History of the Chemical Research Institute (until 2018 – Faculty of Chemistry)

In 1964, the leadership of the Donetsk region decided to transform the industrial Donbass into a high-level cultural, scientific and educational center. Work began towards the establishment of the university and in September 1964 the Donetsk Pedagogical Institute was transformed into the Donetsk branch of Kharkiv State Horkyi University.

For Donbas 1965 the year without exaggeration became a significant one. The first Donetsk Scientific Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR within Donetsk State University was created and opened in Donetsk.

To provide the highest qualification of this conglomerate, scientific schools headed by Doctors of Science from different regions of the USSR are invited to Donetsk. Enormous financial and material resources were allocated and state support was provided. As an example, in December 1965, four academicians were elected at the general meeting of the USSR Academy of Sciences at the same time: V. Arkharova (radiologist), Halkina O. (physicist), Lytvynenko L. (chemist), and Lopatynskyi Y. (mathematician) and ten correspondent members who work in Donetsk:

• physics – Tolpyho K.,

• mathematics – P. Kharlamov, H. Suvorov, J. Hikhman, I. Danyliuk, O. Kosmodemianskyi,

• chemists – Baranov S., Kucher R.,

• biologists – Shchepotiev F.

Neither before nor after the history of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR did not know such.

On December 21, 1965, the Socialist Donbass newspaper wrote about this: ”On December 17, a session of the General Assembly of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR was held, at which academicians and Corr. Members were elected. The Academy of Sciences of the USSR is one of the scientists who have expressed a desire to work in the recently established Donetsk Science Center … ”.

Six faculties were immediately formed at the University: History, Philology, Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Chemistry, located in the so-called “third building”. Now it is an international faculty, and then – the school of railway № 32, which then moved to a new building on the lane. Orieshkova has become a well-known school of physics and mathematics in Donetsk № 17. The Department of Physical Chemistry and the Department of Radical Processes are located in the right wing of the first floor of the Faculty of Physics, while the Department of Carbon Chemistry and Chemical Technology is located in the left wing. The Department of Analytical Chemistry occupied several premises on the fourth floor.

There were five departments at the beginning of the Faculty of Chemistry:

• department of Inorganic Chemistry (first head M. Mohosoiev, after him – associate professors Kryvobok V., Koshcheiev H., Hruba A., Professors Hetman E., Rozantsev H.);

• he founded the Department of Analytical Chemistry and until the end of his days was headed by prof. Shevchuk I. After that, his student was headed by his student prof. A. Alemasova (unfortunately, none of the teachers of the department moved to Vinnytsia);

• academician, founder and chairman of the scientific school of the Department of Organic Chemistry. Litvinenko L., but he was never its manager. Associate Professors A. Kyrychenko, Y. Sharanin, O. Savchenko, Professors M. Oliynyk, S. Bohza S. In Vinnytsia, before the unification of departments, the duties of the Head were performed by Prof. Shved O.

• at the origins of the Department of Physical Chemistry there was an academic Kucher R.

It was opened in 1968, and the first head was the associate professor Vitaliy Yenaliev, then – professors Nikolaievskyi A., Mykhalchuk V. In Vinnitsa the duties of the head of the department were performed by prof. Opeida Y., Assoc. Zhyltsova S.

• the first and only university Department of Carbon Chemistry and Chemical Technology in Ukraine was opened and headed by a Corr. Baranov S.

For Donbass, the need for such a department was obvious. Its leaders: Prof. Sheinkman A., Associate Professors of Marshtup V., Zubkova Y.

• the path of the Department of Biochemistry was a little more complicated.

The department was created as a structural unit of the Department of Organic Chemistry to provide training for biochemists at the chemical rather than the biological faculty. It was a very bold experiment, the idea of which belonged to Academician Litvinenko Leonid and Professor Yevdokimenko Yevdokia. Successful realization of this design is undoubted merit of the first head of the Department of Biochemistry, Professor Dadali V. The department became independent in 1976, although the recruitment for the specialty “Biochemistry” was started in 1965.

The heads of the department were professors Dadali V., Hershykov A., Shendryk O., academician of NASU Popov A.

