About us

The foundation of departments of dermatology and venereology at medical faculties of universities, including Kharkiv, was facilitated by strong actions of the outstanding dermatologist, the founder of the first dermatological school and the great social leader, Professor of the Medical-Surgical Academy in Petersburg O.H. Polotebnov. He persistently appealed to introduce compulsory teaching of dermatology and venereology at medical faculties of universities.
In April of 1883 the Rector of Kharkiv University received a decision of the Medical Faculty Council about foundation of a department of skin and venereal diseases with an indispensable prerequisite to found an appropriate clinic. The Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases was founded. At the same time a draft statute of clinical departments in Kharkiv Military Hospital was created and presented for consideration of the Kharkiv regional commander. But only in November of 1885 the commander of troops allowed professors of the Medical Faculty to give classes to students in the Military Hospital. At last the Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases received its own clinical base.
The Freelance University Lecturer V.H. Poray-Koshits began to deliver a systematic course of lectures on skin and venereal diseases.
O.M. Bruev was the first Professor at the Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases, founded in the University, and headed it from November of 1885 to January of 1897. O.M. Bruev carried on significant work in organizing the clinical and pedagogical process at the Department. As early as in the beginning of December of 1885 he applied to the Medical Faculty with a request to organize a room at the Department, where it would be possible to see outpatients. He founded a museum of moulages at the Department. Owing to a photographic camera, received in 1894, photographs were taken from patients of clinical interest.
The Department is grateful for its further development to Professor Ivan Fedorovych Zelenev. In November of 1897 I.F. Zelenev moved to Kharkiv, where he was elected as the full professor and Head of the Department of Dermatology and Syphilology of Kharkiv University. He reserved that position until 1911.
Using the slender means, received from the Faculty, he organized two laboratories (one biochemical and one bacteriological) and a moulage workshop that made it possible to improve clinical work and teaching with contribution to further development of researches. I.F. Zelenev introduced much new into the doctrine of dermatology: he revealed changes in the nervous system of patients with Hebra’sprurigo, he was the first scientist who described Fox-Fordyce disease and yeast onychias, proved a possibility of early complications from the side of cardiac activity in patients with syphilis, described different species of Treponema pallidum, etc.
According to the appointment by the Ministry of Education, in the next years (1911-1916) the Department was headed by a graduate from Kazan University, Prof. Ivan Mykhaylovych Himmel.
During the Civil War the post of the Head of the Department was vacant, and lectures on skin and venereal diseases were delivered by Prof. Kudintsev (a surgeon) and Prof. Postoev (a pharmacologist).
In 1921 the Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases of Kharkiv Medical Institute was headed by Prof. Mytrophan Vasyliovych Tiptsev. He made a significant contribution to the science, describing such rare diseases as pigmented sarcoma and secondary oral tubercular ulcer and writing works on treatment of elephantiasis and gonorrhoea.
After M.V. Tiptsev, the Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases of Kharkiv Medical Institute was headed by another graduate from the Military Medical Academy, Prof. L.A. Sobolev. Having headed the Department, L.A. Sobolev came across significant difficulties in the organization of its normal work because of absence of any clinical base. It was only due to L.A. Sobolev’s insistence that in 1937 the Department received its clinic in 15 Revolution Str.
Foundation of the Clinic made it possible to improve the pedagogical and research activities of the Department. A few Candidate theses were defended; original experiments were conducted by Prof. L.A. Sobolev himself, including his offer to treat superficial mycosis of the scalp without X-rays that became known as Sobolev’s technique. Examining inguinal lymphogranulematosis, he drew a conclusion that the disease was identical to climatic bubo and introduced the name “microporadenitisinguinalissuppurativa”. The name “microporadenitis”, offered in his time by L.A. Sobolev, characterizes this disease most exactly, as it is now recognized by many authors.
During the time of his clinical and scientific activities Prof. L.A. Sobolev wrote more than 50 scientific works on various problems concerning his speciality as well as methods of teaching.
In the summer of 1944 the Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases of the united Institute was headed by Doctor of Medical Science, Prof. I.S. Popov. Professor Popov put much effort into restoration of the destroyed clinic, paid much attention to the work of the Department. Training of scientific personnel was resumed; researches of young Candidates of Medical Science were focused on studying yeast and yeast-like microorganisms and their role in human pathology, pathogenesis and treatment of trophic crus ulcers and other problems.

