Nina Virchenko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nina Virchenko
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Nina Virchenko, Ukrainian Independence Day, 2014
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| Born | 5 May 1930 Zavadivka, Ukraine
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| Alma mater | Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv |
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| Spouse(s) | Rostyslav Dotsenko |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
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Nina Opanasivna Virchenko (Ukrainian: Ніна Опанасівна Вірченко; born May 5, 1930) is a Ukrainian mathematician, writer, and a brave member of the Ukrainian resistance movement. When she was a student in Kyiv in 1948, she was arrested. She was accused of supporting Ukrainian independence and was held as a political prisoner in a very strict camp in Eastern Siberia for six years.
After her release, she returned to Kyiv. She was able to go back to university in 1956. She continued her studies in mathematics and became a professor at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Nina Virchenko earned her PhD in 1988. Besides her math studies, she has written books about the history of mathematics. She also wrote about mathematicians in Ukraine who faced difficult times. She has even written books for everyone to enjoy.
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Nina Virchenko's Early Life and School
Nina Virchenko was born on May 5, 1930. She grew up in Zavadivka, a village in Ukraine. Her mother was a midwife, helping people have babies. Her father was a former officer in the Ukrainian People's Army. In 1937, her family moved to a town called Chervone.
Nina went to Zhytomyr School No. 36. As a teenager, she created a special nickname for herself: Ужма (UZHMA). This nickname stood for Ukrainian—Woman—Mathematician—Astronomer. In 1947, when she was 16, she passed the entrance exam for Moscow University. However, her parents wanted her to stay closer to home. So, she chose to study mathematics at the National University of Kyiv (KSU) instead. While there, she joined a group that studied rockets and aerodynamics. She even did many parachute jumps!
Nina also became involved in a movement. This group wanted Ukraine to be independent from the Soviet Union. She wrote and shared leaflets to spread their message. Because of this, she was arrested in December 1948. She was held as a political prisoner in a special camp until January 1954. After her release, she was not allowed to return to university right away. She taught math in village high schools instead. Finally, in 1956, Nina was able to go back to university in Kyiv. She then started graduate school at KSU in 1961.
Imprisonment and Helping Others
Nina Virchenko was reported to the Soviet secret police, called the NKVD. She was arrested in June 1948 with a group of teachers and other students. She was held in Lukyanivska Prison. In December, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for political reasons. She was sent to the Ozerlag camp for political prisoners. This camp was in Tayshet, Eastern Siberia.
In the camp, Nina was forced to do hard work. This included cutting down trees and working in a stone quarry. The conditions and treatment in the camp were very harsh. Prisoners were given numbers instead of using their names. Nina's number was R-840. There was no radio or newspapers, and prisoners had no paper to write on. Nina created poems, which she shared by speaking them to other prisoners. She also taught mathematics, drawing in the sand or snow with a stick. She was released after six years because she was a minor when she was convicted. Later, Nina and her husband, who had also been a prisoner, were watched by the authorities. This happened during a time when Ukrainian academics were being repressed.
Nina Virchenko continued to support other prisoners. She spoke out strongly for the rights and well-being of political prisoners. She was the leader of a special council for the All-Ukrainian Association for Political Prisoners. In 2016, Nina Virchenko was one of over 80 former Soviet political prisoners. They all signed an appeal to the public in the Netherlands. They asked them to vote in favor of an agreement between the European Union and Ukraine.
Nina Virchenko had been interested in the work of Ukrainian mathematician Mikhail Kravchuk. When she learned that he had died in a prison camp, she began to study his life. She also studied his important math work. She wrote a book about him. She also organized a series of international math meetings in his honor. These meetings started in 1992, which was 100 years after he was born. She also worked to get a monument built in his honor. Nina Virchenko was also the scientific advisor for a documentary film. It was made by Oleksandr Riabokrys and was called "Голгофа академіка Кравчука" (Academic Kravchuk Calvary). Riabokrys also filmed a short documentary about Nina Virchenko herself, titled ужма (UZMA).
Nina Virchenko's Career in Math
In 1965, Nina Virchenko became an assistant professor of mathematics at KSU. From 1974 to 1990, she was an assistant professor of mathematics. This was at the National Technical University of Ukraine (now called Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute). She was promoted to a full professor in 1990. She earned her PhD in 1988. Her main research was on special areas of math called integral equations.
Nina Virchenko has written over 350 scientific papers in mathematics. She has also published articles and books about the history of mathematics. Some of these books are for everyone to read, not just scientists. One of her books is about mathematical sayings and quotes. It was published in three different languages. Nina Virchenko also published a book about her own life in 2011.
She has received several awards and honors for her work. These include the Yaroslav the Wise Award in 1999. She also received the "Building of Ukraine" medal in 2001. Other honors include the Medal of Andrew the First-Called in 2005. In 2007, she received a special badge from the Ministry of Education and Science. In 2006, she was named an Honored Worker of Education of Ukraine.
Nina Virchenko's Family Life
Nina Virchenko married writer and translator Rostyslav Dotsenko in 1964. Rostyslav was born on April 19, 1931, and passed away on October 24, 2012. He had also been a political prisoner. Nina and Rostyslav had two children together.