The first dean of the faculty was prof. Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences Mohosoiev Marks. After him, the deans were elected: Associate Professors V. Yenaliev, H. Koshcheiev, V. Marshtupa, Professors A. Nikolaevskyi, O. Shendryk.

Educational process and work of scientific schools

The already established scientific schools were moved to Donetsk, so in the late 60’s – early 70’s the departments began to work fruitfully.

Moreover, the first specialized academic council for dissertation defense was established at the faculty, and in 1969 two of the first candidate theses were defended (Zubkova Y. and Pandakova V.).

University building

The campus project was announced in 1965.

The building of the chemical faculty was built in 1973, shortly after the main building of the university, which appeared in 1971. An interesting historical fact: one of the architects of the project of the campus, Volodymyr Spuskaniuk, soon after completing the construction of the main building, moved to Vinnytsia and, as the chief architect of the city, built the Vyshenka residential district, where today the main building of Vasyl’ Stus DonNU is located, , educational and scientific institute of chemistry.

Training and graduation of specialists

Chemical faculties are usually small in number because they require considerable resources. Until 2014, the DonNU Chemical Faculty was one of the largest in Ukraine. Although at different times in its history, this figure has fluctuated very much. Thus, with the annual issue of the full-time department, the number of graduates ranged from 48 to 122, and since 2000 this figure has stabilized by about 100 people.

The Faculty of Chemistry of DonNU was known in Ukraine and far beyond its borders as a faculty leading the training of specialists in two specialties – chemistry and biochemistry, and since 2010 four of them: chemistry, biochemistry, analytical and physical chemistry. About 6,000 specialists have been trained during the existence of the Faculty of Chemistry. Among our graduates are more than 30 Doctors of Sciences (by the way, this is the highest figure among the natural sciences faculties of the University). Approximately 15-20% of our graduates have a PhD degree. Today, a large number of graduates are employed by profession in many countries of the world.

Logistics, laboratory and scientific equipment

Since 2005, the Department of Chemistry has substantially updated its facilities. As of 2012, the departments were well-equipped with modern equipment of the new generation, among which modernized X-ray machines DRON-2 and DRON-3, digital chemiluminescent complex, gas chromatograph with capillary columns, liquid chromatograph “Shumadzu”, high-speed spectrometry absorption and atomic emission spectrometers. According to a generalized chart by Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University in Scopus, chemists account for 18%, and engineering and materials science accounts for about a quarter.

About today

In 2014, we became exiles. Without delving into this subject, let us emphasize that in these really difficult circumstances our rector’s mission – Prof. Hryniuk R. He withdrew and saved the university. The words of gratitude to him are not enough here. But our graduates, indifferent people from business and various foundations, the authorities of Vinnytsia helped us a great deal. The results of this assistance are both visible and wide-ranging.

On November 3, 2014, we went into a completely empty unheated room where we had to start from scratch.

Today, this room is completely different. The Faculty has received new equipment and equipment for scientific and educational laboratories, in particular, Analytical Jena spectrophotometers, a modern atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Computers have emerged, corporate networks have been restored, and cloud technologies have been fully implemented at the university. Thanks to them, we managed, with only their personal laptops, to start the educational process in Vinnytsia, first in remote and then in full-time forms. Yes, it is difficult for us, but as our history shows, it is not the first time that we are doomed to succeed!

On March 1, 2018, the Faculty of Chemistry was reorganized into the Research Institute of Chemistry. Today, the Department of Biophysical Chemistry and Nanobiotechnologies (headed by the Department of Chemical Sciences, Doc. S. Zhyltsova), the Department of Inorganic, Organic and Analytical Chemistry (headed by the Department of Chemical Sciences, Prof. H. Rozantsev) and the Educational and Scientific Center for Experimental Chemistry (acting director – Dr. of Chemical Sciences, Prof. O. Shved).

History of the Faculty of Biology

The Faculty of Biology of Donetsk State University (since 2000 – national) was founded in 1965 on the basis of the Agrobiology Department of Donetsk Pedagogical Institute. The faculty then included four departments: Botany, Zoology, Plant Physiology, and Human and Animal Physiology. Subsequently, the Department of Genetics was formed and worked for a certain period. In 1991, the Department of Artificial Intelligence was opened, which was later redefined into the Department of Biophysics, and the departments of Botany and Zoology were renamed the Department of Botany of Ecology and Zoology and Ecology.

