"MECHANICS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BUT GREATLY UNDERESTIMATED SCIENCE IN UKRAINE"
Interview with the First Vice-President of the NAS of Ukraine, Head of the Section of Physical-Technical and Mathematical Sciences of the NAS of Ukraine, Head of the National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Academician of the NAS of Ukraine V.L. Bogdanov
— Vyacheslav Leonidovich, on November 11, 2025, precisely on the World Science Day for Peace and Development, the General Assembly of members of the National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics took place in Kyiv. Please tell us what this association is and what its purpose was.
— The National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics became one of the first scientific public associations of independent Ukraine. It can be said to be one of the first harbingers in the process of democratizing academic life. The creation of the Committee was an initiative from "below," supported by the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (at that time, in summer 1992, it was still simply called the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine). Incidentally, the organization of the Committee's activities was overseen by a specially created commission consisting of prominent scientists of our Academy: Academicians Oleksandr Mykolayovych Huz, Yuriy Oleksiyovych Mitropolsky, and Heorhiy Stepanovych Pysarenko.
The National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics was intended to unite, on an elective basis, leading Ukrainian scientists in the field of mechanics. Why? There were two main goals. First, to develop research in theoretical and applied mechanics and improve the efficiency of their coordination, not only within the Academy itself but also among academic and sectoral institutes, universities, and scientific-production enterprises. Second, to deepen international scientific cooperation and create conditions for integrating Ukrainian scientists into the global research space.
In the same year, 1992, the founding meeting of the Committee took place, its governing bodies were elected, and in 1993 the statute was adopted and the Committee was officially registered. Its base institution became the Institute of Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine, which in 1993 was named after the world-renowned Ukrainian scientist-mechanic, one of the first 12 academicians of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Stepan Prokopovych Tymoshenko. The first chairman of the Committee was elected to be the long-time director of this Institute, the aforementioned academician Oleksandr Mykolayovych Huz, who headed this body until 2023 inclusive. According to the statute of the National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, the General Assembly of its members must be held at least every two years to discuss current problems related to research and development in mechanics and related fields, including issues related to the implementation and popularization of scientific results. The meeting on November 11, 2025, was no exception.
By the way, quite recently, in January 2024, the Presidium of the NAS of Ukraine approved an updated Regulation on the National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics due to the need to align this document with new Ukrainian regulatory and legal realities. It not only takes into account changes that have occurred in national legislation over more than 30 years but also clarifies the status and powers of the Committee. According to this Regulation, the Committee received the status of an independent collegial scientific-coordinating body, whose activities are supported by our Academy. Moreover, the Presidium of the Committee is accountable to the General Assembly of the Committee and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Every year, by December 31, we submit information about our activities during the current year to the Academy.
As you can see, the National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics is an association of leading specialists in our field, and at the same time, it is quite appropriate to consider it a creation of the Academy, because it was born and developed within the NAS of Ukraine, so to speak.
— And what is the Committee currently engaged in?
— Its activities are quite multifaceted and diverse. First of all, as I already mentioned, the Committee coordinates scientific research in certain areas of mechanics in Ukraine and oversees the practical application of scientific results. A necessary condition for such a beneficial effect is establishing connections among scientists-mechanics working in various scientific institutions, higher education establishments, and other Ukrainian organizations regardless of their subordination and ownership form. At the same time, in accordance with the main goals of the Committee's activities defined at its inception, we do not limit ourselves to Ukraine and develop cooperation with foreign colleagues and scientific institutions, international organizations, and scientific associations. In particular, with the Ukrainian Society for Mechanics of Material Fracture (base institution — G.V. Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute of the NAS of Ukraine), which is part of the European Society for Structural Integrity.
I consider it an important achievement that today the National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, as its founders intended, has the status of an organization affiliated with the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) — a global organization coordinating the development of research in theoretical, applied, and computational mechanics. The Committee has the right to represent the scientific community and national interests of Ukraine in this field within IUTAM.
Of course, we do not rest on our laurels, especially in such difficult times. In particular, we try in every way to expand the representation of Ukrainian scientists in other international scientific organizations in mechanics and related sciences. Alongside this, we familiarize members of international scientific associations and organizations with our achievements. However, promoting scientific research is also necessary at home. For this, we disseminate scientific and scientific-technical information on mechanics both within the scientific community and among potential users of scientific and technical products. As for the general public, I think there is still a large space for work.
