The Department was established in 1921 headed by Prof. Eugeniy S. SOROKIN. Prof. Sorokin initiated the study of cutaneous manifestations of syphilis, tuberculosis, and tularemia. Infectious diseases still remain one of the current trends in scientific research of the Department.
In 1960-1979, the Department was led by Prof. Boris A. TEOKHAROV, who proposed a new classification for sexually transmitted diseases; later the classification was introduced in Russian and foreign Textbooks of Venereology.
From 2011 to 2019, the Department was led by Assoc. Prof. Nikolay V. TITOV, MD, PhD.
From 1986 to 2011, the Department was headed by Prof. Alexander I. NOVIKOV, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation. His main scientific interest has been the implementation of new technologies in diagnosis and treatment of chronic skin diseases and STDs. On June 4, 2016, Prof. NOVIKOV was elected as a President of OSMU.
From 2011 to 2019, the Department was led by Prof. Vitaliy A. OKHLOPKOV. The Clinical Guidelines of the Russian Society of Dermatovenerologists on Psoriasis, Atopic Dermatitis, Acne, and Herpes Zoster were published under his supervision and management.