Beekeeping has been widespread in Ukraine since ancient times. Honey and wax in Kyivan Rus’ were the main products of state export to all the countries of the Old World. Nowadays Ukrainian honey has high quality and is famous all over the world for its taste and medicinal properties.
Pioneer of practical and commercial beekeeping in the world was Ukrainian beekeeper and scientist Petro Prokopovych (1775–1850) who was a great specialist in rational beekeeping. He in January 1814 (before Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth and Johann Dzierzon) made a revolution in the apiculture and constructed the world first dismountable frame hive and wooden partitions upon which bees make their honeycombs. This allowed freely inspect the bee colonies and actively influence on their development. Beehive Prokopovich allowed to remove honey without destroying the bees with smoke, as it was practiced in those days. His inventions came to our days without changes and are used in all countries in the world.
PHOTO: Wikipedia
The first world school of bee-keeping was opened by Petro Prokopovych in Ukrainian town Baturyn (the Chernihiv Oblast) in 1827. His scientific work contains more than sixty articles in printed media and a fundamental work on bee-farming called ‘Reflections about Bees’(not published).
PHOTO: Wikipedia
The famous Ukrainian inventor used his knowledge in practice and owned the great bee farm of 6600 bee colonies and soon he had the biggest apiary in the world at those times that consisted of 10 000 bee colonies.
PHOTO:Wikipedia
Petro Prokopovych was awarded with the 4th class Order of St. Volodymyr, golden and silver medals. There is Institute of beekeeping neamed P.I.Prokopovych. His useful inventions and methods, such as the drugless method of treatment foul brood by driving of bees to a new hive, are used in beekeeping all over the world.