The activities of scientist agronomist S. M. Bogoyavlenskyy towards the establishment and development of the Kyiv Station for testing agricultural machines and tools (1901–1916)

Abstract

The aim of the article is to reconstruct the course of events and facts of scientist agronomist Serhiy Mykolayovych Bogoyavlenskyy’s activity for the benefit of the development of agricultural science in Ukrainian lands, especially regarding the establishment and development of the Kyiv station for testing agricultural machines and tools during 1914–1916 based on the "personal files" found in the archives. Scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that it examines information about one of the closest assistants of Professor K. G. Schindler in such a difficult, from an organizational point of view, matter of expanding the activities of the mentioned station. The "personal files" of the agronomist S. M. Bogoyavlenskyy were found and analyzed for the first time, which made it possible to outline his contribution not only to the establishment and development of the station, but also to find out his creative achievements in the field of development of agricultural mechanics and machine science. The significant creative contribution of S. M. Bogoyavlenskyy to the activities of the first station for testing agricultural machines and tools in Europe during 1901–1916, as well as his professional political contribution to the preservation of its potential in 1911–1916 as an assistant of the director – first its founder Professor K. G. Schindler, and then – Professor P. R. Sliozkin. It was established that it was S. M. Bogoyavlenskyy at the initial stage of the Station's activity who was entrusted with the task of implementing the organizational plan developed by K. G. Schindler for the introduction of field management of the institution and the construction of premises. The participation of the scientist in carrying out appropriate tests of technical tools was foreseen not only for the needs of the educational process, but also for research and production purposes throughout the territory of the European part of Tsarist Russia and, first of all, in the Ukrainian provinces. We note the role of S. M. Bogoyavlenskyy in conducting experiments in field and laboratory conditions on soil cultivation, sowing, plant care and harvesting, as well as in the development of appropriate methods and the manufacture of devices for testing agricultural tools. In addition, he is credited with the preparation and printing of the first issue of "News of the Testing Station for Agricultural Machines and Tools at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" (1907). The scientist conducted practical sessions with KPI students on researching agricultural machines. The article documents for the first time the fact that S. M. Bogoyavlenskyy headed the Station immediately after K. G. Schindler was dismissed in 1911–1912. The fate of the scientist agronomist after 1916 remains unknown.