The “Museum of Medicine” Complex of Kharkiv National Medical University was established on March 1, 2025, through the reorganization of the Museum of the History of KNMU and the inclusion of collections from 8 university departments.
The collections of the Complex are located in the central hall of the museum, as well as at the departments of Human Anatomy, Clinical Anatomy and Operative Surgery, Public Health and Health Care Management, Epidemiology, General and Clinical Pathological Physiology named after D. O. Alpern, Microbiology, Virology and Immunology named after Prof. D. P. Hryniov, Pathological Anatomy, Pharmacology, and Medical Prescriptions.
The exhibitions of the “Museum of Medicine” Complex reflect the history of higher medical education in Kharkiv and the broader history of medicine in Ukraine. They feature anatomical and pathological specimens, medical instruments and equipment, documents, photographs, and personal belongings of prominent university professors and graduates.
Opening hours for guided tours: Mon–Fri from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Tours must be scheduled in advance.
Persons of the Complex
The Museum of History of Kharkiv National Medical University was originally opened on November 3, 1968, as a community initiative. Its initial exhibits primarily focused on the history of higher medical education in Kharkiv during the Soviet era. In 1971, the Ministry of Culture of the Ukrainian SSR awarded the museum the honorary title of “People’s Museum.”
In 1999, Associate Professor Zhanneta Pertseva, a distinguished KNMU employee, became the museum’s director. She developed a new concept of the exhibition, as the Soviet ideological focus of the previous version no longer reflected the realities of independent Ukraine. The updated exhibition emphasized the development of higher medical education in Kharkiv across all historical periods.
In 2011, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine granted the museum the title of “Model Museum” for “…its significant contribution to educating youth, preserving the national cultural heritage, the historical legacy of the Ukrainian people, and the Museum Fund of Ukraine, as well as promoting historical, cultural, and natural monuments.”
As of 2021, the collection of the Museum of History of KNMU included 5,549 items, with 1,026 on permanent display.
Following the outbreak of the full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, the museum team faced the urgent challenge of preserving the collection, and tours were suspended for nearly two years. In September 2023, after occupying forces were pushed back from Kharkiv, the exhibits were returned to the viewing hall.
This forced pause allowed for a deeper reflection on the value of the collection—not only for the university’s history but for the history of medicine in general.
For many years, unique collections of significant memorial and historical value had been assembled by various university departments but had not been officially registered as museum exhibits. Moreover, they were stored under inadequate conditions, making systematic study and proper preservation impossible. Due to war conditions and staff shortages, these materials were at risk of being lost.
To preserve this legacy, a decision was made in the summer of 2024 to establish a unified museum complex. On March 1, 2025, the “Museum of Medicine” Complex was officially founded at KNMU. It incorporated the funds of the KNMU Museum of History and the collections of eight university departments. The Complex’s exhibitions cover various fields of medicine, including normal and pathological anatomy, forensic medicine, pathological physiology, epidemiology, microbiology, and more.