Since the National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics is an association of scientists, we regularly participate in organizing and conducting scientific events (conferences, symposiums, other forums) in theoretical and applied mechanics and related sciences. Our reliable partners in this are Ukrainian scientific institutions and universities, as well as Ukrainian, foreign, and international organizations. The Committee hears reports from colleagues — heads and leading specialists of scientific institutions, higher education establishments, and other organizations — about how scientific research is developing in various areas of mechanics and related sciences, and how scientific results become concrete developments for the needs of the national economy. We help publish and distribute scientific articles, monographs, textbooks, collections of scientific works, and popular science materials. Additionally, we distribute scientific, methodological, and informational materials from IUTAM among colleagues.
The National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics also encourages its members and the institutions to which they belong to fulfill an expert role, which is inseparable from their scientific expertise. In particular, we facilitate the involvement of scientists-mechanics in the examination of requests for conducting scientific research and scientific-technical developments, reports on their implementation, scientific works, textbooks, and program documents in the scientific field. We also develop proposals and recommendations for the NAS of Ukraine, ministries, departments, and other organizations concerning the determination of promising research directions in theoretical and applied mechanics and related sciences to solve strategic problems of the national economy. Based on international experience and relying on the scientific and scientific-technical potential of the Ukrainian state, we organize comprehensive research. We work on ways and mechanisms for the practical implementation of fundamental and applied scientific results and experimental developments. The Committee has the right to create working groups and expert commissions involving the best specialists if there is a need to study issues within our competence. As you can see, we have quite a broad field of tasks.
Speech by the Head of the National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Academician of the NAS of Ukraine V.L. Bogdanov at the General Assembly of Committee members. Kyiv, S.P. Tymoshenko Institute of Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine, November 11, 2025.
Head of the National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Academician of the NAS of Ukraine V.L. Bogdanov (center) with Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Academician of the NAS of Ukraine A.F. Bulat (left) and Committee member, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine O.V. Shymanovsky. Kyiv, S.P. Tymoshenko Institute of Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine, November 11, 2025.
— Which institutions are represented in the Committee and in which areas do its members work?
— The Committee has 216 members, doctors of sciences in the field of mechanics and related sciences, representing about fifty Ukrainian research and scientific-production organizations and higher education institutions where research in mechanics is conducted. Moreover, 30 new members were elected at the meeting on November 11, 2025. This is a very worthy addition, the best of the best. Among them, which is very important, are young scientists.
Among academic institutions, the largest representation in the Committee is from the S.P. Tymoshenko Institute of Mechanics, M.S. Polyakov Institute of Geotechnical Mechanics, H.S. Pysarenko Institute of Strength Problems, Ya.S. Pidstryhach Institute of Applied Problems of Mechanics and Mathematics, and the Institute of Hydromechanics. Among higher education institutions — Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, National Transport University.
Institutions of the NAS of Ukraine and universities that combine fundamental and applied research in mechanics, applied mathematics, and materials science actively participate in the Committee's activities. These studies cover a wide range of modern scientific directions.
For example, in the Academy's departments — Department of Mechanics and Machine Science, Department of Mathematics, Department of Materials Science, Department of Energy and Energy Technologies — the main research areas are mathematical problems of mechanics; mechanics of heterogeneous and composite media; fatigue and fracture mechanics; dynamics and stability of mechanical systems; dynamics and aerothermodynamics of mechanical and hydromechanical systems, energy installations, aircraft and spacecraft and their systems; strength of materials and structures; reliability and optimization of mechanical systems, mechanics of structural survivability; development of scientific foundations of mining-technical processes, equipment and technologies for mineral extraction and processing.
Speaking specifically about fundamental research, scientists-mechanics from research institutions and universities work in the fields of stability and vibrations of plates, shells, and spatial systems; construction of generalized models for anisotropic, functionally graded bodies, and metamaterials; studies of wave and thermomechanical processes in elastic, viscoelastic, and piezoelectric media; computational mechanics; addressing problems of contact interaction, tribology, and modeling of wear processes.
