History

The Department of Applied Biology, Animal Breeding, and Genetics was established in 2025 with the aim of improving the efficiency of the educational and scientific potential of the University's staff, improving the educational and scientific activities of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Aquatic Bioresources, optimizing its structure, and based on the decision of the University Academic Council dated June 26, 2025 (Minutes No. 13). It was founded on the basis of the merger of two departments, each of which has its own rich history and significant achievements. The history of each of them is worth mentioning separately:

- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology

The department was founded in 1940 at the Kyiv Veterinary Institute. At that time, it was called the “Department of Breeding and Special Zootechnics.” The founder of the department was Professor Mykola Antonovych Kravchenko (1909-1986), who headed it until 1981.

In 1957, after the institute joined the Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, it was reorganized into the Department of Farm Animal Breeding. In 2001, the department was named after M.A. Kravchenko.

In November 2005, the Department of Animal Genetics and Biotechnology named after M.M. Kolesnik was merged with it, and the name was changed to “Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics named after M.A. Kravchenko.” Due to the introduction of fundamental research in genetics into the breeding process in 2012, it became necessary to rename the department “Department of Genetics, Breeding, and Reproductive Biotechnology of Animals named after M.A. Kravchenko,” and in 2015 – “Department of Genetics, Breeding and Animal Biotechnology.”

The founder of the department was Professor M.A. Kravchenko, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, Honored Scientist of Ukraine. His scientific work focused on developing genealogical breeding methods, creating and breeding highly productive animals, and improving methods of reproductive crossbreeding and line breeding.

In 1956, in connection with the establishment of the Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, he was elected head of the Department of Agricultural Animal Breeding, where he worked until the end of his life.

In 1957, he became the first dean and organizer of the Zootechnical Faculty.

M.A. Kravchenko created his own scientific school. Among M.A. Kravchenko's students and followers are more than 20 doctors and 80 candidates of science – leading scientists in the field of agricultural animal breeding. He is the author of 254 published scientific works, including 6 textbooks for students of agricultural universities and 7 monographs. Based on M.A. Kravchenko's teachings, five breeds of cattle have been developed: Ukrainian, Volyn, and Polissya – for meat production, and Red-and-White and Black-and-White – for milk production.

The department was headed by:

Kravchenko M.A., Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor (1940–1981); Vinnichuk D.T., Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine (1981–1989); Maiboroda M.M., Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor (1989–1991); O.G. Tymchenko, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor (1991–1998); M.V. Zubets, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine (1998–2001); Melnik Yu.F., Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine (2001–2005); Sakhatsky M.I., Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine (2005–2010); Dzitsyuk V.V., Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Senior Researcher (2010–2012); V.M. Bochkov, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor (2012); V.I. Sheremeta, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor (2012–2015); A.A. Hetia, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Senior Researcher (2015–2017)

Since 2017, the department has been headed by Serhii Ruban, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine.

-Department of Animal Biology

The department was established on December 25, 2014, with the aim of strengthening students' fundamental biological training as a prerequisite for the subsequent, higher-quality assimilation of professional technological disciplines. It was created on the basis of the Department of General Zoology and Ichthyology of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, namely by separating from it the zoological block of academic disciplines with the corresponding personnel and material support and strengthening it with other fundamental disciplines. From 2015 to 2025, the department was headed by Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine Mykola Sakhatsky.

In turn, the Department of General Zoology and Ichthyology received this name in 2001 when the Department of Zoology and Darwinism was renamed. From then until its reorganization in December 2014, it was headed by Associate Professor P.G. Shevchenko, who did a lot for the further development, strengthening of the material and technical base of this structural unit, and establishing ties with industry.

In general, the origins of the Department of Animal Biology date back to the Department of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy, which was established in 1922 at the Kyiv Veterinary and Zootechnical Institute. Professor B.A. Dombrovsky headed this newly created department. In 1934, it was renamed the Department of Zoology and Darwinism with a zoological museum, and its management was entrusted to Associate Professor M.M. Synytsky.
During World War II, the Department of Zoology and Darwinism was evacuated along with some of its material assets (museum exhibits, entomological collection, special equipment) first to Kharkiv, and later, together with the Kyiv Veterinary Institute, to the Sverdlovsk Agricultural Institute (Sverdlovsk). In 1944, the Kyiv Veterinary Institute, including the Department of Zoology, was returned to Kyiv (Holosiivskyi district). From then until 2001, it was headed by Professor M.M. Synytsky, Professor M.A. Kravchenko, and Associate Professor A.Yu. Beznosenko.