History of the Faculty

The history of the faculty begins with the agricultural department of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

On September 27, 1920, the Directorate of Higher Schools of Kyiv, chaired by Academician V. Vernadsky, issued an order to open a Veterinary Faculty at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

Acad. Vernadsky V.I.

Excerpt from the report to the Ukrainian Society of Veterinary Doctors by S. Puchkovsky: “Considerations on the issue of opening a new veterinary institute in Ukraine”

Classes began at the faculty on November 15. On June 3, 1921, a decision was made to separate the Veterinary Faculty from KPI and establish the independent Kyiv Veterinary and Zootechnical Institute (KVZI) based on it.

KVZI Building (1922)

An exceptional role in the organization and establishment of this institute belongs to its directors, professors V.K. Lindeman (1921–1922), F.Z. Omelchenko (1922–1924), A.K. Skorokhodko (1924–1926), and A.P. Liubchenko (1926–1937).

Lindeman V.K. Omelchenko F.Z. Skorokhodko A.K. Liubchenko A.P.

The first graduation from the Veterinary Faculty took place in 1924. A total of 9 graduates received diplomas as veterinary doctors.

Fragment of a certificate of completion of the theoretical course of study at the Zootechnical Faculty of KVZI

A significant role in the development and strengthening of the Institute's authority belongs to the 1925 graduate, the prominent specialist in veterinary surgery Ivan Omelianovych Povazhenko. He was one of the first to be awarded the title of Honored Worker of Science of the Ukrainian SSR (1943).

In 1922–1926, V.H. Kasianenko studied and simultaneously worked at the Department of Anatomy. He became a Doctor of Veterinary Sciences, Professor, and Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. From 1932, he headed the Department of Anatomy. Subsequently, he managed the Department of Evolutionary Morphology and was the Director of the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR.

Povazhenko I.O. Kasianenko V.H.

In 1929, the Veterinary Faculty was graduated by Maksym Fedotovych Hulyi, who dedicated his entire life to biochemical science. The creative work of Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Hero of Ukraine, M.F. Hulyi, amounts to over 560 scientific works. Under his guidance, 10 doctoral and 70 candidate dissertations were defended, and among his students are well-known scientists, academicians of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, and graduates of the faculty: Hennadii Kharlamiiovych Matsuka, Dmytro Oleksiiovych Melnychuk, and Mykhailo Dmytrovych Kurskyi.

Maksym Fedotovych Hulyi

In 1930, the Kyiv Veterinary and Zootechnical Institute split into two independent institutes – the Veterinary Institute and the Zootechnical Institute. In the period 1931–1935, the Kyiv Veterinary Institute conducted two student intakes per year and became one of the largest educational institutions of this profile in the former USSR in the pre-war period.

KVZI Clinic (now Building No. 6 of NUBiP of Ukraine), 1930 Main educational building of KVI (now Building No. 3 of NUBiP of Ukraine), 1934–1941

In the mid-1930s, the Kyiv Veterinary Institute was formed as a forge of veterinary personnel. The best conditions for training doctors were created at the institute. The departments were equipped with first-class equipment. The institute had an exemplary veterinary hospital, a fundamental library, an experimental farm, a dormitory for students, and housing in the city center for professors. The institute's director, A.P. Liubchenko, gathered the best scientific personnel at the institute.

Famous scientists worked at the institute: M.B. Delone, D.M. Diachenko, S.P. Dubrova, S.O. Ivanov, D.O. Kalkatin, O.M. Kaganovsky, S.M. Krashenkiv, P.O. Kucherenko, M.P. Neshchadymenko, F.Z. Omelchenko, O.I. Skovoroda-Zachyniaiev, A.H. Ternychenko, V.P. Ustiantsev, F.O. Tseshkivskyi, V.Yu. Chagovets, O.H. Cherniakhovskyi, N.V. Shcherbyna, Kh.Yu. Yurkiv, and others.

A bright mark in the pre-war history of the Kyiv Veterinary Institute was left by well-known scientists: professors M.P. Vashetko, F.M. Ponomarenko, S.Yu. Yaroslav, and associate professors K.I. Dmitriiev, O.S. Korotych, who were awarded orders and medals for the successful completion of a government task to study stachybotryotoxicosis.

The 1930s brought not only glory to the staff and students, but some of them also suffered persecution and repression.

During the pre-war period, the university trained 1185 veterinary doctors. It employed 10 professors and 16 candidates of science. A significant number of graduates dedicated themselves to educational and scientific activities after graduating from the faculty, including: professors O.H. Beznosenko, A.A. Boiko, H.O. Himmelreich, Y.S. Zahaievskyi, S.F. Manzii, I.S. Nahorny, and many others. And the 1941 graduate, Serhii Razumovych Didovets, headed the veterinary service of Ukraine for about 30 years.