Among applied areas are mechanics of building and transport structures, dynamics of machines and mechanisms, hydro- and aeroelasticity, mechanics of cutting and surface formation, modeling of technogenic and mining processes, optimization and stability of technological systems. Many studies are interdisciplinary — combining mechanics with materials science, ecology, systems analysis, and artificial intelligence technologies.
In all these fundamental and applied areas, members of our Committee and the institutions they represent have achieved significant success.
— Which of the latest fundamental and applied results of Ukrainian scientists-mechanics do you consider the most significant and interesting?
— Many results have been obtained, and unfortunately, I cannot mention all of them. Since at the General Assembly on November 11, 2025, the Committee reported on its activities for 2023–2025, I will limit myself to this chronological frame and primarily speak about Kyiv organizations represented in the Committee.
In 2024, a comprehensive English-language monograph by Academician Oleksandr Mykolayovych Huz, "Elastic Waves in Bodies with Initial (Residual) Stresses," was published by the "Akademperiodika" Publishing House of the NAS of Ukraine. This work summarizes many years of research in the theoretically and practically important field of continuum mechanics, in which Ukrainian scientists, by the way, hold leading positions worldwide. The author, whom I consider my main scientific teacher and mentor, consistently and systematically presented the foundations of the theory of elastic wave propagation in compressible and incompressible bodies with initial (residual) stresses. The obtained results are based on the application of the three-dimensional linearized theory of elasticity for finite and small initial deformations. One of the main applied uses of this theory — the method of nondestructive determination of uni-, bi-, and triaxial stresses in various materials — is considered. The monograph is based on the scientific results of Oleksandr Mykolayovych and representatives of his scientific school in the Department of Dynamics and Stability of Continua at the S.P. Tymoshenko Institute of Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine over the last half-century. The book will interest specialists in wave dynamics, solid deformable body mechanics, structural element mechanics, materials mechanics, acoustics, seismology, geophysics, nondestructive testing methods, as well as lecturers, graduate students, and students of relevant specialties.
At the S.P. Tymoshenko Institute of Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine, an effective numerical method for solving physically nonlinear static problems for composite shell structural elements of aviation and rocket technology with holes has been developed. The influence of nonlinear properties, geometric and physico-mechanical parameters of the material on the stress-strain state of thin-walled composite elements of rocket technology with holes of various shapes under increased load intensity has been studied.
Together with specialists from the Central Research Institute of Armament and Military Equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, comprehensive examinations of fragments of trophy samples of enemy weapons and military equipment have been carried out. These include Russian-made hypersonic aeroballistic missiles, Russian and North Korean ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial complexes of Russian and Iranian production. The results of these studies were transferred to JSC "Ukroboronprom" and enterprises of the Ukrainian defense-industrial complex.
Physico-mechanical analysis of fragments of cruise missiles and drones of the aggressor country. Image of a composite area with filler
Based on this work, a separate monograph titled "Identification of Special-Purpose Structures by Their Fragments Based on Scanning Electron Microscopy" was published last year in English by the well-known international scientific publisher "Springer." In my opinion, this is a unique book whose importance is hard to overestimate. Its authors set (and accomplished) the task of forming a scientifically grounded system for automatic identification (by class and country of origin) of special-purpose products by their fragments. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the chemical composition, structure, surface topography, and frequency characteristics of such products. The goal is more than noble and humane — to contribute to preventing uncontrolled or "gray" movement of special-purpose products, technologies, and materials of military or dual use. The monograph will be useful for materials scientists and specialists in the defense sector of industry.
Recently published fundamental English-language monographs
At the H.S. Pysarenko Institute of Strength Problems of the NAS of Ukraine, the general theory of the mixed finite element method has been developed, which helps solve relevant applied problems of inelastic deformation mechanics considering the deformation history of thermo-force loading and anisotropic properties of metal. Based on this theory, colleagues conducted numerical analysis of the kinetics of the stress-strain state and resistance to destruction of VVER-1000 reactor vessels of Ukrainian nuclear power plants under thermal shock regimes.
