On March 3, with special warmth we remember a person who became a whole chapter in the history of our Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases and Tissue Therapy and of Ukrainian ophthalmology as a whole.

Professor Valerii Viktorovych Vit was a figure of truly unique scale. Such individuals shape the history of science, and without exaggeration, one encounters people like him only once in a lifetime.

He devoted his professional life to profound scientific inquiry and dedicated service to medicine. In 1973, Professor Vit began his scientific career at the Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases and Tissue Therapy. In 1978, he defended his Candidate of Sciences dissertation, and in 1986, his doctoral dissertation entitled “Pathological Anatomy and Therapeutic Pathomorphosis of Pigmented Neoplasms of the Human Uveal Tract”, devoted to the morphogenesis and malignancy of pigmented neoplasms of the uvea and ciliary body. His scientific supervisor was the outstanding scientist Professor V.V. Voyno-Yasenetsky.In 1989, he was awarded the academic title of Professor, and from 1991 he served as Deputy Director for Research of the Filatov Institute.

His scientific legacy is outstanding and encompasses nearly 400 scientific publications. His fundamental monographs are widely recognized, including “The Structure of the Human Visual System”, devoted to the anatomy and organization of the visual system; “Pathology of the Eye, Its Adnexa and Orbit”, dedicated to the pathological anatomy of ocular diseases; and “Tumor Pathology of the Organ of Vision”, focused on histomorphological investigations in ocular neoplastic pathology.

Under the supervision of Valerii Viktorovych Vit, 18 Candidate of Sciences dissertations were prepared and successfully defended. He also served as scientific consultant for five doctoral dissertations.

Professor Vit was among the first to raise the issue of ophthalmic oncology in the context of studying tumor transformation during treatment. His approach was distinguished by the depth of morphological analysis, clinical thinking, and strategic vision for the development of science.

He brought together the talents of an accomplished physician, scientist, and leader. His high professionalism, invaluable experience, powerful scientific and creative potential, and boundless dedication to his work created the unique atmosphere of trust and respect felt by colleagues and students alike.

Above all, however, he was a Teacher and Mentor — a person of profound inner culture, integrity, and humanity. His words carried authority, his support had true significance, and his example inspired and shaped generations.

A special chapter of his life was his love for Odesa. Professor Vit was also a gifted photographic artist, with a subtle sensitivity to the light, space, and atmosphere of his native city. Today, we invite you to view his photographic works dedicated to Odesa, kindly provided by his family.

We express our sincere gratitude to Yuliia Valeriivna Vit and Nadiia Petrivna Vit for preserving and sharing this luminous legacy — his photographs that capture precious moments of life.

The memory of Professor Valerii Viktorovych Vit is not merely a matter of biography. It lives on in his works, in his scientific school, and in the grateful hearts of his students and colleagues.

Blessed memory to a great Scientist and Human Being.