For the first time in Left-Bank Ukraine, the Department of Urology was founded in February 1938 at the Kharkiv Medical Institute by a student of Professor R. M. Fronstein and director of this institute Ashot Mikhailovich Gasparyan.

It is known that for the first time at the Medical Faculty of this educational institution, Professor I.K. Zarubin began to give a course of lectures on genitourinary diseases in 1871. Since 1895, Professor A.G. Podrez taught the course “diseases of the genitourinary organs” for 2 hours a week at the hospital clinic.

After the death of Professor A.G. Podrez, only in 1903 the Faculty of Medicine resumed lectures and practical classes on the course of urology (1903–1904) by M.M. Kuznetsov. After approval by the Higher Attestation Commission of the All-Union Committee on Higher School affairs, doctor of medical sciences, professor Ya. B. Voitashevsky received the positions of Professor, Head of the course of urology at the 2nd KhMI and dean of the pediatric faculty, which he held until the evacuation of the Institute in September 1941.

In the 1st KhMI from 1925 to 1938 at the Department of faculty surgery, the course of urology was taught by P.L. Shupik. In this clinic for the first time in the world in 1933, Assoc. professor Yu.Y. Voronyi performed a cadaveric kidney transplant to a patient with uremia due to Sulema poisoning. The graft functioned on the first day after surgery.

In October 1937, the associate professor’s course of urology left the department of faculty surgery, which was reorganized in February 1938 into an independent Department of urology. Its head was Doctor of medical sciences, Professor A. M. Gasparyan. After returning from evacuation to Kharkiv, the Department of urology was canceled and until 1950 the corresponding course was taught at the Department of faculty surgery by assistant A.E. Gorlin.

Professor A.Z. Tseitlin, head of the Department of faculty surgery with Associate Center in urology, paid great attention to the issue of diagnosis and treatment of urinary and genital pathology. Since 1958, he headed the associate professor’s course in urology opened at the Department. In 1965, V. I. Shapoval was awarded the title of Professor, and in 1968, on his initiative, the Department of urology was reopened at KhMI, which he headed until 1989. Since that time, a constant increase in the bed stock (up to 650 specialized beds) and the opening of highly specialized departments began.

In 1994, by order of the rector of KhSMU, the Department of urology was separated into an independent one consisting of the acting head of the department, doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor V.I. Shapoval, associate professors Yu. I. Kozin, candidate of Medical Sciences K. Arnoldi and assistants A. R. Schlotgauer, candidate of Medical Sciences A.V. Arkatov. 3 on January 10, 1996, the department is headed by a student of Professor V.I. Shapoval, candidate of Medical Sciences, senior researcher, and since 1997 – Professor V.M. Lisovyi.

The analysis of the wide range and relevance of the scientific activity of the Department of Urology of KhMI, which was headed by Professor V.I. Shapoval for more than a quarter of a century, allows us to establish the advantage of the nephrological direction in urology developed during 1961–1967. More than 40 postgraduates and clinical residents were trained and completed their dissertation research at the Department.

In October 2005, Professor V.M. Lisovyi was elected Rector of the Kharkiv State Medical University, the duties of the head of the Department of Urology and Andrology were performed by Associate Professor A.V. Arkatov, and from October 2010 to October 2019 – Doctor of Medicine. n., professor I.A. Garagaty. During this period, the name of the department was changed. In 2009, the name “Department of Urology and Andrology” was changed to “Department of Urology, Nephrology and Andrology”, in 2017 it was named after A. G. Podrez.

In 2019, the term of the regular contract of V.M. Lysovyi to the position of rector and he headed the department of urology, nephrology and andrology named after A.G. Podrez.

Today, the department occupies a leading position and cooperates with leading European clinics.