At the Faculty at such times worked such distinguished scientists as Shchepotiev Fedir, Reva Mykhail, Usova Zinaida, Nehrutskyi Serhii, Navakatikian Oleksandr, Pevnyi Serhii.

At the origins of the faculty was Klavdia Feldberg – the first head, associate professor of the Department of Botany, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences.

• The first head of the Department of Botany and Ecology was Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of NAS of Ukraine, Honored Scientist of Ukraine Fedir Shchepotiev (1967-1988). Well-known scientist in the field of dendrology, dendrophysiology, introduction, acclimatization and selection of woody plants. F. Shchepotiev is the author of 558 scientific works, including more than 20 monographs. His Dendrology Training Handbook has withstood 3 editions, including one in Romania. In 1988, the Department of Botany and Ecology was headed by Honored Educator of Ukraine, Academician of the Ukrainian Ecological Academy, Doctor of Biological Sciences Reva Mykhailo. He has trained 22 candidates and one PhD, has written 220 scientific papers, including 14 monographs, several popular scientific works. For botanical students M. Reva has prepared a number of methodological developments and directories on plant phylogeny, methods of biological research, ecology of Donbass. Later the department was headed by Doctor of Biological Sciences Schwyndlerman S., Professor, Academician, A. Hlukhov, Associate Professor Lialiuk N. Since September 2019 the Department of Botany and Ecology is headed by Doctor of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor Prysedskyi Y.

•The first head and organizer of the Department of Zoology was Doctor of Biology, Professor Usova Zinaida. She made a great contribution to the formation of the department and faculty, headed the department from 1965 to 1982. From 1982 to 2008 – professor of the department, a member of the Academic Council of the University and the faculty, head of state budgetary and governmental topics. Z. Usova created a scientific school for the study of insects and mites. The main scientific achievements are devoted to the study of fauna, taxonomy, ecology of blood-sucking midges.

Since 1968, a postgraduate course has been opened at the department under the direction of prof. Usova Z. Her first graduate students were A. Riazantseva, V. Skliar, O. Panchenko, and M. Yaroshenko.

During the work of Usova Z. more than 300 master’s and master’s theses were defended; 23 PhD Theses. Three of her students defended their doctoral theses, this is M. Yaroshenko, V. Kaplych, E. Sukhomlyn. Since 1982 Yaroshenko M. has become the Head of the department. After moving from the university from 2014 to October 2016, the department was headed by Ovchynnykova Y. From October 2016 onwards, and in agreement with the duty of the Head of the Department of Zoology, Ph.D., Associate Professor Kavun E.

•The Department of Plant Physiology was established in 1966. The first head of the department was a doctor of biological sciences, professor S. Nehrutskyi. He was invited to work at the department: in 1967 Boyko M. – graduate of the Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry of Kyiv State University. T. Shevchenko; in 1968 Lypnytska H. – a graduate of Rostov State University, and many others. The non-Greek scientific department established the School of Plant Pathophysiology and Mycology at the department, whose scientific works are known in Ukraine and abroad. Considerable attention of prof. S. Nehrutskyi was devoted to the study of the resistance of wood, shrubs and herbaceous plants to industrial wastes and heavy metals. After Professor S. Nehrutskyi, the Department was headed by Doctor of Biological Sciences Boiko M.

•The Department of Human and Animal Physiology was founded in 1967 by the academician of the NAS of Ukraine, Professor Oleksandr Navakatykian. Under his leadership, issues of hygiene and physiology of work associated with high neuro-emotional load, including psychophysical and socio-hygienic aspects of mental activity, were developed.

From 1968 to 1982 The department was headed by Professor Serhii Pevnyi – the author of more than 200 scientific works on physiology of temperature adaptation. Thanks to his efforts, a laboratory for temperature adaptation was established.

From 1982 to 2014 the department was headed by its graduate (1970) Professor, Doctor of Biology Valerii Sobolev – author of more than 300 scientific works in the field of endocrine and neuromuscular physiology, thermoregulation physiology, 1 monograph and 5 tutorials. Under his leadership, over 20 theses have been completed and defended.

