BACKGROUND OF IRKUTSK POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE CREATION
The article deals with the background for the creation of the Irkutsk Polytechnic Institute (IPI) that became the largest technical institution of higher education on the territory from the Urals to the Far East. The institute was founded in 1930 by the association "Soyuzzoloto" headed by A.P. Serebrovsky and was known as the Siberian Mining Institute. Originally, the institute consisted of three faculties - geological, mining and metallurgical. In the wake of Siberian industry rising the institute began to open new specialties on its core faculties, enlarge the number of students through the evening and correspondence learning, opening branches and consulting centres. In 1938 the institute was renamed into the Irkutsk Mining and Metallurgical Institute. On 1 September, 1954 the number of students being trained in mining, geological, machine-building and construction fields was 2,400 people. Due to the expansion of the university, the ministry adopted a decision to build a campus in the Sverdlovsk region of Irkutsk. A new building, hostels, a commercial kitchen, and a stadium were constructed within this complex. After the publication of the Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers of 19 March 1960 no. 304 and RSFSR Council of Ministers of 2 July, 1960 no. 1000 the uncertainty in institute’s profile was eliminated. The institute acquired the name of the Irkutsk Polytechnic institute.