Within cooperation with the Zaporizhzhia Machine-Building Design Bureau "Progress" named after Academician O.H. Ivchenko, an express method and software for predicting and determining the aerodynamic stability limits of working blades of fans and axial compressors of modern aviation gas turbine engines against flutter have been developed.
Scientists of the Institute of Hydromechanics of the NAS of Ukraine optimized the parameters of conical cavitators used in hydrodynamic schemes of vessels with a small waterline area and hulls in a gas cavity. A scheme for installing board cavitators has been developed, which can reduce the hydrodynamic resistance of a high-speed vessel by 10%.
Model of a vessel hull in a gas cavity in the basin of the Institute of Hydromechanics of the NAS of Ukraine
The Educational and Scientific Mechanical and Machine-Building Institute of the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute developed the concept of computer-integrated technology for designing individualized endoprostheses, experimentally studied the mechanical properties of a promising biocompatible implant material with a bone tissue coating considering their degradation under operational loads.
At the "Luch" Design Bureau, research and development work continues successfully, which is key to strengthening Ukraine's defense capability. Specialists at this enterprise develop anti-aircraft missile weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane aerodynamic scheme.
The Ukrainian Steel Structures Institute named after V.M. Shymanovsky performs work important for the restoration of engineering structures (such as the Kyiv TV tower), energy facilities, and other critical infrastructure objects, hypermarkets of retail chains damaged or destroyed due to Russian bombings and shelling. This is an acute and urgent problem, unprecedented in scale and social significance. The research and development work of this Institute and NAS of Ukraine institutions on developing individual methods for restoring structures have no analogues in modern world practice. And, it is worth emphasizing especially, it is the development of the scientific base that helps accelerate restoration and increase its efficiency. Recently, the Institute, in cooperation with the Academy, developed, tested, and implemented in production a technology for welding metal structures from different (old and new) steel grades. In addition, methods of instrumental diagnostics and non-destructive control of metal density of damaged or destroyed elements of metal structures for determining the size of affected areas have been improved and implemented in production. Mathematical modeling of the mutual aerodynamic influence of closely located damaged or destroyed elements of metal structures to determine the features of wind loads affecting them has also been improved and actively applied in practice.
Also, in cooperation with the E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the NAS of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Steel Structures Institute named after V.M. Shymanovsky, developing technologies for inspecting and repairing damaged objects, has developed a new technology for technical diagnostics of large-sized structures — bridges, power lines, towers — using UAVs for aerial photography and building a three-dimensional model of the structure by photogrammetry. This technology allows remotely detecting defects, obtaining accurate data on the geometric dimensions of damages and their locations on the structure. To reduce the influence of the human factor, scientists use automated defect detection based on artificial intelligence algorithms. Automated detection and classification of damages on images of elements of the Kyiv TV tower, Kamianets-Podilskyi bridge, and other objects have already been carried out, and recommendations for repairing damaged structures have been provided.
Among interesting results obtained in higher education institutions, it is worth noting the development of new models of vibrations and loss of stability of composite and anisotropic shells; generalized approaches to analyzing wave processes in elastic-fluid systems; numerical methods for studying strength and durability of materials and structures considering viscoelasticity and thermomechanical effects. Models of contact interaction in piezoelectric and functionally graded bodies have been developed, and solutions to fracture mechanics problems for interface cracks considering electromechanical coupling have been obtained.
Among interesting applied developments are new methods of diagnostics and dynamic control of rotating systems, approaches to optimizing vibration drives and transport systems, models of environmental safety of mining-industrial regions. The obtained results are theoretically and practically important for improving the efficiency, reliability, and service life of modern technical and natural-technical systems.
— You gave examples of achievements of capital city organizations represented in the Committee. What about other regions of Ukraine? Which scientific result impressed you the most?
— The activities of scientists-mechanics of the Dnipro region (centered in Dnipro city) were reported at our recent meetings by the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Head of the Dnipro Scientific Center of the NAS of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Director of the M.S. Polyakov Institute of Geotechnical Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine, Academician Anatoliy Fedorovych Bulat, and on behalf of colleagues from the Western region (centered in Lviv) by another Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Director of the Ya.S. Pidstryhach Institute of Applied Problems of Mechanics and Mathematics of the NAS of Ukraine, Academician Roman Mykhailovych Kushnir. Much of their presentations was pleasantly impressive. For example, scientists of the Institute of Technical Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine and the State Space Agency of Ukraine developed a method for short-term forecasting of the spatiotemporal localization of earthquakes originating on the sub-satellite track based on probe measurements of local ionospheric plasma disturbances along the orbits of spacecraft. The term of such short-term forecasting covers a time interval from one hour to two days with a lead time for the first earthquake shock from 30 minutes to 7 hours. These scientific results have no analogues and have already attracted the attention of the global scientific community.
