KIPT's Living Memory: From Early Buildings to an Exhibition at Nantes University

The Museum and Cultural Complex "UPTI. Kharkiv" shared this living history with France: the institute’s digital photo archive is now on display at Nantes University.

This exhibition was made possible thanks to the project "KIPT Photo Archive: Preservation, Dissemination, and Reinterpretation," developed by our team in collaboration with Kharkiv cultural platforms. It combines the "UPTI in Retrospect" photocollages with unique digitized photographs. Through them, visitors can feel the spirit of the era, see how the institute grew, how its space evolved, and how the scientific environment of one of Ukraine's leading research centers took shape.

The exhibition in France was presented by Viacheslav Grekov, Senior Researcher at the National Science Center Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology, who is currently at Nantes University under the UMIFRE Fellowship Programme 2026.

His research project is titled «Behind the Closed Doors of Piatykhatky: Decolonization, Wartime Trauma, and Institutional Memory of KIPT»

For Dr. Grekov, this project is far more than archival curation — it is a continuation of an essential mission: raising global awareness about the crimes committed by Russian authorities against Ukrainian science.

Back in 2023, within a joint initiative by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine and the Dutch Research Council (NWO), he joined an international team investigating scientific virtues and vices throughout history. Dr. Grekov has been focusing on the first half of the 20th century, particularly the purge years of 1936–1938, which inflicted devastating losses on the Kharkiv physics community. Today, as contemporary Russian aggression once again targets Ukrainian research hubs, these historical photographs serve as a powerful reminder of Soviet repressions and the resilience of Ukrainian scholars.

Due to temporary university closures and protests in France, the exhibition is currently accessible in a limited format — for faculty and administrative staff only. However, we hope that its doors will soon open to all visitors. Additionally, colleagues plan to record a video tour of the exhibition and publish it on the Nantes University website.

Nantes University itself is a remarkable institution with a rich history. Founded in 1460 by Francis II, Duke of Brittany, it survived through the ages, was re-established in 1961, and today stands as one of France's largest educational hubs, welcoming tens of thousands of students worldwide.

For the KIPT Museum Sector, this is a special opportunity to introduce international audiences to the legacy and spirit of the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology. After all, an archival photograph is far more than an image from the past — it is a warm memory of people, a living historical document, and a story that continues to speak to us across generations.