The National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute" (Ukrainian: Національний технічний університет «Харківський політехнічний інститут» or НТУ "ХПІ") is a public technical university in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Founded in 1885, it is the second-oldest technical university in the former Russian Empire (after Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology).

Also it is the second-oldest technical university in the modern Ukraine territory (after Lviv Polytechnic).

The university was established according to the program for technical education in the Russian Empire set up by Dmitry Mendeleev as a Practical Technological Institute, with two departments (mechanical and chemical) which could offer training to 125 students.

The organizer and first rector of the institute was Viktor Kyrpychov, an honored professor specializing in mechanics and resistance in materials.

Still, historians consider these five institutions as informal branches sharing a common history.

During World War II over 3,000 professors, students and institute employees joined the Army.

Evacuated to Krasnoufimsk and Chirchiq, the institute continued training engineering staff; it also solved serious scientific problems related to strengthening national defense (such as contributing to tank-design work spearheaded by Alexander Morozov, one of the key engineers in T-34 design).

Professor Mikhail Semko was appointed its rector, and remained in this position for 30 years.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, KhPI continued its work as a Ukrainian institution of higher learning.

In September 2000, the status of National Technical University has been given to KhSPU, by decree of the President of Ukraine; since then, it has had its current name (NTU "KhPI").

In February 2010, NTU "KhPI" was granted the status of Autonomous Research National University by decree of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers.

You can see much of the city from there: all Nagirnyy region and adjacent neighbors, Holodna Gora, Saltovka, Novi doma.

The Memorial built in honor of Polytechnicians, who died during the Great Patriotic War is opposite the building.

The building itself has a lot of art work showing the life of the institute in different eras and a wall commemorating the heroes of the Great Patriotic War.

The lobby is decorated by two trophy-cases containing awards, won by NTU "KhPI" sportsmen.

Athletes successfully defend the honor of the university in competitions at the highest level.

In total during 2005 to 2011 in the competition of the European level they won 46 gold, 33 silver and 62 bronze awards.

The building also houses the Institute of Ionosphere of NAS, the Ministry of Education and the offices of Youth and Sport of Ukraine.

Most chemical laboratories and dean's office of the Organic Substances Technology Faculty are located in the building.

After the war during the process of reconstruction, the main entrance of the building was designed as a colonnade in the architectural style of Stalin's Empire.

Different events and funerals for honored people of the university take place in front of the map of electrification and before the statue of Lenin.

Several campus buildings remain intact from the 19th century and may be considered historically significant as samples of past campus architecture: In addition, these modern facilities were established during the Soviet era: The institute has a contemporary sports complex, allowing for more than 30 types of sports and activities; this allows for active involvement in sports for students and faculty.

Among thousands of active sportsmen in NTU "KhPI" are Olympic and world champions, winners of international and national competitions, including Т. Artemenko, I. Moskaltsov, V. Homutov (mountaineering), Aleksei Barkalov (water polo, two gold Olympic medals in 1972 and 1980), G. Gafanovich (volleyball), Dmitrii Bezkorovaynyi, Ruslan Babaev (arm wrestling), I. Kaydash, L. Tkachenko-Garkavaya (track and field), N. Yesipenko (badminton), I. Kyrychenko (cycling), L. Khazieva (swimming), I. Raevskyy and D. Slatyn (basketball).

2004 Summer Olympics participants from NTU "KhPI": 2008 Summer Olympics participants from NTU "KhPI": Since 1997, Dmitriy Bezkorovaynyi and Ruslan Babaev have won several world arm-wrestling championships.

Considerable success on the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens was achieved by Andriy Zhyltsov (gold, silver and two bronze medals) in athletics (track-and-field) events.