We welcome you on the website of the Department of morphology and general pathology
of Kazan Federal University.

















Head of the Department of Morphology and General Pathology
MD, Doctor of Science, Professor

Kiyasov Andrey Pavlovich



Our history

On the 5th of November 1804 the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Forensic Medicine of the Kazan Imperial University were established by Emperor Alexander I Russia.

Throughout all these years the Department changed its names and chiefs however outside of time it was always headed by outstanding scientists and clinicians.

J.B. Brown (1807-1819) was elected as the first rector of the University.

K.F. Fuchs (1819-1820) was a scholar and social activist, anatomist, naturalist, archaeologist, ethnographer, numismatist, historian, linguist, traveler, botanist, writer and much-esteemed clinician in the Kazan region.











Turin V.S., 1834. Imperial Kazan University. Paper, lithography.
From the album: "Perspective views of the governorate city of Kazan ...". 


Since 1837 Department housed in a specialized building, resembling a theatre, used in teaching anatomy — an Anatomical Theater, which still is located on the territory of the Kazan Federal University. The architect of the Anatomical Theater was academician M.P.Korinfsky  and construction of the building was supervised by the Rector of the Imperial University in those days N.I.Lobachevsky.

Анатомический театр Императорского Казанского университета

Reproduction of the painting of an unknown artist, 1840.
Anatomical theater and a monument to G.R. Derzhavin, watercolor.


The first head of the Department of Anatomy in the walls of the Anatomical theater became E.F.Aristov (1837-1868), who was a prominent clinician, educator and influencer at that time. Aristovs' lectures were so popular that they were attended by students from all faculties of the University. In 1867 E.F.Aristov was elected an honorary member of the University and the department was headed by P.F. Lesgaft.

P.F. Lesgaft

P.F. Lesgaft (1869-1872) was a founder of theoretical and functional anatomy. He was the first in Kazan who promoted an embryology course for students. Also, Lesgaft was a great supporter of higher education for women. However, on October 21, 1871 Lesgaft was dismissed from his post without the right to teach due to the conflict against the Emperor's royal decree. Leadership of the department was taken into the hands of A.V. Vishnevsky.



A.V. Vishnevsky (1904-1905) was an outstanding surgeon and a full member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, went down in the history of national surgery as a unique scientist, founder of the unprecedented surgical scientific school.

The next chief became V.N.Tonkov (1905-1915) who completely transformed the educational and scientific life of the Department. V.N. Tonkov founded the Kazan school of anatomists. By virtue of his scientific and pedagogical school now the world knows many great anatomists as professors N.D.Bushmakina, V.A.Popova, I.S.Malinovskii, associate professor K.M.Yahontova, professor and P.A.Glushkova. Also A.D.Speransky the honored scientist in physiology, academician of the Academy of Sciences and Academy of Medical Sciences , began his career with V.N.Tonkov.

V.N.Tonkov

V.N.Ternovsky

Since 1924 the department was headed by V.N.Ternovsky, an outstanding scientist, anatomist and medical historian, academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. Ternovsky founded a new scientific field in the Kazan school of anatomists to study the autonomic nervous system. Not only was V.N.Ternovsky part of the scientific community of Russia and Europe, but also he was well-known as a translator of the work of Andreas Vesalius "On the structure of the human body", executive editor of of Avicenna's Canon of Medicine and the editor of Celsus' Treatise on Medicine.

In 1930 Kazan Medical Institute was founded based on the medical faculty of Kazan State University.

Through 83 years medical education in the Kazan (Volga) Federal University was resumed,   in May 2012. Nowadays the Department of morphology and general pathology with over 200 years of great history is headed by a professor, MD, A.P.Kiyasov.

Faculty members of the Department of Morphology and General Pathology 
at the presentation of Professor Kiyasov's book.

The department is located on 74 Karl Marx street - one of the oldest streets in the historical center of Kazan. Depatment's campus consists of two buildings: a historical 1913 building and a modern one state-of-the-art educational facility. This architectural metaphor reflects one of the principles of our department: respect for history and movement towards the future. 
The history of the 1913 building is interesting in that it is connected with the struggle for women's rights to higher education. The first higher courses for women in Kazan were opened here in 1876. This building was built for them from 1906 to 1913, you can see these dates on the facade of the building. 

The building of the Department of Morphology and General Pathology of the Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology of KFU,  formerly the building of the Higher Women's Courses, architect V.A. Trifonov

Since 2013 in the department students study essential subjects for future doctors as anatomy, neuroanatomy, pathology, pathophysiology, topographic anatomy, histology, cytology and embryology. 

The department combines youth and experience, professionalism, and advanced knowledge in the field of fundamental medicine.

Welcome to the Department of morphology and general pathology.