Since moving to the department in 2014, the acting duties of the head of the department have changed several times, and the last acting director. Oleh Yermishev became the head of the department of human and animal physiology. Subsequently, the activity of the department was frozen due to the transfer of academic load and distributed among other departments of the Faculty of Biology. But in September 2019, it again resumed its association with the Department of Biophysics under the name – Department of Biophysics and Physiology.

•The Department of Biophysics was founded at the Faculty of Biology of Donetsk State University in 1995 on the basis of the Department of Artificial Intelligence (Head – Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Shevchenko A.).

Over the 20 years of its existence, the department has trained more than 500 specialists in the field of biophysics and medical biophysics.

Since 2014, a new stage of development of the department in Vinnytsia has begun. New specialists have joined the scientific – teaching staff of the department. The department has new scientific areas: system biology, electrophysiology and biology of aging, according to which new courses have been developed.

Since September 2019, the department has become known as the Department of Biophysics and Physiology after merging with the Department of Human and Animal Physiology.

Head of the Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Candidate of Chemical Sciences Dotsenko Olha.

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The first dean of the biological faculty was Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Z. Ustova. In the following years, the faculty was headed by the candidate of biological sciences, associate professor V. Kharchenko, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor S. Nehrutskyi, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor H. Lypnytska, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor Bespalova S., Doctor of Biological Sciences A. Horetskyi, Candidate of Biological Sciences O. Fedotov, Associate Professor of the Department of Zoology and Ecology Yuliia Ovchynnykova.

Department of Teacher Training, Physical Education and Management Education

Educational activity of the Department of Educational Management began in September 1988 at the Faculty of retraining and advanced training of senior teaching staff.

The Faculty created a Consulting Center, which conducted personal counseling, selection and training of teachers, assisted in optimizing the structure of the organization and management system of the educational institution.

One of the directions of the Faculty’s work was the preparation of a reserve of managers, their deputies of educational institutions. More than 2500 personnel reserves were prepared, of which more than 300 were appointed to the positions of managers. For future directors of schools, a Head Training Center was functioning at the Faculty. In 2006, the preparation of personnel reserve for vocational schools began.

At the department of education management the main activity was carried out in three directions: course preparation, master’s degree, postgraduate study.

Since 2003 the department has started training specialists in the specialty 8.18010020 “Management of educational institutions” (now specialty 073 “Management”, educational program – Management of educational institution in the field of education and industrial training). In 2005, the first graduation of masters took place. Among our graduates are heads of technical schools, lyceums, general schools, vocational schools, heads of methodical services, methodologists of departments of education, etc. Since 2012 the department has been training specialists in the specialty 8.18010021 “Pedagogy of Higher School” (now the specialty 011 “Educational, Pedagogical Sciences”, educational program – “Pedagogy of Higher School”).

Since 2008, the Faculty has opened a postgraduate course in the specialty 13.00.06 “Theory and methodology of education management” in full-time and part-time forms of study.

The Department of Pedagogy was created in 1937 and until 2003 it existed within the framework of the only Department of Pedagogy and Psychology at the Faculty of Philology. The teachers of the department taught general university disciplines of psychological and pedagogical direction. The Department of Pedagogy provided training for postgraduate students in the specialties 13.00.01 “General Pedagogy and History of Pedagogy” and 13.00.04 “Theory and Methods of Vocational Education”.

In 1937, the Department of Military Affairs (later – the Department of Physical Education, and then – the Department of Physical Education and Sports) taught the university-wide discipline of “physical education”, which still holds an important place in the educational process.

By decision of the Academic Council of Donetsk National University of March 27, 2015, the faculty of retraining and advanced training of the leading pedagogical staff was liquidated and the Pedagogics Department was separated into an independent department. The newly created structural unit is renamed to the University-wide Department of Teacher Training and Management of Education.

By decision of the Academic Council of Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University of August 28, 2019, both university departments: the Department of Pedagogy and Management of Education and the Department of Physical Education and Sports were reorganized by merging into a new structural unit – Department of Teacher Training and Physical Education.

On September 1, 2019, the Department of Teacher Training, Physical Education and Management of Education became part of the Faculty of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology.