Updated: 9/4/2020
The only astronomical observatory in the Kherson region was founded in the pre-war years on the basis of Kherson State Pedagogical Institute. NKKrupskaya.
She thanks to Professor Dmitry Markovsky, Professor of the Department of Higher Mathematics (1896 - 1965). Professor DF Markovsky is an important figure in the history of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, for a long time he was the only professor at the Institute. He graduated from the Physics and Mathematics Department of Odessa University in 1919, and from 1921 until the end of his life worked at the KHPI. Before the war, D. Markovsky headed the Department of Higher Mathematics, published about 100 scientific papers. In 1948, Professor D.F.Markovsky received the "Excellence in Education" award.
Thanks to Professor D.F.Markovsky, a new discipline - cosmography - appeared in the Institute's curriculum. The teaching of this course inspired the professor to consider the feasibility of introducing it alongside lectures on astronomical observations. In 1939, a small astronomical pavilion was built near the building of the IV Levinson Institute (1902 - 1942), assisted by Professor DF Markovsky, in which a 2-inch refractor telescope was installed. During the Second World War, Dean of the Physics and Mathematics Department, IV Levinson was already killed.
From 1945 to 1948, Elena Kazimirchak-Polonska (1902-1991) worked at the CDPI, which taught mathematical analysis and astronomy. She graduated from the University of Lviv, married a Pole and worked at the Warsaw University Astronomical Observatory before the war. But she always dreamed of working at home, so she returned to the USSR with her mother and son. Elena was an excellent teacher and a deeply educated person in every way. She instilled in students not only a love of mathematics and astronomy, but also taught them to understand the world of the beautiful, involved in painting, music, literature. She was fluent in French, German, Italian, Polish. She studied English to take the PhD exam.
After the tragic death of her son Kazimirchak-Polonska, she went to Leningrad, where she worked at the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and defended her PhD and then PhD thesis. In 1968, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, OI Kazimirchak-Polonsky, was awarded the Scientific Prize of FA Bredikhin of the USSR Academy of Sciences for a series of works on the theory of motion of short-period comets and problems of the evolution of their orbits. ЇЇ the name is listed in the Astronomy Bibliographic Reference. For its great scientific achievements and for its work as a representative of the USSR in the International Astronomical Union, the Crimean astronomers named in honor of OI Kazimirchak-Polonsky a small planet, calling it "Polonskaya".
The astronomical pavilion built by IV Levinson during the war was completely destroyed and looted. Physician's laboratory assistant P. Bondary managed to retain a 2-inch refractor telescope. Restored in 1948 by young BL Shaganyan - a student of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, he earned again. After leaving the institute, BL Shaganyan was left to work at the department as an assistant and was commissioned to build a new observatory. This happened in 1958. On the recommendation of the director of the Odessa Astronomical Observatory, Academician V.P.Tsesevich, systematic observations of variable eyes began, in which students of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics took an active part.
For research, a 2-inch refractor was not enough. Therefore, in 1961, the AVR-3 refractor telescope with a lens diameter of 130 mm and a focal length of 1950 mm was purchased. A rather massive (total mass of about 623 kg) tool in German mount with a clock mechanism allowed to make both visual and photographic observations. There was a special cassette for photo plates 9x12 and a screen for observing the sun. The study of variable stars was continued, the study of the coverage of the stars by the moon, as well as observations of planets and small bodies of the solar system.
Subsequently, under the direction of Assistant Professor BL Shaganyan, two tubes were installed in place of the AVR-3 refractor tube. One - with an achromatic German Steinheil lens, 136mm aperture and a set of eyeglasses, is used for visual observations. The second one, with the English T. T. Cooke & Sons lens, 141 mm aperture, was used for photographing on photo plates. Both lenses were made in the early twentieth century and have an interesting history. After World War II, the lenses were removed from the German Astronomical Observatory to the USSR. They were then armed with several Russian and Ukrainian observatories. With the support of Academician VP Tsesevich lenses were transferred to the observatory of KhPPI them. NKKrupskaya and installed on the installation of AVR-3.
Now the Kherson State University Astronomical Observatory is a training observatory. Since 2008, the head of the Observatory has been Babenko Marina Alexandrovna. Lectures, practical and laboratory classes on astronomy are conducted in the premises of the observatory under the guidance of associate professor SG Kuzmenkov and methods of teaching astronomy under the direction of IV Korobova. The Observatory also provides survey lectures on astronomy and evening observations for university students and students of Kherson and regional schools.