During the Great Patriotic War, from 1941 to 1944, the Kyiv Veterinary Institute was evacuated to the city of Sverdlovsk, where it operated as a faculty within the agricultural institute.

Students and staff of the Veterinary Institute participated in the military operations during the Great Patriotic War. Many of them gave their lives for the honor and freedom of the Motherland. These include the institute's director R.V. Priazhko, assistants S.Y. Kulyk, Yu.M. Horovyi, S.M. Brusylovskyi, A.K. Linda, intern P.I. Hrebelnyk, students D.M. Lopatko, H.H. Pasmenko, P.H. Shupta, staff H.H. Solovei, P.Ya. Hrytsyk, military department staff D. Danylevych, V. Lindenberg, and many others.

After the liberation of Kyiv, the restoration of the educational process at the faculty began.

It was incredibly difficult for the leadership of the institute and the faculty to organize the educational process and rebuild the university buildings from the ruins.

Institute building after the liberation of Kyiv (now Building No. 3 of NUBiP of Ukraine), 1943 Reconstruction, 1946

On October 1, 1944, 200 first-year students started classes. In the post-war years, the institute was located in the clinics on Vasylkivska Street, 17.

In the early 1950s, all departments of the Veterinary Faculty were provided with new furniture, tools, and equipment. The institute acquired an X-ray unit for fluoroscopy and radiography of large animals. The university clinics had an arena for admitting sick animals and a large inpatient department.

In 1957, the institute, as a faculty, became part of the Ukrainian Agricultural Academy. Since then, the faculty has been headed by deans, professors H.O. Himmelreich (1952–1977), S.I. Bratiukha (1977–1980), P.Ya. Rohovskyi (1980–1984).

It is extremely pleasant to note among the large cohort of 1960s graduates the reformer of agrarian education, academician, Hero of Ukraine, Dmytro Oleksiiovych Melnychuk, academicians H.O. Khmelnytskyi, A.I. Zavirukha, corresponding member of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine V.P. Ryzhenko, and Hero of Ukraine M. S. Vasylchenko.

Since 1985, the Veterinary Faculty has been located at 16 Polkovnyka Potiekina Street, educational building No. 12. Since 1984, the faculty has been headed by professors A.Y. Mazurkevych (1984–1988 and 1993–2000), S.K. Rudyk (1988–1993), M.I. Tsvilikhovskyi (2000–2002), V.Y. Liubetskyi (2002–2006), V.B. Dukhnytskyi (2006–2009), M.P. Prus (2009–2015). Currently, the dean of the faculty is Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, M.I. Tsvilikhovskyi.

Educational Building No. 12

In 1991, the Veterinary Faculty was renamed the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Since 1992, the faculty has been a member of the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE).

Since June 29, 2001, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has been part of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Quality and Safety of Livestock Products, created in accordance with the current legislation and the Statute of NUBiP of Ukraine.

Much can be said about every graduating class of the faculty. We want to highlight the graduates who, in different years, headed or are heading the veterinary medicine service of the regions of Ukraine and the former USSR, served as ministers, rectors of institutes, directors, and responsible employees: I.Yu. Bisiuk, P.A. Tsvilikhovskyi, M.V. Aishpur, V.V. Andrushchenko, A.F. Obrazhei, O.A. Vlasenko, H.V. Slyvka, S.V. Aranchii, M.B. Ashepa, O.I. Basanets, S.I. Maksymchuk, V.V. Bashynskyi, V.M. Bezsmertnyi, H.K. Bozhko, A.A. Boiko, V.M. Vasylevskyi, A.I. Verbovykov, Y.I. Havel, V.M. Horzheiev, S.R. Didovets, H.S. Drahan, O.O. Dudko, O.V. Zhuk, V.O. Ivanenko, A.V. Ilchenko, S.V. Knysh, V.I. Koval, V.F. Kovpak, A.O. Kolesnyk, M.V. Korotchenko, V.I. Kulish, P.S. Lysak, Ya.F. Momot, O.I. Moskalenko, V.V. Naumchuk, V.S. Nikolskyi, P.S. Onyshchenko, A.I. Overchuk, M.S. Pavlenko, M.V. Patsiuk, O.M. Pryima, V.A. Pryskoka, M.M. Raitsys, P.O. Romaniuk, H.F. Savchenko, I.F. Savchenko, Yu.P. Smiian, V.N. Stepanenko, V.K. Solomakha, Yu.A. Sobko, S.P. Taranenko, V.O. Fedorov, I.F. Khrabustivskyi, M.M. Shcherbak, and many others.

Currently, the priority task of the faculty is to train highly qualified specialists for the field of veterinary medicine in Ukraine.