taking into account the lack and sometimes the total absence of necessary information and special professional literature of scientific and technical publications the societies served as professional technical journals. The analysis of the journals «Juzhnyj inzhener» and «Izvestija Juzhno-Russkogo obshhestva tehnologov» was carried out in the work. Publication of individual imprints of scientific works of societies members, teaching aids, technical literature reviews was widely practiced.

The study has implemented the analysis of special journals «Schetovodstvo i hozjajstvo» and «Tjazhelee vozduha» issued by Kharkiv branch of IRTS, their outstanding significance for forming new directions of scientific and practical accounting and dissemination and popularization of aviation knowledge has been proved. The publication of separate scientific imprints, the works of the members of the societies, the teaching aids for evening class listeners (KhB ІRТS), reviews of the technical literature was widely practiced.

The study does not deplete the raised problem in the activities of public scientific and technical assossiations, but only covers certain areas of activity, leaving a considerable space for further scientific research.