I have mentioned only a very small part of the achievements of leading Ukrainian scientists-mechanics. But, as it seems to me, this list is enough to demonstrate the admirable resilience of our research teams during the extremely difficult wartime. They do not despair, do not give up, and multiply not only knowledge but also innovative developments and technologies, including dual-use ones. At the same time, they manage to find time and strength for teaching: they educate students and graduate students, consult doctoral candidates. This is extremely important work, especially in the difficult situation of a shortage of engineers and scientific personnel in natural and technical specialties.
— Besides scientific research, the Committee, as you have already said, takes care of many organizational issues. What has been achieved recently in this direction?
— In 2023–2025, under the organizational participation or aegis of the Committee, four international scientific conferences were held. Particularly noteworthy, in my opinion, was "Actual Problems of Mechanics — 2023". This event took place in mid-November 2023 simultaneously in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv at scientific institutions and universities and was dedicated to the 145th anniversary of the birth of Academician Stepan Prokopovych Tymoshenko. At this conference, over 440 scientists from Ukraine, the USA, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Poland, Azerbaijan, Serbia, India, and Brazil presented more than 200 reports, which left a powerful resonance. Articles based on the presented reports were published in several issues of the international scientific journal "International Applied Mechanics."
Academicians of the NAS of Ukraine V.L. Bogdanov, A.F. Bulat, and V.M. Nazarenko with participants of the plenary session of the international scientific conference "Actual Problems of Mechanics — 2023." Kyiv, Large Conference Hall of the NAS of Ukraine, November 14, 2023.
Prior to this meeting, a unique collective English-language monograph about the current achievements of Ukrainian scientists-mechanics "Advances in Mechanics: Current Research Results of the NAS of Ukraine" was published in October 2023 by the well-known international scientific publisher "Springer," edited by members of the NAS of Ukraine. This book is special because it is the first in the global information space to reveal the state of Ukrainian research in a specific scientific field — mechanics. By the way, one of its chapters is devoted exclusively to the history, areas of activity, and main results of institutions of the Department of Mechanics and Machine Science of the NAS of Ukraine. In total, 30 chapters of this book cover research in composite mechanics, fracture mechanics, strength of materials and structures, thermo-viscoelasticity and plasticity, shell structure mechanics, contact mechanics, wave propagation theory, dynamics of mechanical and hydromechanical systems. The monograph and the conference honored the memory of the great Ukrainian and outstanding scientist Stepan Tymoshenko.
In 2024, two more international conferences took place: in September at the Ya.S. Pidstryhach Institute of Applied Problems of Mathematics and Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine in Lviv — "Mathematical Problems of Mechanics of Heterogeneous Structures (MPMNS-2024)" and in October at the S.P. Tymoshenko Institute of Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine in Kyiv — "Mechanics: Modernity and Prospects".
At the first, mathematical modeling in the mechanics of deformable solids, mathematical methods of mechanics and thermomechanics, mechanics of heterogeneous solids, metamaterials and nanostructures, mechanics of contact interaction of bodies with cracks and thin inclusions, dynamics of heterogeneous media, optimization and design of structural elements and biomechanical systems, research in the field of state defense and infrastructure restoration, promising methods and means of teaching in mechanics and applied mathematics were discussed. The second conference brought together specialists in theoretical, applied, and computational mechanics and covered areas such as mechanics of composite and heterogeneous media, shell system mechanics, mechanics of coupled fields in materials and structural elements, fracture and fatigue mechanics, dynamics and stability of mechanical systems. All this also involved hundreds of participants and hundreds of interesting and substantive reports on important topics.
