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Petrographic-Mineralogical Museum

Head of the museum: V.P. Usenko

ORCID: 0000-0003-0808-4109

Leading specialist: G.I. Kandyba

Scientific curator: S.V. Kadurin

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel.: +38 (067) 480 4053

Pride of the prewar University was petrography-mineralogical and paleontological museums - one of the oldest not only in Odessa, but also in Ukraine. The most valuable collection of the former was generated by professor R.O. Prendel, who became the initiator of the introduction of the law, according to which (under the petition of V.I. Vernadsky) for the first time in world practice the meteorites became of scientific value and they should be brought to scientific establishments. After the death of R.O. Prendel the director of a museum became his pupil professor M.D. Sidorenko. Holding this post he met 1917 and fulfilled the scientific responsibility with renunciation.

In Soviet times Odessa collection was replenished by interchanging with the Committee of meteorites of the Academy of Science of the USSR. Unique in the University is the collection of the meteorites " Old Boriskino", "Gross Libental ", "Zabroddya", "Odessa", and in the whole Odessa collection is concerned one of the best in Europe (85 names) and entered into the catalogue of meteorites of the Academy of Science of the USSR. Since the time of foundation of the University many public contracts on development of processing of mineral components and caustoboliths have been carried out at the museum.

A collection of artifacts of the Sabotinovskaya and Chernyakhovskaya cultures on the territory of the Odessa region is formed in the geological museum. Artifacts are represented by tools made of rocks. Their research is carried out in the framework of a new direction - archeological geology, which uses geological research methods, in particular mineralogical and petrographic, to reconstruct the distribution routes of materials and tools in the Northern Black Sea region.

  • Scientific publications

    1. 1. Usenko V.P. (2026). Collections of gemological objects in university museums: sources and models of formation. Precious and ornamental stones. Kyiv, State Gemological Center of Ukraine, 1(123) 24-34. DOI:
    2. 2. Usenko V. (2025). Review of emerald from deposits of Afghanistan. Precious and ornamental stones. Kyiv, State Gemological Center of Ukraine, 3-4 (121-122), 4-18. DOI: DOI:
    3. 3. Usenko V.P., Pronin K.K. (2025). Morphology of secondary formations in the Odessa catacombs. Research, preservation and use of underground structures as objects of cultural heritage. Collection of materials of the IV scientific and practical conference, ֲý, 43-57.
    4. 4. Usenko V. P. (2025). Peculiarities of the formation of gemological collections in geological and mineralogical museums of universities. Precious and ornamental stones: topical issues of gemological examination, geology, mining, processing and use. Materials of the XIV International Scientific and Practical Conference. Kyiv: State Gemological Center of Ukraine, 62–67. DOI:
    5. 5. Usenko V. P. (2025). Current problems of functioning of university museums of geological profile. Geological museums and collections: their role in science, education and tourism. Materials of the II scientific and practical conference. int. conf., Lviv, 70–71.
    6. 6. Usenko V. P. (2023). Experience of archaeo-mineralogical research in the Petrographic and Mineralogical Museum of the Odessa National University named after I.I. Mechnikov. Modern technologies and features of extraction, processing and use of natural stones: Materials of the XII Int. scientific-practical conf., Kyiv, 22–25.
    7. 7. Yatsenko S. A., Shevchenko E. B., Usenko V. P. (2022). On a series of stone slabs with Sarmatian tamgas from the Odessa Archaeological Museum. Stratum plus, 6. 277–311. DOI: 10.55086/sp226277311 (the publication is indexed in Scopus / Web of Science).
    8. 8. Usenko V., Chepizhko, O., Kandyba, G. (2012). Geological and Mineralogical Museum of Odessa University: History and Present. Mineralogical Collection, 62(2). 246–251.
    9. 9. Kakaranza S.D., Kadurin S.V., Larchenkov E.P., Kadurin V.M., Usenko V.P., Ishchenko L.V. (2011). Discovery of effusive rocks on the northwestern shelf of the Black Sea. Geology and Minerals of the World Ocean, 1, 83-92.
    10. 10. Usenko V.P. Jewelry and Precious Stones: Recommendations for Buyers. 1998. ֲý, "Print Master", 198 p.
    • Field geological and mineralogical studies

    • Works completed by V.P. Usenko

      • 2023. Report "Results of research work on the study of gold mineralization in samples of concentrates and tailings submitted for research for the company Western Pacific Mining Limited (PNG) (Papua New Guinea)."
      • 2014. Report "Results of a complex of geological and geophysical works on the Lorra Gold license area (Sierra Leone), carried out in the period from 21.04. to 14.05.2014."
      • 2013. Report "Results of geological exploration work of the 1st stage by the geological group of the Central Mining Company Limited (Sierra Leone) during the field period from 15.04. to 17.05.13."
      • 2011-2012. Geological survey work on the mainland of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea as part of a geological team commissioned by the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
      • 2008. Report "Results of the study of accessory mineralization and rocks of the territory of the Carpathian geodynamic region (Ukraine)" under the contract No. 07DP049-02 with the Kyiv State University named after T.G. Shevchenko.
      • 2007. Report "On the study of the phenomena of technogenic mineralization in the hydraulic structures of berth No. 4 (Pivdenny port)" at the request of "MTP "Pivdenny".
      • 1988-1989. Report "Results of the study of accessory mineralization of granitoids in the area of work of the Zhovtnev geological detachment of the Azovskaya GRE".

    Usenko V.P. - expert gemologist (certificate of the State Gemological Center of Ukraine under the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine No. 000370 dated 03.08.2004).

    Admission

    Frantsuz'ky Blvd, 24/26
    Phone: (+38-0482) 68-12-84
    Phone: (+38-0482) 68-18-58Phone: (+38-093) 755-78-24E-mail: vstup@onu.edu.ua

    Rector

    Vsevoloda Zmiienka St, 2, ֲý, 65001
    Reception: (+38-048) 723-52-54
    Phone: (+38-048) 723-35-15
    Email: rector@onu.edu.ua

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