On February 25, 2015, Professor Victor Borisovich Okhotsky, Professor of the Department of Steel Metallurgy of the National Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine (NMetAU), Doctor of Technical Sciences, Laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine, passed away at the age of 77.

Having graduated in 1960 from Dnepropetrovsk metallurgical institute, majoring in steel metallurgy, V.B. Okhotsky began his career as junior research assistant and for more than half a century rose to the leading professor of department with world-wide reputation.

During many years of work in the Department Victor Borisovich made an invaluable contribution to development of theory and practice of converter and open-hearth processes, out of furnace treatment and steel casting, gas and hydrodynamics, heat and mass transfer in metallurgical processes.

For 45-year activity on a field of teaching Victor Borisovich had been published more than 600 scientific works and 20 inventions, he had prepared 8 candidates of engineering sciences. Many generations of students of steelmakers of NMetAU with warmth in heart remember high rigor and principled nature of Victor Borisovich, but at the same time, they all note his great modesty, democracy and warm-heartedness as a teacher and person.

For more than 30 years Professor V.B. Okhotsky is the permanent editor of "Steelmaking" section of international scientific and technical magazine "Metallurgical and Mining Industry".

The editorial staff of the journal, the staff of the metallurgy of steel department of NMetAU, and all those who knew this amazing man, mourn his irrevocable loss. Victor Borisovich will always remain in our memory as a personality with a capital letter, a bright and highly decent man.