In the same year, 2024, another collective English-language monograph was published by "Springer," mainly edited by members of our Committee — "Selected Problems of Solid Mechanics and Solving Methods", with over 30 chapters covering research results in deformable solid mechanics, particularly in plate and shell mechanics, fracture mechanics, thermoelasticity and thermoplasticity, contact mechanics. This book is dedicated to the memory of the outstanding Ukrainian scientist, renowned specialist in computational mechanics and plate and shell mechanics, science organizer and teacher, Academician of the NAS of Ukraine Yaroslav Mykhailovych Grygorenko, who passed away in the turbulent year 2022. It was written by his students and colleagues.
Finally, last year in Dnipro, the international scientific and technical conference "Modern Problems of Mechanics in Special-Purpose Structures" was held, organized by the S.P. Tymoshenko Institute of Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine and the National University "Dnipro Polytechnic." About 120 reports from nearly 250 participants were heard there. The topics covered a wide range of issues: methods for solving current problems of special-purpose structure mechanics; mathematical and computer modeling of structural elements and materials; nonlinear problems of mechanics and related natural sciences; experimental studies of physico-mechanical processes and structural strength; application of advanced and non-traditional information technologies in solving problems of mechanics and materials science; modern problems of higher engineering education, use of information and communication technologies in e-learning. This conference will be held every three years.
At the end of last year, under the aegis of the Committee, a personal bio-bibliographic directory "Academician Oleksandr Mykolayovych Dynnyk: Ukrainian Scientist-Mechanic and Science Organizer (1876–1950)" was published, prepared in cooperation with the V.I. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine. Its full electronic version is available online. This work is interesting because it is based on the analysis of a large complex of archival documents, many of which were introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, and a wide range of bibliographic sources. New documents and photographs related to the life path and activities of Academician O.M. Dynnyk in the NAS of Ukraine system are published there. In January of this year, we presented this directory at the anniversary General Assembly of the Department of Mechanics and Machine Science of the NAS of Ukraine on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of this outstanding scientist, founder of many directions in the field of strength of materials, strength and stability of machines and structures, mining mechanics, founder of research on stability and vibrations of elastic systems, dynamics of mine hoisting ropes, and the theory of rock pressure.
Among less large-scale but no less important events held in recent years with the participation of our Committee, scientific forums dedicated to the memory of famous scientists-mechanics — Academician of the NAS of Ukraine Volodymyr Ivanovych Mossakovsky and Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine Vadym Serhiyovych Hudramovych — should be mentioned.
And now we are preparing the third collective English-language monograph in recent years — "Fracture Mechanics and Related Directions: A View from Ukrainian Research" (in 2 volumes). It is about to be published by "Springer." More than 40 chapters were contributed by Committee members from many academic institutes and universities.
The National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics also maintains regular contacts with the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and tries to represent our country with dignity in this respected international organization. In particular, last autumn, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine Yaroslav Zhuk, became one of 78 national delegates at the annual General Assembly of IUTAM. During this event, the report of the General Secretary of this organization, Professor Robert McMeeking from the USA, was heard, and several resolutions were adopted, including the establishment and funding of five IUTAM awards to support the careers of young scientists, which will be presented at each future International Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (ICTAM). General criteria for selection and the procedure for submitting nominations for these awards were defined. A resolution was also approved to introduce a cycle of submission and selection of applications for annual symposia and summer schools held under the aegis of IUTAM. According to the new procedure, member countries can submit applications for events planned for 2028. Our Committee will also participate in competitions for these awards and compete to host IUTAM scientific forums in Ukraine.
— What news can we expect from the Committee in the near future?
— At the meeting on November 11, 2025, members of the National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics supported the initiative of the Presidium of the Committee and the S.P. Tymoshenko Institute of Mechanics of the NAS of Ukraine by voting to create a new scientific journal. So now we are working on implementing this decision. It is planned that the publication will publish original research, reviews, and short communications in all areas of theoretical and applied mechanics, and the responsible editors of its sections will be leading Ukrainian scientists. The editorial board of the journal will be international and will consist of about one-third foreign researchers whose publications are indexed in international scientometric databases Scopus and Web of Science. This year, we hope to publish the first issue of this journal and deploy its web platform based on Open Journal Systems (OJS). After six regular issues, we will submit it for indexing in the aforementioned Scopus and Web of Science.
