General Information

The National Defence University of Ukraine has got through the number of reorganizations and reformations. The history of the University compound goes to 1914 when the Second Military School and the Mykolaivske Artillery School were opened. The decision to place these schools in Kyiv was taken deliberately and the University buildings were constructed on the area of the military institution within the Volodymyrskyi Cadet Corps (18 tithes) in Cadetskyi Hai.

After the Central Rada of Ukrainian People’s Republic had returned to Kyiv in March 1918, the Zaporizhian Cavalry Regiment named after Hordienko  was stationed in the buildings of the military school. The regiment’s commander, Colonel V. Petriv served as a War Minister of Ukrainian People’s Republic from August to November 1919.

In April 1918 the compound’s territory was given to the Ministry of National Education. In May 1918 the Ukrainian People’s University was placed there.It was opened according to the Decision of the Second Ukrainian Pedagogical Congress in August 1917. Under the law of the Council of Ministers of 17 August 1918 the educational institution was reorganized into the Kyiv State Ukrainian University, and the opening ceremony was held on the 6^th of October, 1919. The University was relocated to the main building of the St. Volodymyr University, and the buildings were given under the Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief General F. Keller supervision.

From November 1918 there was the Special Corps Headquarters. The Corps was under the command of General O. Revishyn and consisted of two (then of one) officers’ druzhinas and the 1^st Separate Artillery Division. The former 6^th intake cadets of the Mykolaivske Artillery School who didn’t have time to graduate formed the Corps.

In February 1919 after bilshovyk troops had occupied Kyiv, the Mykolaivske Artillery School became the base for the Kyiv Artillery Command Course. The Course existed prior to 1921.

From 1921 to 1936 the territory of the former Mykolaivske Artillery School was the place for the 1^st and the 4^th Kyiv Artillery Schools, from 1936 to 1941 – for the 1^st Kyiv Artillery School, from 1941 to 1945 – for the 1^st Kyiv Artillery School named after S. Kirov, from 1945 to 1958 – for the 1^st Order of Lenin Chervonopraporne  Artillery School named after S. Kirov, from 1958 to 1974 – for Kyiv Order of Lenin Chervonopraporne Higher Air Defence School named after S. Kirov, from 1974 to 1977 – for the Army Air Defence Branch of the Military Artillery Academy named after M. Kalinin, from 1977 to 1980 – for the Air Defence Military Academy, from 1980 to 1992 – for the Military Academy of the Army Air Defence Forces named after O. Vasylevskyi.

According to the Cabinet of Ministers Decision of August 19, 1992 No 490 “On the reformation of the system of military education” the Military Academy of the Army Air Defence Forces named after the Marshal of the Soviet Union O. Vasylevskyi was reorganized into the Academy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Under a President of Ukraine Decree of 14 April 1999 No 377/99 the Academy was conferred the honorary title “National” and it was renamed The National Defence Academy of Ukraine.

In accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers Decision of 17 December 2008 No 1086 the National Defence University was established. Under the Presidential Decree of 30 December 2008 No 1217 the National Defence University continued having the “National” status.

Under the Presidential Decree of 22 February 2013 No 85/2013 the National Defence University was named after Ivan Cherniakhovskyi.

By the Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 3 July 2013 No 503-p the main building of the National Defence University was transferred to the Supreme Specialized Civil and Criminal Court of Ukraine.