STALIN STATES POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY IN SOFIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000500110001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 23, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 18, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release e 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500110001-2
INFORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPORT
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT Stalin State Polytechnic
University in Sofia
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
50X1
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES 5
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
18 May 1955
50X1
SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
SOURCE
50X1
LIBRARY SUBJECT AND AREA cocrEs ( 13 )
2-02-04019
5/55
831.3 _20M
831.2 ?277-M Ei:b
831.6 .2CM
83.1 .7 20M
50X1
STATE
ARMY
NAVY
AIR Eui FBI # AEC
(Note: Washington distrlbutio
Field distribution by "#".)
INFORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPORT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500110001-2
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500110001-2
50X1
COUNTRY Bulgaria
CONFIDENTIAL
SUB3ECT Stalin State Polytechnic University in
Sofia
DATE OF INFOR
PLACE ACQUIRE
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR. 25 April 2.955
NO. OF PAGES 4
REFERENCES:
50X1
50X1
50X1
SOURCE
1. The Stalin State Polytechnic University (Derzhavna Politehnika
Stalin) was established in 1945 or 1946 and was located on the former
site of the State? Printing Office which was des trnired 1117. VIAM110
World War II. 4.
50X1
2. Until 1953 or 1954, the university was under the direction of the
Committee for Sciences, Arts, and Culture (Komitet?za Nauka, Izkustvo,
Kultura - KNIK). After that time, it was placed under,,the direction
of the Ministry of Culture (Ministerstvo na Kulturata). Graduates
of the university were at the disposal of the Ministry of Culture
and were assigned by that ministry to various factories, enterprises,
and institutions throughout the countrysacoording to their field of
study.
The university had two faculties:
a. The Machine Construction Division, located in the university
proper on Aleksander Nevskiy Square, had the following depart-
ments:
50X1
(1) The Mechanical Engineering Department which taught automobile,
. airplane, and agricultural machinery construction as well as
heating techniques.
(2) The Electrical Engineering Department taught all aspects of
high voltage and low voltage currents, such as electrical
plants, telephone, telegraph, television, radio, and
possibly radar.
(3) The Industrial Chemistry Department taught both organic
, and inorganic chemistry, that this
department had been taken out or tne machine Construction
Division and met up as an independent division.
CONFIDENTIAL
'
50X1
npriassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500110001-2
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500110001-2
CONFIDENTIAL
- 2 -
50X1
b. The Construction Division, located in one building on Graf Ignatiev
Street near Radio_Sofial consisted of the following departments:
(1) The Surface and Underground Construction Engineering
. Department
(2) The Geodesy Department
Ttee Iggirgt3glIggnineellai Npillifgstring Department
4. In 1952, about 5,500 students, both men and women, were enrolled at
the university. Of this total, 2,500 students, 30 per cent of whom
were women, were enrolled in the Machine Construction Division. The
following is a breakdown of students in the three departments under
this division:
6.
a. Mechanical Engineering Department - 1,000 students
b. Electrical Engineering Department - 1,000 students
c. Industrial.Chemistry Department 500 students
Five per cent of the 100 students who
construction were women.
(nri7oHNP
(40 per cent
were women)
(50 per cent
were women)
specialized in airplane
In 1952, the Construction Division had a total of about 3,000 students,
40 per cent of whom were women. Source can give no further breakdown
of the students in this division.? 50X1
The following sub-
jects were taught in the Machine Construction Division: mathematics,
physics, chemistry, technical drawing, hydrodynamics, aerodynamics,
mechanics (statics, strength of material, and dynamics), machine
dynamics, technical thermodynamics, electrical machinery, theory of
electricity, heating and ventilation, refrigeration and cooling
techniques, steam boilers, steam engines, internal combustion motors,
mechanical technology, instrument machinery, heating plants, refriger-
ation and cooling machines, descriptive geometry, the German and
Russian languages, and dialectical materialism. Until 1952, students
in the Mechanical Engineering Department chose their specialty after
completing the first four semesters. However, since 1953, students
have been allowed to choose their specialty at the time they enter
the department.