In addition, we will expand the practice of preparing and publishing collective monographs on modern directions of mechanics development in leading scientific publishers with the participation of Committee members.
We also plan to publish, together with the V.I. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, a bio-bibliographic directory about Stepan Prokopovych Tymoshenko for the 150th anniversary of his birth, which falls on December 23, 2028.
Specifically for the November meetings, we prepared and published an informational collection summarizing some research results of more than 100 Committee members. It would be good if the appearance of such collections became a tradition in the future.
In March this year, a conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Academician of the NAS of Ukraine Volodymyr Vasylovych Panasyuk, an outstanding scientist in the theory and strength of materials and structures, longtime director of the G.V. Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute in Lviv, will take place. Unfortunately, he did not live to see this significant date — his heart stopped beating in summer 2023.
Overall, the Committee has great potential and broad opportunities thanks to its status as an independent scientific-coordinating structure. We plan to use this more actively to influence management decisions on many fundamental issues. There is no need to invent tools; they already exist. These include, in particular, preparing proposals for state bodies on determining state scientific-technical and innovation priorities, developing state incentives for implementing scientific-technical developments and innovations, revising the list of specialties for which higher education institutions train personnel (since mechanics has practically dropped out of this list), the system of training personnel in graduate school (this cannot be reduced to just another level of education), methods and practices of state certification of scientific institutions and universities, to which scientists have many justified claims. We must remind at all levels about state incentives for training scientific personnel in technical specialties, specialists, and engineers for our industry. Otherwise, there will be neither an innovative economy nor a developed Ukraine. The reality is that sometimes it is easier for a public scientific organization to talk about all these acute issues than for official structures such as academies of sciences, scientific institutions, or universities.
— By the way, about acute issues. Vyacheslav Leonidovich, at the November Committee meeting, the E.O. Paton Bridge was also mentioned. Many people have been concerned for several years about the condition of this structure and why it is not being repaired. Please share your scientific view on this problem.
— The problem is indeed serious and only worsens every year. And this is part of a broader context. Due to the full-scale war and economic difficulties, economic entities have practically ceased to renew fixed assets, which undoubtedly could not but affect the safety of many objects. But the technical condition of Ukrainian bridges worries specialists the most.
According to data from the Ukrainian Steel Structures Institute named after V.M. Shymanovsky and the E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the NAS of Ukraine, there are over 28,000 bridges and overpasses in our country operating with significant overload. While on the railway, where a continuous monitoring system is implemented, the condition of bridges can be considered satisfactory, most road and municipal bridges do not meet traffic safety requirements, and a significant number of bridges on public roads need immediate repair. Currently, bridges are not inspected, and their condition is deteriorating. There is no unified monitoring system for the technical condition of road bridges and transport structures in Ukraine at all.
This also applies to Kyiv bridges. In the capital, five bridges are actively used, which vary in age (from 72 years for the E.O. Paton Bridge to 16 years for the Darnytskyi Bridge) and technical condition. According to the results of planned and special comprehensive inspections, the Darnytskyi Bridge was recognized as operational, the Northern and Southern bridges as limited operational, and the E.O. Paton Bridge and the Metro Bridge as non-operational or emergency (and the E.O. Paton Bridge has been so since 2017).
Last year, the Ukrainian Steel Structures Institute named after V.M. Shymanovsky once again conducted a planned inspection of the E.O. Paton Bridge and recorded new alarming facts. Over the entire long period of operation, significant defects and damages have appeared in the bridge structure, which significantly affect the reliability and durability of both the bridge as a whole and its individual structures. While in 2017–2019, corrosion processes, scientifically speaking, were described by a linear dependence, now this dependence is slowly turning into an unpredictable curve. The residual resource of the bridge is assessed as zero. Colleagues are generally surprised why it is still allowed to be used.
E.O. Paton Bridge in Kyiv: left — corrosion over 50% of the cross-section of the horizontal tie; right — destruction of the cross beam on one of the supports (as of 2018)
Ultimately, the repair of the Metro Bridge has begun, but for some reason, the E.O. Paton Bridge has not received proper attention, although each day of delay threatens fatal consequences. I would not want to scare people in already difficult times, but corrosion relentlessly eats away at this structure, and if it is not taken care of now, it may be too late in about five years. I remind you that emergency situations on the E.O. Paton Bridge already occurred in 2018 and 2019. There is no guarantee they will not happen again. The threat of partial or complete collapse is quite real.
