Here’s the English translation of the overview about the main scientific centers of Ukraine in Soviet times:
In the USSR, Ukraine was a very important scientific region, with both fundamental academic centers and powerful applied research institutes connected with defense, space, energy, and engineering. The main distribution looked like this:
Kyiv — the main scientific hub of Ukraine.
Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (now NAS of Ukraine) — fundamental research: mathematics, physics, cybernetics, biology.
Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics — one of the USSR’s leading centers in computer science.
Institutes of physics, mathematics, geophysics, materials science.
Radio engineering, electronics, and defense systems were developed at local enterprises.
Kharkiv — the second most powerful center.
Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology (KIPT) — nuclear physics, plasma research, nuclear materials.
Institute of Mechanical Engineering Problems and other engineering schools.
A major center for the development of power equipment, turbines, and generators.
Dnipropetrovsk (now Dnipro)
Yuzhnoye Design Bureau and Yuzhmash plant — rocketry and space. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and space launch vehicles were built here.
This was the “missile shield” of the USSR.
Odesa
Marine science, oceanography, instrumentation, navigation systems.
A strong school of mathematics and mechanics.
Lviv
Electronics, computing, instrumentation.
Lviv Polytechnic was a major center for engineering education.
Donetsk
Mining, metallurgy, coal chemistry.
Donetsk Institute for Physics and Engineering (under the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR).
Sevastopol and Crimea
Marine hydrophysics, astronomy (Crimean Astrophysical Observatory).
Radio astronomy and space observation.
So, in short:
Kyiv — brain and theory.
Kharkiv — physics and energy.
Dnipro — rockets and space.
Odesa and Sevastopol — the sea and instrumentation.
Donetsk — metallurgy and coal.
Lviv — electronics and engineering.