The All-Russia Research Institute for Animal Husbandry (VIZh) is the successor of the All-Union Research Institute for Animal Husbandry founded in Moscow in 1929. The founder of the institute and its first Director was the outstanding researcher, E.F. Liskun, Academician of VASKhNIL.
In 1947, the discovery of the possibility of long-term storage of animal semen in deep chilled state at -20C without loss of biological value and hereditary properties was made. The discovery was entered in the All-Union Register under No. 103 and served as a theoretical basis for wide application in animal husbandry of long-term semen storage.
A total of 5 new cattle breeds, 4 pig breeds, and 2 sheep breeds have been developed with the participation of the Institute’s staff scientists. Institute scientists co-authored 20 types of commercial and purebred farm animals, including cattle (9), pigs (3), and sheep (8).
The scientists of the Institute have developed the “Selecs” new system of large-scale selection and breeding (1978). The multi-year development process for the new detailed norms under the supervision of A. P. Kalashnikov, Academician of VASKhNIL, was completed in 1983. The third edition of the Norms for Farm Animal Nutrition and Feeding was published in 2003. These norms are known in science and practice as the VIZh norms. The USSR State Prize (to N. I. Denisov) and the Russian Federation Government Prize in science and technology for 2003 were given to the VIZh principal staff scientists for the theoretical justification for the formulations of forage mixtures, premixes, and dietary supplements and the application of enzyme preparations added to the farm animal diets. The Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was awarded in 1987 for the research into the chromosome abnormalities in animals. The Russian Federation Government Prize was awarded for the immunogenetic technology development and the adoption in farm animal selective breeding in 2002.
The Recommendations for Pork Production Technology first in the country, the new detailed Norms for Farm Animal Nutrition and Feeding, and the National Technologies for Freezing and Using Pedigree Bull-Sire Sperm have been developed with the participation of the Institute’s staff scientists.
In 1956 the All-Russia Research Institute for Animal Husbandry was merged with the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Animal Nutrition and in 1961 it was relocated from Moscow to Dubrovitsy, Podolsk District, Moscow Region.
In 1967, the All-Russia Research Institute for Animal Husbandry was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.
In 1992, the All-Union Research Institute for Animal Husbandry, Lenin All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences was passed to the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (RAAS) and renamed the All-Russia Research Institute for Animal Husbandry.
In 2012, the All-Russia Research Institute for Animal Husbandry was named after the Director of the Institute for 1970-1975, L.K. Ernst, Academician of VASKhNIL, Professor.
In 2013, the All-Russia Research Institute was handed over to the Federal Agency for Scientific Organizations (FASO).
In 2017, the institution was renamed the Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry named after Academy Member L.K. Ernst (L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry) in accordance with the Order of FASO of the Russian Federation December 30, 2016 No. 739.