Especially dangerous are corrosion damages to non-load-bearing elements — main and cross beams, as well as cracks in the connections of flanges and webs of main beams. In fact, the metal of the cross beams on which the roadway slabs rest has almost completely corroded. The main beams — there are four of them — are currently in a more or less decent condition. Probably, thanks to this, the bridge is still able to carry traffic flows, albeit with restrictions.
The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the NAS of Ukraine have repeatedly drawn the attention of the Government and Kyiv authorities to the emergency condition of the bridge. For example, back in July 2018, a meeting was held at the Presidium of the NAS of Ukraine with the participation of representatives of the Academy, Kyiv City Council, Kyiv City State Administration, and the Ukrainian Steel Structures Institute named after V.M. Shymanovsky, following which the Kyiv City Council decided to restore the E.O. Paton Bridge and designated the corporation "Kyivavtodor" as the customer for these works. Despite the critical situation with the bridge structure, "Kyivavtodor" has still not conducted a tender for the development of the relevant design and estimate documentation: even before the full-scale Russian invasion, in 2020 and 2021, the corporation canceled three tenders it announced for the work.
Such bureaucratic delays worsen the technical condition of the bridge and increase the likelihood of emergency situations, which may cost not only convenience of communication but also people's health and even lives. Not to mention the transport collapse that will inevitably occur if the bridge is not repaired soon. To prevent unforeseen consequences, before reconstruction-restoration begins, several years ago, according to a scheme developed by the municipal enterprise "Center for Traffic Organization" and agreed with the Patrol Police Department in Kyiv, traffic on the bridge was limited to the extreme lanes in both directions. At the same time, entry to the bridge of any transport with an axle load over 6 tons was restricted. This, of course, somewhat reduces the load on the structure but does not solve the problem. The design traffic intensity of the bridge is 10,000 vehicles per day, while the actual in recent years reached 120,000.
Moreover, the E.O. Paton Bridge is not only an important transport artery of Kyiv connecting the right and left banks of the city. It is also our outstanding material heritage, pride and business card of the Ukrainian capital, a unique engineering structure of great historical value, a symbol of the Ukrainian engineering school. It became the world's first all-welded road bridge and has a length of 1,543 meters, longer than Khreshchatyk Street. The American Welding Society recognized the E.O. Paton Bridge as an outstanding welded structure of the 20th century, and since the 1990s, the structure has been included in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine as a monument of architecture and urban planning, science, and technology of local significance.
In short, from any point of view, we cannot afford to lose this bridge. Therefore, at the beginning of 2026, the National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics addressed the Prime Minister of Ukraine with a letter regarding the organization and financing of capital repair works of the E.O. Paton Bridge. We are well aware of the situation and cannot remain indifferent. Yes, our country is going through very difficult times now, with many problems of varying complexity arising daily that the authorities have to solve. But the problem with the E.O. Paton Bridge has long been overdue. I hope our arguments will be heard and the matter will be moved from a deadlock. At least we will make efforts for this. The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the NAS of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Steel Structures Institute named after V.M. Shymanovsky, which, by the way, once designed this bridge under the leadership of Academician Yevhen Oskarovych Paton, are ready to provide all necessary assistance at any time. The National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, which I have the honor to lead, will also gladly join if needed.
Overall, mechanics is an extremely important but greatly underestimated science in Ukraine. In reality, it is not at all as "lifeless," "dry," and distant from reality as is usually stereotypically believed. Mechanics is everywhere; it makes the world around us safe, predictable, reliable, and our life comfortable. As long as everything works properly, we do not notice it and, unfortunately, do not appreciate it. Mechanics is a kind of load-bearing structure of our material world, our safeguard against chaos, our tool for risk management. It would be wise to use it. No matter what, we will not avoid this anyway, because restoring Ukraine after the devastating Russian invasion and effectively protecting and developing it in the future will only be possible with the support of scientists. And mechanics are among the first here.
Interview conducted by Snizhana Mazurenko