Внесок професорів та викладачів Львівської політехніки у розвиток електрифікації львівщини

The beginning of electrification of the Lviv Region coincides with the opening of the Electrical Engineering Department of in the Lviv Polytechnic National University in 1891. This resulted in establishingthe Lviv Electrical School — a combination of science with practical work.

The first ever power station in the Lviv Region was built in Lviv back in 1894 for the city electric tram,on the proposal of R. Dzeslyevsky, the Department Head and later Rector.

Soon its capacities ceased to be enough, and in 1909 R. Dzeslyevsky’snew idea was implemented — a power stationwas constructed on the street Kozelnytska, which exists up to the present day. Once it started operating, the first power plant was closed down.

The Lviv power plant became a source of electricity for other cities. The project of power grids was developed by prof. G. Sokolnitsky, who was the Rector at the Lviv Polytechnic National University in 1931- 1932. According to his project, the state program on constructing a 30 kV network from Lviv to Zhovkva, Yavorov, Rava-Ruska, Pustomyty, Gorodok, Vynnyky was approved, which led to shutting down local unprofitable power plants.

M. Altenberg, an associate professor of the Lviv Polytechnic National University, became took charge of the newly established Electro-Lighting Institution of the Lviv Region.

Sokolnitsky and Altenberg supported the idea of constructing power plants exploiting energy resources like oil, gas, coal or water deposits, rather than constructing small local power stations in cities. Back in 1917, they sought to build a powerful power plant using associated gases obtained from oil wells in Borislav, which would simultaneously solve the problem of gas pollution in the city of Borislav. Their project was implemented in 1922, and by 1931, it turned to bethe main power plant supplying electricity to Drohobych, Stryi, Sambir, Truskavets and other cities.

The posts of practicing professors at the Lviv Polytechnic National University were taken by Z. Stanetsky, a battery factoryowner, and S. Frieze, whose project was equipped with a system of special effects in the Lviv Opera House.

Engineers understood the benefits of cooperation with the production sector; the refore, they invited directors of the Lviv City Electric Museums M. Dzevonsky and S. Kozlovsky to read a series of lectures on servicing power plants and networks.