ACADEMICIAN V. BURKAT – PUBLICIST, HISTORIAN AND POPULARIZER OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN UKRAINE
Authors: Borodai I. 
Published: November 2018

The author has proved that doctor of agricultural sciences, professor, academician V. Burkat was a talented publicist, a promoter of national agricultural science achievements.The author has used general scientific, interdisciplinary and historical research methods. She has also used methods of archive and literature source analysis. The basis of the literature source base is scientific papers of doctor of agricultural sciences, professor, academician V. Burkat.The article shows that V. Burkat is a co-founder of the historical-biographical series, encyclopedic, reference and bibliographic publications, editor of the scientific-themed digests, author of fundamental scientific papers. One of the greatest achievements of the scientist is active participation in the intensive deployment of encyclopedic work in Ukraine. He was a member of the main editorial board of the "Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine" from 1997. During the life years he published eight volumes of this edition. In the last years Institute of Encyclopedic Research started preparing another encyclopedic edition – Universal Encyclopedia of Ukraine. V. Burkat prepared dictionary of agricultural section. He believed the leading field of research on the history of domestic agricultural science should become agricultural biographу studies. The first step in this direction was the establishment of historical and biographical series "Ukrainian Agrarian Scientists of the Twentieth Century" in 1997. He produced nine books in the series, which highlighted the life, scientific and public activities of 1270 Ukrainian agrarian scientists. V. Burkat took an active part in the preparation of publications on the activities of scientists in the field of animal husbandry to their anniversaries. These are conference theses, monographs on the life and work of F. Faltz-Fein, I. Ivanov, M. Ivanov, I. Smirnov, O. Yatsenko, F. Eisner, M. Kravchenko, O. Kvasnytsky and others. The scientist contributed to the establishment and development of national agricultural bibliography. Bibliographies of leading scientists in the field of animal breeding, corresponding members of NAAS F. Eisner and M. Efymenko, professors I. Smirnov and V. Konovalov, doctors I. Petrenko and B. Podoba were issued by his scientific edition.The author has justified that academician V. Burkat is one of the drafters of the branch thematic bibliography "The Beef Cattle: Past, Present and Future. 1950-2004". He proposed to establish new serial publication "Scientific Agricultural School". V. Burkat provided special attention to popularization of some research scientific and industrial institutions that considered as the main link towards building of national agricultural experimantal work on animal husbandry. In particular, he prepared a series of publications which summarized the main stages of NAAS and IABG activities.V. Burkat`s contribution to the popularization of Ukrainian scientists’ achievements on animal husbandry is particularly significant. He prepared the reference editions "Breeding Work" (1995), "Breeding Resources of Ukraine" (1998), "Selection Achievements in Animal Breeding" (2000). The documentaries "Brown Dairy Breed", "Red Breed", "Red-and-White Breed", "Black-and-White Breed" prepared by academician V. Burkat in 1989 profit presentation of breeding achievements of Ukrainian scientists in the field of animal husbandry.V. Burkat initiated the publication of scientific and practical bulletin "Selection", which provided systematic information on development of the selection process of the improvement of existing and creation of new highly productive breeds and types of farm animals.V. Burkat was a member of the editorial board of the journals «Animal Husbandry of Ukraine" (1978-2009), "Journal of Agricultural Sciences" (1986-1989), "Biology of Animals" (1999-2009), "Fisheries Science" (2007); scientific thematic collections of "Dairy and Beef Cattle" (1982-1987), "Journal of Cherkassy Institute of Agroindustrial Production" (2000-2009), "Bulletin of the Ukrainian Society of Geneticists and Breeders" (2003-2009), abstract journal "Agriculture of Ukraine "(1999-2009), interdepartmental thematic scientific digest "Animal Breeding and Genetics" and others.