History | University of Oil and Gas

The outstanding early work carried out by Academician I.M. Gubkin at the Moscow Mining Academy led to the creation of the Moscow Institute of Oil on April 17, 1930, by order of the USSR VSNH. The new institute was named in honor of Gubkin as a token of gratitude for his contribution to the creation and organization of training of specialists for socialist industry, and in particular to the development of the Moscow Mining Academy.

The University’s history is closely linked with the development of the energy sector. The Moscow Mining Academy was founded in 1918 at the order of SNH, and two years later the Faculty of Geology and the Faculty of Mining started training specialists for the country’s petroleum industry.

The first group of petroleum engineers graduated in 1924. In 1930 the Faculty of Petroleum Engineering was organized, and on April 17, 1930 the Moscow Mining Academy was reorganized into six higher educational institutions. The new Moscow Institute of Oil, which grew out of the Oil Faculty, was named in honor of Academician I. M. Gubkin, who became its first rector. Thus, by the early 1930s, training of petroleum engineers had become an independent branch within higher education.

Many of the Mining Academy alumni of 1924-1930, such as M. Charygin, I. Muravyov, F. Trebin, A. Serdy, I. Polyakov, I. Gurevich, N. Shatsov became noted scholars and headed faculties and departments of the new institute.

Within the first decade, the Institute graduated 1,500 graduated from the Institute: geologists, mining engineers, economists, chemical and mechanical engineers. During World War II, many members of the

faculty and students volunteered for the army or took part in the construction of defensive facilities in the Moscow Region. The Institute, however, continued its work.

In the post-war period the Institute R&D gained scope, with scholars working over the whole spectrum of the energy sector. This research promoted a great number of discoveries during that time. Being oriented towards the needs of the industry, the Institute already had the following faculties: Geology, Development of Oil and Gas Fields, Chemical Engineering and Economics.

In 1962 in response to the requirements of the industry for specialists in automation of industrial processes, the Institute organized a new faculty - the Faculty of Automation and Computer Science. This was followed by the Faculty of Pipeline Network Design, Construction and Operation. In 1988 another new specialty, Environmental Engineering, was added. In 1991 the University started training lawyers for the petroleum sector of the national economy.

Thus, having started with 4 specialities, the University today offers training in 15 majors, including 26 specialties and 39 scientific areas of specialization.