DERBEDENEV Ilarion Petrovich [June 5 (18), 1900 – August 3, 1945] – a prominent Kazakhstani veterinary scientist, microbiologist, immunologist and epizootologist, director of the Semipalatinsk National Veterinary Zonal Station (SemSRVZS) VZS (1930-1932), Head of the Laboratory for the study of cattle diseases KazSRVI (1935-1938), acting full member of the National Research University (1935), senior researcher in the specialty “Epizootology” (1937), head of the laboratory for the study of brucellosis KazSRVI (1938-1943), Candidate of Veterinary Sciences (1940), Deputy Director of the KazSRVI for the scientific part (1943-1945).

I.P. Derbednev was born in the village of Verkhnyaya Vyazera, Spaleevo – Pyatinsky parish, Insarsky district, Penza province, in a peasant family.

In 1912, he graduated from a four-grade parochial school in the village of Kazeyevka, Insarsky district, Penza province.

At the age of 12, he independently entered the Higher Primary School in Insar, Penza province, from which he graduated in 1917.

In the same year, 1917, I.P. Derbedenev entered the Teachers’ Seminary in Insar, from which he graduated in 1920.

During his studies at the Teachers’ Seminary, he was concurrently in charge of the county Central Library, taught mathematics at a seven-year school and worked as an instructor in extracurricular education in the county Political Committee of the Department of Public Education.

In 1920-1922, he served in the Red Army in rifle regiments as a Red Army political officer.

After demobilization in 1922, I.P. Derbedenev arrived in Leningrad, where he first entered the Faculty of Crop Production at the Leningrad Agricultural Institute, after studying for 1 year,

He transferred to the 1st year of the Leningrad State Veterinary Institute.

During his 3 years of study at the veterinary university, he attended 38 theoretical disciplines and completed practical exercises in 30 disciplines. In December 1926, I.P. Derbedenev defended his thesis on the topic “Industrial (veterinary) practice in the Penza province” and was awarded the qualification of a veterinarian.

Upon graduation, I.P. Derbedenev was sent to work in the Penza province as a veterinarian of the 1st section of Gorodishchevsky district, where he worked until 1927.

In 1927, he was transferred as a specialist in epizootics and sanitary supervision of the Kara-Kalpak region of the KASSR JSC.

In 1928 I.P. Derbedenev moved to Semipalatinsk, where he joined the Veterinary Clinic as its head. At the same time, he was hired at the veterinary and zootechnical college as the head of the educational department.

In 1930, by order of the NKZ KASSR, I.P. Derbedenev was appointed director of the SemSRVZS VZS, at the same time he took the position of head of the laboratory for the study of diseases of cattle and a senior researcher.

In 1930 – 1933, I.P. Derbenev continued to run the educational unit and the veterinary department of the Veterinary and Zootechnical College. As a teacher, he taught classes in microbiology, epizootology, parasitology and other subjects both at the named educational institution and at the Pharmaceutical College.

In 1932, I.P. Derbedenev was removed from the post of director of the SemSRVZS VZS, but retained as head of the laboratory for the study of diseases of cattle.

In 1935, I.P. Derbedenev was transferred to work at KazSRVI, where he was assigned to head the laboratory for the study of diseases of cattle.

At the end of September 1935, the Scientific Council of the VZS awarded, without defending a thesis, I.P. Derbedenev the degree of candidate of Veterinary Sciences and the title of I. D. full member of the National Research University, obliging him to defend his dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Sciences by January 1, 1937. The decision of the Scientific Council of VZS was published in the same year in the 12th issue of the journal “Soviet Veterinary Medicine”. On the basis of the VZS notification dated October 13, 1935 for No. 3206/25, KazSRVI issued Order No. 171 dated November 1, 1935 on awarding I.P. Derbedenev the title of I.D. full member of the National Research University and the academic degree of Candidate of Veterinary Sciences. However, the Higher Qualification Commission of VASKHNIL, which was the last instance for awarding academic degrees and titles, agreed only with awarding I.P. Derbedenev the title of I.D. full member of the National Research University, while the commission did not express its opinion on awarding the degree of candidate of veterinary Sciences to the scientist.

On May 29, 1936, the Qualification Commission of VASKHNIL approved I.P. Derbedenev in the academic rank of senior researcher in the specialty “Epizootology”.

To familiarize himself with the advanced methods of scientific research in the field of microbiology and immunology, I.P. Derbedenev was on a scientific trip to Leningrad at the Microbiological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences from October 1936 to January 1, 1937.

On March 1, 1938, in connection with the transformation of the laboratory for the study of cattle diseases into a laboratory for the study of brucellosis, I.P. Derbedenev was transferred to the head of the specified scientific department of KazSRVI.

On December 27, 1939, at a meeting of the Scientific Council of the Military Veterinary Academy of the Red Army (Protocol No. 11), I.P. Derbedenev successfully defended his dissertation on “Virus transmission in bovine peripneumonia” for the degree of Candidate of Veterinary Sciences. On January 10, 1940, he was awarded the degree of Candidate of Veterinary Sciences and issued a corresponding document.

In January 1943, I.P. Derbedenev was appointed Deputy director of KazSRVI for the scientific part.

I.P. Derbedenev is the author of 36 scientific papers.

In 1931, I.P. Derbedenev for the first time in the world established the ability of the causative agent of infectious pleuropneumonia (kebenek) of goats to pass through bacterial filters.

He developed methods of specific diagnosis, methods of treatment and immunization of bovine peripneumonia, studied virus transmission and viral excretion in this infection.

I.P. Derbedenev was one of the first in Kazakhstan to develop measures to improve farms from brucellosis and obtain healthy young animals from brucellosis animals.

I.P. Derbedenev conducted fundamental research on the anitgenic structure of brucella, on the basis of which a killed vaccine against brucellosis of cattle was developed, an antigen for the diagnosis of brucellosis of animals was invented and a hyperimmune serum for the prevention of brucellosis of animals was manufactured, which were widely used in veterinary practice of the republic.

For many years, I.P. Derbedenev was a consultant to the State Department of the People’s Commissariat of the Kazakh SSR on the problems of particularly dangerous infectious diseases of agricultural animals, including peripneumonia of cattle and brucellosis of farm animals.

The most significant scientific works of I.P. Derbedenev were included in the guidelines on epizootology and monographs of outstanding veterinary scientists of the USSR and the Union instructions.

I.P. Derbedenev’s scientific school conducted experimental and fundamental research on the problems of bovine peripneumonia, brucellosis of farm animals, glanders and meningitis–like diseases of horses in the late 30s – early 40s of the XX century.

Under the scientific guidance of I.P. Derbedenev, a brilliant galaxy of veterinary scientists from Kazakhstan has grown up.

The sudden death of the scientist did not give him the opportunity to carry out huge scientific plans. Illarion Petrovich was buried in Alma-Ata [1].