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potential accumulated in previous years will
be in demand and will receive an impetus for
further development. In 1992, V.T. Cherepin and
A.G. Naumovets initiated the creation of the
Ukrainian Vacuum Society (UVS, in Ukrainian:
Українське Вакуумне Товариство
). This idea
was widely supported by the community of
vacuumists, and in 1994 the UVS was officially
registered by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
Next year, in 1995, it was accepted to IUVSTA
first as an associate and then as a full member.
The UVS included 24 local organisations from all
over Ukraine and had eight thematic sections. It
actively participated in the organisation of various
conferences and symposia on topics relevant to
its profile. The first scientific conference of the
UVS was held in April 1993.
Until 2004, the UVS was headed by
V.T. Cherepin, and its basic organisation was
the Institute of Metal Physics of the National
Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Since 2004,
the Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology
became the basic organisation for UVS, and
V.M. Shulayev was elected the UVS Chairman.
Later on, V.B. Yuferov held this position. A rather
active work of the UVS continued in the form of
seminars, and their proceedings were published
in special collection books and journals.
Unfortunately, the protracted economic crisis,
which continues in Ukraine, has led to a weakening
of the activity of the UVS. The main reason for
this was almost complete destruction of the
Ukrainian electronic industry − themain consumer
of vacuum technologies. The severance of
economic ties between the enterprises of
the former Soviet Union republics and the
emergence of strong Western competitors in the
domestic markets led to the bankruptcy of many
enterprises, mass unemployment and the fall of
Ukraine’s GDP. The state financing of Ukrainian
science was sharply reduced, the collectives of
the vacuum specialists began to disintegrate.
As a result, the UVS lost its “critical mass” and
practically ceased its activities.
Despite the current difficulties, some teams of
scientists and engineers still use and develop
vacuum technologies in Ukraine. The NAS of
Ukraine persistently continues its research and
developments in the field of nanoscience and
nanotechnologies. At the Kharkov Institute of
Physics and Technology, a powerful neutron
source is being set in operation in which the
neutron flux will be initiated by an electron
accelerator. The Academy, with joint support from
the state budget and from business, stimulates
the implementation of other innovative projects
aimed at the development of high technologies,
including those using vacuum techniques. All this
allows us to hope for the revival of the Ukrainian
Vacuum Society in a foreseeable future.
Unique installations designed and built at the
National Science Center “Kharkov Institute of
Physics andTechnology of NASU”: the Stellarator-
Torsatron ‘Uragan’ (on the left) and a 2 GeV Linear
Electron Accelerator (on the right).
Professor A.G. Naumovets,
Vice-President of the National Academy
of Sciences of Ukraine
Kiev, April 14, 2018
SUMMARY