КУЗЬМА МИКОЛАЙОВИЧ ВЕКІРЧИК – ВІДОМИЙ ПЕДАГОГ, ВЧЕНИЙ, ЖУРНАЛІСТ, ГРОМАДСЬКИЙ ДІЯЧ
Authors: Kononchuk O. B. , Pyda S. V. 
Published: February 2020

September 15, 2019 marks 90th birthday of Kuzma Vekirchyk – Candidate of Biological Sciences, Professor, Honorary Member of the Ukrainian Society of Plant Physiologists, a member of the Society of Microbiologists of Ukraine and the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, a famous scientist of plant physiologist and microbiologist, educator, participant of the Second World War, whose achievements occupy a worthy place among the national scientists, who through their scientific, pedagogical and social work made a significant contribution into the development of education and science, the independence of the Ukrainian state.

Kuzma Mykolaiovych Vekirchyk was born in the village of Zadubrivtsi, Sniatyn district, Ivano-Frankivsk region to the family of peasants.

He began his schooling, with a break from the misery of World War II, from the Zadubrivtsi Seven-Year School, which he finished in 1947 with honours. Throughout difficult post-war years, he went on to teach villagers the literacy. Then Kuzma Vekirchyk became a student of Sniatyn Agricultural College, graduated with honors in 1952 and entered the Biology Faculty of Chernivtsi University, graduating with honors in 1957 with a major in plant physiology.

After the university studies, he was promoted to the post of teacher of biology and chemistry at the secondary school of Zelena village, Kelmenetskyi district, Chernivtsi region, where he worked from 1957 to 1959.

In 1959, K. M. Vekirchyk continued his scientific career, entering postgraduate studies at the Department of Plant Physiology and Microbiology, Chernivtsi University. The young scientist got engaged in the studies of foliar nutrition of plants with microelements under the supervision of the famous Ukrainian professor of plant physiologist, G. X. Molotkovskiy.

After graduating from postgraduate studies in 1962, K. M. Vekirchyk was promoted to the post of a teacher, and from 1965 was re-elected to the post of a senior teacher of plant physiology and microbiology of the Department of Botany, Uman State Pedagogical Institute.

On November 1, 1965 he defended his dissertation «Influence of foliar feeding with microelements on physiological and biochemical processes, growth, development and yield of cabbage» and received a scientific degree of Candidate of Biological Sciences.

Since December 1966 he became the Assistant Professor of the Department of Agrobiology Faculty at the Ivano-Frankivsk Pedagogical Institute.

On September 12, 1967 he was selected for the post of a senior lecturer of the Department of Botany of Kremenets Pedagogical Institute. On July 9, 1968 he was re-elected associate professor of the Department of Botany and since January 1969 was granted a title of the Candidate of biological sciences.

In 1969 he became the associate professor of the Department of Botany of Ternopil Pedagogical Institute (after the relocation of the Kremenets Pedagogical Institute to the town of Ternopil).

In September 1987, for high achievements in the pedagogical and scientific fields, the publication of textbooks and books for students, he was elected to the post of professor of the Department of Botany, and on November 29, 1991 he was awarded the scientific title of professor.

While working at the Department of Botany in Ternopil, Kuzma Mykolaiovych studied the influence of trace elements and biologically active substances on the symbiotic fixation of nitrogen, growth, development and productivity of legumes. In 1997, he began publishing a series of articles on well-known teachers of higher education in Ternopil and amazing works of nature, in particular in the magazine «Osvityanyn» and the annual «Ternopillia». From 1996 to 2002, he was the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the «Ukrainian Science: Past, Present, and Future».

Kuzma Vekirchyk is the author and co-author of over 360 scientific, educational, methodological and popular scientific articles. He is the author of textbooks and books: «Microbiology» (1973), «Microbiology: laboratory work» (1976), «Plant physiology: practicum» (1984), «Microbiology with the basics of virology» (1987, 2001), «Workshop on microbiology» (2001), «Poisonous Medicinal Plants: a handbook» (1999), programs in plant physiology, microbiology with the basics of virology for students of higher education institutions of Ukraine (1993), etc.

K. M. Vekirchyk spent his entire life conducting extensive public, educational and patriotic work. He was a sincere, intelligent, decent, humble, kind and selfless person.

K. M. Vekirchyk died on November 3, 2009 and rests in the native village of Zadubrivtsi, Sniatyn district, Ivano-Frankivsk region, near the chapel, which he restored at his own expense.

The memory of Kuzma Mykolaiovych as a man of high moral values, an outstanding scientist, teacher, journalist, public figure will forever remain in the hearts of his colleagues and students.