In addition to the subjects listed above,
and women, were required to take 15 hours
sciences each week. Male students took a
field military training ',_each summer
students had only theoretical instruction
with their regular classes.
all students, both men
of instruction in military
total of 20 to 25 days of
for two years. Female
which ran concurrently
8. Students were accepted for registration after the successful completion
of secondary school,after obtaining personal recommendations and sub-
mitting biographical data, and after their political reliability was
?
checked. A statement of political reliability was sent directly tothe
CONFIDENTIAL
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500110001-2
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500110001-2
CONFIDENTIAL
-.3 -
50X1
university by the Peoples' City Council. After an examination of
the applicant's secondary school certificate and the political
reliability statement, the university authorities informed the
student that he was permitted to take an entrance examination. The
entrance examination was both written and oral and covered subjects
studied by the student during his last four years of secondary
school. In addition, the student was examined on his knowledge of
Communiat ideology.. In all instances, preference was given to
goodeCommunists. When a student had passed all of his entrance
requirements, he registered at the beginning of the school term
in September, paid his tuition fee, took a physical examination,
and began his studies.
9. About 60 per cent of the students at the university received a
government stipend of 200 leva per month. However, students who
were favored members of the Party received as much as 600 leva
per month. Any student Who received a government stipend was
required to maintain a "B" average in his studies. These students
were chosen on the basis of previous scholarship, loyalty to the
Party, and social origin.
10. Instruction war intensive. During the first year, 4o hours of
lecture and laboratory.work were given each week. Thirty-five
hoursWere( given each week in the second year and 30 hours in the
third and fourth years. In the first semester of the fifth year,
students were required to take 15 hours of lectures and laboratory
work each week. The second and last semester of the fifth year was
devotO to the preparation of the thesis required for graduation.
11. Examinations were held in June, the end of the school year. At the
end of the first semester, only quizzes were given. All subsequent
examinations were both written and oral. When a student failed an
examination in any subject, he could take the examination again in
September. If he failed twice, he could take? the examination for
the third time in January of the next year. Grading was as follows:
five was excellent, three passing, and two was failure.
12. To obtain a degree as a mechanical
instruction and study
a. complete a thesis for his diploma in three or four months
1), ,
b. submit his thesis and defend it orally for one hour
c. successfully pass oral examinations in dialectical materialism;
this examination lasted for about one hour.
13. Although the facilities of the university library were insuffipient
for the number of students registered, there was no lack of techni-
cal books. These books were written in Russian and Bulgarian although
there were more in the Russian language than in Bulgarian Tetbooks
were sold to the students at very low price's. More than 50 per cent
of these books were written in Russian but some were ,translatlons of
English textbooks. To encourage greater sales of Soviet-published
books, special rates were granted. Although the official exchange
was 1.70 leva for one ruble, students received a special exchange
of 80 stotinki for one ruble.
14. About 10 per cent of the student body lived in student dormitories
and had their meals at student cafeterias which served very poor
food. Free medical care and medicine could be obtained at the
university dispensary and hospital. However, when a student required
medical pare at home, he was required to pay for the medicine but not
ANsiv the doctor's visit.
CONFIDENTIAL
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500110001-2
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500110001-2
15.
CONFIDENTIAL
-
50X1
The Party played an active role in the university and formed a basic
unit for every five Party members among the student body.
16. Source believes that instruction at the university was good because
factory directors constantly praised the theoretical knowledge and
the thorough preparation the graduates had received. The only weak-
ness in the university's system was the lack of practical instruction
and laboratory wOrk. However, graduates picked this up quickly in
the factories and enterprises to which they were assigned. As a
rule, graduates never wanted to be sent to isolated communities for
an assignment but preferred to be placed in Sofia or in other cities.
This was the math complaint of students against the Communist regime,
but source claims that this was not new because the same problem
occurred before WOrld War II in the case of government-subsidized
students. The only specialty in the university which had too many
graduates was , :the field of architecture and many graduates had a
difficult time finding jobs as architects.
17. Source believes that
enrollment has incresea considerably.
1.
2.
Polytechnic University.
of Culture.
the university's
50X1
50X1'
for the pinpoint location of the Stalin State
for the pinpoint location of the Ministry
CONFIDENTIAL
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500110001-2