In 1967 Professor B.A. Zadorozhnyi was elected as the Head of the Department. Having used the method of electron paramagnetic resonance in dermatology for the first time in the beginning of 1970’s, Prof. B.A. Zadorozhnyi pointed out the role of free radicals in psoriasis. From that time the problem of pathogenesis and therapy of psoriasis became the chief subject at the Department for many years.
The indisputable priority of B.A. Zadorozhnyi in dermatology consisted in studying the skin response to cryogenic influence that resulted in creation of a cryotherapy room at the Department. KD-3 cryoprobe was designed with B.A. Zadorozhnyi’s direct participation. Even today his monograph “Cryotherapy in dermatology” (1985) remains perhaps the only one on this subject.
In 1993, due to a sudden death of Prof. B.A. Zadorozhnyi, the Doctor of Medical Science A.M. Dashchuk was elected on a competitive basis as the Head of the Department. Prof. A.M. Dashchuk is the author of 775 publications.
Prof. A.M. Dashchuk received 21 patents of inventions and arranged 4 innovations. Under his guidance 9 Candidate theses were defended and 2 ones are prepared for defence.
In 2000 Prof. A.M. Dashchuk proved expediency of teaching HIV infection at the Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases. The Academic Board of Kharkiv State Medical University approved the curriculum for teaching HIV infection.
In 2000 the Department received its present name: “Department of Skin, Venereal Diseases and AIDS”.
From 2002 to 2008, course unit “Medical Cosmetology” was taught at the Department.
From 2007, course unit “Tropical Skin and Venereal Diseases” has been taught at the Department for international students.
The Department pays much attention to optimization of the educational process. Lectures are delivered with demonstration of patients, moulages and video films.
The staff of the Department has all conditions for fruitful activities in training doctors and academic personnel, for improving clinical work and developing researches.

The academic work is based on the municipal non-profit enterprise “City Clinical Dervatovenereological Dispensary No. 5” of the Kharkiv City Council and consists in: training fourth-year students of the Medical Faculties, interns and bachelors majoring in “Laboratory Diagnostics”; subject and precertification cycle of advanced training of doctors in “Dermatology”. The education is provided according to the European Credit Transfer System of educational process. The Department has created 120 guidelines and more than 200 case problems for computer-based training in dermatology and venereology. A number of curricula have been changed and supplemented.

During the past years the Department examined pathogenetic mechanisms of acute and chronic dermatoses in order to optimize treatment of patients. The main subjects of the researches are as follows:

“Combined therapy of patients with psoriasis taking into account the pro- and antioxidant status and the functional state of their liver”, “Correction of disturbances in peroxidation of lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and antioxidant system in patients with psoriasis in order to optimize their pathogenetic therapy”, “Combined treatment of patients with eczema using interferon stimulants and taking into account their immune status”, “Effectiveness of combined therapy for patients with eczema using antioxidants and taking into account the state of their pro- and antioxidant systems”, “Pathology of the skin and mucous coats in patients with endocrine pathology”, “Optimization of disorders of adaptive mechanisms in acute and chronic dermatoses”.

During the past years at the Department: 2 Candidate theses were defended; 11 patents of Ukraine for invention,2 author’s certificates and 70 acts of introduction were received. Applicants for higher education at the levels of Candidate of Science and Doctor of Philosophy are trained.

The clinical work is based on the municipal non-profit enterprise “City Clinical Dervatovenereological Dispensary No. 5” of the Kharkiv City Council. The staff of the Department gives highly qualified medical aid to patients with skin and venereal diseases. Prof. A.M. Dashchuk and Associate Professors regularly deliver reports during Dermatology Information Days.

The staff of the Department provides work of medical personnel and improvement of their professional qualification by holding joint clinical and research-practical conferences, seminars and case conferences with use of modern achievements in the medical science and health care practice, renders organizational and methodological assistance in planning and practical application of new methods for treating and diagnosing diseases, takes part in analyzing their effectiveness. Clinical recommendations and optimum standards (clinical protocols) in giving medical aid to population are establishedby results of the above researches.

Співробітники кафедри беруть активну участь у міжнародному співробітництві з країнами ближнього та далекого зарубіжжя. У міжнародних збірниках були опубліковані 12 наукових робіт, з них – 5 статей у виданнях бази SCOPUS та Web of Science.
Представники професорсько-викладацького складу кафедри є членами European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, American Academy of Dermatology.
Протягом останніх років співробітники кафедри брали участь у зарубіжних науково-практичних конференціях і симпозіумах, проходили стажування за кордоном.

The Department holds courses of advanced training in “Dermatology”.
The curriculum of course unit “Dermatology, Venereology”.
The curriculum of course unit “Dermatology, Venereology with Assessment of Findings”.
The curriculum of course unit “Nursing in Dermatology and Venereology”.