On January 12, 1942, on the twenty-second day of their stay in Ufa, the first classes were organized for more than three hundred students at the Aviation Institute who were evacuated from Rybinsk. The university was allocated a small two-story building on Uralsky Prospekt (now Ibragimov Boulevard), where in a short time it was possible to equip seven classrooms, three laboratories, five classrooms and a library (then the book fund was 1654 copies).

In extremely difficult conditions, our institute began its work in Ufa. Most of the teachers and students went to the war front. Part of the training equipment had to be left in Rybinsk, much was lost during the difficult and long journey inland.

Many teachers came from Rybinsk, scientists of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, evacuated to Bashkiria, and specialists from the engine building plant were involved in educational activities. On October 10, 1942, the People's Commissar of the Aviation Industry of the USSR A.I. Shakhurin signed Order No. 403, according to which the institute was permanently located in Ufa and given the name: Ufa Aviation Institute named after Ordzhonikidze.

A graduate of 1944 A. Kovalev recalls:

"Our academic year was the eldest of all those who arrived in Ufa from Rybinsk. Then there were students who were evacuated to Ufa and transferred to us from other universities. Thus, the graduation course recruited 52 people."

The final thesis, projects and the first graduation of specialists took place in February 1944. All graduates received the title of engineer.

From the memoirs of A. Kovalev, you can find out what the first laboratories of the Aviation Institute looked like back in 1942:

"Four paired work benches, three machine units, antediluvian devices manufactured by Russian subsidiaries of Siemens - Schuckert and Westinghouse - that's all the equipment."

Also preserved is the story of the teacher of the Rybinsk Aviation Institute, later associate professor of the department of general chemistry of the UAI A. Batrakov about the first war days:

"The war broke into the peaceful life of the RAI and immediately forced the work to be reorganized according to the principle "factory - technical college." Already on June 23, 1941, the first order appeared, in which nineteen employees were considered "withdrawn in connection with the call to the ranks of the Red Army for mobilization." Then these harsh leaflets appear more and more often. More than 120 employees, teachers and students went to the front, the same number - to build defensive structures. A fighter detachment, which was formed within the walls of the RAI, also took part in combat operations. "

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