History

At the end of prewar 1940^th year a group of leading scientists of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR petitioned the government to organize the university of new style in the USSR, which would be able to graduate specialists for strategically important trends of the development of science and new technique in the country very effectively.

The basic principle of new teaching system became intense training students at the scientific-research institutes during the study. (Later this educational system was called  "the fizteh-system".) It was founded by academicians P.L. Kapitsa, S.A. Hristianovich, N.N. Semenov, M.V. Keldysh, L.D. Landau, G.S. Landsberg and  S.A. Lebedev. The world's educational practice had such experience never before.

Although the decision about the foundation of university was taken quickly (spring, 1941), the WWII made it impossible. However, only in a year after the end of the war, in 1946, in MSU of M.V. Lomonosov Physical-Technical Department (MSU PTD) was founded, which differed markedly from all departments of MSU out of accord with entrance rules as well as training system and curriculum. The training young specialists with new teaching system had been begun there.

The graduated specializations had 9 numbers and were called in a very general way: vacuum technique, automatics and telemechanics, radiolocation, computing, aeromechanics, thermodynamics, optics and radiophysics, low temperatures, structure of material and chemical physics.

But staying in MSU had some troubles (confidential data was among them), that’s why in 1948 the department moved to a new place and it was not an easy thing at all, at that moment. There were two vacant buildings in Dolgoprudny town in Moscow region, destined for the Institute of Dirigible Constructing, which was not actually founded.

They were buildings, which had been just given to MIPT, founded on the base of MSU PTF. By the way, when the question about the name of the new department of MSU was set up in 1946, it was N.N. Semenov – director of the Institute of Chemical Physics of USSR AS - who proposed the name "physics and technology". The name has been remaining unchanged after MSU PTD had become separated University.

So in 1948 MIPT legalized it's position as a new elite scientific and technical University in the country. Lieutenant-general I.F. Petrov (commander of air force group, controlling by General Headquarters in the WWII) was appointed Rector of the institute. Later the history connecting with the Department MBP was following:

1948-1957 - there was no division on departments in MIPT. A training of specialists was being led on 9 specialities as stated above. Section 9^th was a base where the educational process was carried out in 3 basic chairs: "Compound of matter", "Chemical physics" and "Explosives". The head of the section was a Nobel prize-winner academician N.N. Semenov. Academician M.A. Lavrentiev administered an important compartment of the department.

1957 - 4 departments in MITP were founded:

RED - Radio Engineering Department on the base on sections #1-4 (now it is DRTC - Department of Radio Technology and Cybernetics);

AMD – Air Mechanics Department on the base of sections #5 and 6. Now it is DASR - Department of Aerospace Research and DAFT - Department of Aerodynamics and Aero-flow Techniques, based in Zhukovsky;

RPD – Radio Physics Department on the base of sections #7 and 8. Now it is DGAP - Department of General and Applied Physics;

DPC - Physical-Chemical Department on the base of sections #9, later named DMCP - Department of Molecular and Chemical Physics. Academician V.V. Voevodsky was the first Dean of the department. Academician N.N. Semenov was the head of the united basic "Chemical Physics" chair. Now the of "Chemical Physics" chair is headed by corresponding member of RAS A.A. Berlin and its basic institute is the Institute of Chemical Physics of  Russian AS named by N.N. Semenov.

1958 - the "Physics of plasma" chair was founded in DCP on the base of  the Institute of Atomic Energy named by Kurchatov, headed by D.A. Frank-Kamenetsky. Now the chair is called “Physics and Chemistry of Plasma”, headed by academician V. D. Rusanov, on the base of the Russian Scientific Center named by Kurchatov.

There was also founded the chair “Molecular Biophysics”, headed by doctor Lazurkin, on the base of  the radiobiological department of the Nuclear Power Research Institute named by Kurchatov. Nowadays the chair is based in the Institute of Molecular Biology of RAS and headed by Mirzabekov, academic of RAS.

1964  - the "Physics of burning and explosion" chair, headed by K.I. Shchelkin, corresponding member of  AS of the USSR,  was founded on the base of the Institute of Chemical Physics of USSR AS and its brunch-office in the town Chernogolovka in Moscow region. Then the chair was renamed into "Physics of Condensed State and Processes of Burning and Explosion" and headed by professor G.B. Manelis, the basic institute became the Institute of Chemical Physics Problems (Noginsky Scientific Center). Nowadays the chair is closed.

1967 – the "High-Temperature Processes and Installations" chair, headed by  academician A.E. Sheindlin since 1967 till 1996, was founded on the base of the Institute of High Temperatures of USSR AS. Now it is called the chair "Physics of High-Temperature Processes", administered by academician V.E. Fortov, its basic institute is the United Institute of High Temperatures of RAS.

There was also founded "Physical and Chemical Mechanics" chair on the base of the Institute of Mechanics Problems of USSR AS, head by academician A.U. Ishlinsky in 1967-1966, now it is administered by corresponding member of RAS N.A. Generalov, its basic institute is the Institute of Problems of Mechanics of RAS.

1975- the whole-department "Molecular physics" chair was founded. It was situated in MIPT and was intended to supply inter-department educational process and organizational work. It was administrated by professor S.S. Novikov in 1975-1988 and since 1988 till now by Rector of MIPT professor N.N. Kudryavtsev.

1982 - the Department of Physical and Chemical Biology  (DPCB) was founded on the base of the chairs of two departments - Molecular and Chemical Physics Department and General and Applied Physics Department by the initiative of vice-president of USSR AS academician J.A. Ovchinnikov. Professor E.M. Trukhan became the Dean of the Department. The new department included the chairs:

• “Living Systems Physics” chair, headed by academician of RAS and Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (RAMS) V.I. Shumakov, based onthe Scientific Research Institute of Transplanted and Artificial Organs;
• “Molecular Biophysics” chair, headed by academician Mirzabekov (up to 2003) and now by professor A.S.Zasedatelev,  on the base of the Institute of Molecular Biology of RAS named by Engelgard;
• “Physicochemical Biology and Bioengineering” chair, headed by professor A.S. Arsen’ev, on the base of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry named by M.M. Shemyakin and J.A. Ovchinnikov;
• “Biophysics and Ecology” chair, which is situated in MIPT, headed by professor E.M. Trukhan. The chair is intended to provide the inter-department educational process and organizational work.

There was also founded the "Physics of High-Firm Polymer Systems" chair, headed by academician N.S. Enikolopov, on the base of the Institute of Synthetic Polymer Materials of USSR AS. Nowadays the chair is renamed into "Polymer physics", headed by corresponding member of RAS A.N. Ozerin, and its basic institute is the Institute of Synthetic and Polymer Materials of RAS.

1987 - the "Energy Problems of Chemical Physics" chair, headed by V.L. Tal'roze, was founded on the base of the Institute of Energy Problems of Chemical Physics of USSR AS. The chair was closed in 2003.

1995 - the "Applied ecology" chair, headed by professor P.G. Pleshanov, was founded on the base of the Scientific Research Institute of Applied Ecology of Ministry of Healthcare of RF.

1997 - Department of Molecular and Biological Physics (DMBP), the biggest department of MIPT, was founded on the base of DPCB and DMCP. Since 1997 till nowadays the Dean of the Department is Ivan Nikolaevich Groznov.

1998 - new chairs were founded on DMB:

• “Physics of Supramolecular Systems”, headed by academician of RAS M.V. Alfimov,  on the base of the Center of  Photochemistry at the Presidium of RAS;
• “High-Poductive Somputing systems”, headed by academician G.I. Savin, on the base of the Interdepartmental Supercomputer Center;
• “Biochemical physics”, headed by academician Shilov, on the base of the Institute of biochemical physics of RAS.

2004 - the "Organized Systems and Chemical Processes Physics" chair, headed by S.M. Aldoshin, was founded on the base of the Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics of RAS in the town Chernogolovka in Moscow region.

2005 - the "Molecular Medicine" chair, headed by academician of RAMS Y.M. Lopuhin, was founded on the base of the Scientific Research Institute of Physical-Chemical Medicine.