THE ACTIVITIES OF THE MINERALOGY DEPARTMENT OF IVAN FRANKO NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LVIV DURING 2005–2014

Abstract

The activity of the Mineralogy Department of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv during the period of 2005–2014 is summarized. The activities of the Department until 2005 have been described in detail in the special reference edition “The Department of Mineralogy of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (1864–2004)” (Lviv: Publishing Centre of Lviv Univer-sity, 2004, authors O. Matkovskyi, P. Bilonizhka, L. Skakun, Ye. Slyvko). During 2005–2014, the Department continued active educational-methodical, scientific-research, scientific-organizational and educational work in accordance with the new requirements of the time. Bachelors studied such professional disciplines as Crystallography, Mineralogy and Geochemistry; specialists and masters in Geochemistry and Mineralogy studied such disciplines as Applied Mineralogy, Genetic Mineralogy, Mineralogy of Ukraine, Mineralogy of Sedimentary Rocks, Geochemistry of Ore Formation, Geochemistry of Isotopes, Gemmology, Fluid Inclusions in Minerals, Ore Mineralogy, Physical-Chemical Modelling of Geochemical Processes, etc. Two textbooks on genesis of minerals (2007, second edition) and mineralogy of Ukraine (2009), lec-tures on methods of mineralogical research (2013) and methodical instructions to laboratory works on various disciplines have been published. The training of highly qualified personnel through graduate school continued; two theses on Candidate's degree have been defended (N. Slovotenko. Ontogeny of Fluorite-Barite-Quartz Veins of Berehove Ore Field, 2007; U. Bornyak. Biomineralogical Factors of Gallstones Sustainability, 2008). Currently two students of the Department are completing their theses. Research and scientific-organizational activity of the Department was also active. Four state budget projects have been finished, in particular, “Mineral Formation Dynamics on Geochemical Barriers in Hydrothermal Ore-Forming Systems”; “Physical-Chemical and Ontogenic Models in Ore-Forming Systems of Epithermal, Stratiform and Orogenic Types”; “Mineralogical-Genetic Models of Hydrothermal Processes Which Contribute to the Formation of Some Deposits in Ukraine”; “Ontogenetic and Physical-Chemical Models of Mineral Aggregates as the Reflection of the Hydrothermal Ore-Forming Systems Dynamics”. Two monographs of the series “Minerals of the Ukrainian Carpathians” edited by O. Mat-kovskyi – “Silicates” (Lviv, 2011. 520 p.) and “Processes of Mineral Formation” (Lviv, 2014. 584 p.) have been published, as well as two dictionaries: “Dictionary-Directory of Jewelry and Precious Stones” (by R. Vovchenko, O. Matkovskyi, I. Bakumenko, L. Bohorska, O. Polubichko. Lviv, 2006. 165 p.); “The Russian-Ukrainian Geological Dictionary” (by R. Vovchenko, O. Mat-kovskyi, L. Bohorska, O. Polubichko. Lviv, 2011. 704 p.), one reference and two literary-jour-nalistic publications, numerous articles in different directions – general and topomineralogical, crystallochemical, genetic, prospecting, geoenvironmental, works on the history of science. The Department organized nearly ten scientific forums, among them, the Fifth, Seventh and Eighth Scientific Readings named after acad. Yevhen Lazarenko, devoted to various mineralogi-cal problems.  In recent years, the Department intensified cooperation with international institutions in Slo-vakia and Poland. Interesting researches in the international project “Geo-Carpathians – the Crea-tion of the Polish-Ukrainian Tourist Route” have been conducted. International scientific confer-ence “Geo-Tourism. Practice and Experience”, dedicated to the results of these researches, was held at the National University of Lviv in March 2014.