Natalia Venetz (née Pachomov)

This biography was written for the book Against the Odds: New Zealand’s First Women Doctors published in 2025. Further information can be found in the bibliography. It was compiled by Michaela Selway.

1954 graduate

Natalia Venetz (née Pachomov) was born on the 23 August 1923 to Eugene and Maria Pachomov. While little is known of Natalia, more is known about her father due to his efforts in establishing the Russian Orthodox community in Christchurch. In 1949, the family arrived in New Zealand aboard the ship Dundalk Bay, which carried displaced persons, including many Russian families, seeking refuge after the war. During the voyage, Eugene organized Vespers services, demonstrating his commitment to maintaining religious practices even in transit.

Upon arrival, he and his family were placed in the Pahiatua refugee camp, where he continued to lead regular Vespers services for the Orthodox community. After settling in Christchurch, Eugene’s home became a central gathering place for the Russian Orthodox faithful. He conducted regular Saturday Vespers services and organized a choir that included his daughter and other community members. His efforts were instrumental in sustaining the spiritual life of the Russian émigré community during a period when they lacked a resident priest. (1)

In 1950, Father Aleksey Godyaev (father of 1961 graduate Tatyana Godyaev) was officially assigned to minister to the Russian Orthodox population in New Zealand, but he was based in Wellington and only visited Christchurch a few times a year. Therefore, Eugene took on the responsibility of organizing the local Orthodox community. He formed a gospel choir that included Russian, Greek, and Serbian Orthodox believers and began holding regular services. (2)

By 1951, the growing community gathered in a small, converted cottage in Vincent Place, Opawa, which served as their makeshift church. As the Orthodox population continued to increase—particularly following the 1950 influx of Russian immigrants—the need for a larger space became evident. By 1962, the community included around 20 families. Under Pachomov’s leadership, they raised funds to purchase land on Brougham Road, where they began construction of a dedicated church building. He continued his work in this community until his death in 1958. (2)

Natalia most likely completed her schooling overseas as she is first recorded as a student at the Canterbury College only one year after her arrival in New Zealand. In 1950, she completed Psychology I and Education I for a Bachelor of Arts. (3) In 1953, she was now enrolled as a medical student at the Otago Medical School and successfully completed the first section of her Third Professional Examinations. (4) In 1954, she completed the second section of her Third Professional Examinations, with the location stated as Christchurch. (5) She graduated in 1954 along with 9 other women.

Though little is known of her career, it is most likely that she went into research. Her first article, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal is entitled ‘Partial pituitary insufficiency following post partum haemorrhage’. She is listed as working in the Otago Medical School Department of Neurology. (6) The paper is co-authored with J. E. Caughey. Caughey and Pachomov published another paper together in 1961 entitled ‘Carbohydrate metabolism in patients with dystrophia myotonica’. (7)

Early in the 1960s, Natalia received the distinguished Humboldt Foundation Fellowship offered by the Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). This research took place at the Max Planck-Institut für Hirnforschung, Abteilung für Tumorforschung und experimentelle Pathologie (Max Plank Institute for Brain Research, Department of Tumour Research and Experimental Pathology) located in Frankfurt, Germany.

This research resulted in a publication entitled ‘Morphologische Untersuchungen zur Frage der Funktion des subfornikalen Organs der Ratte’ (Morphological investigations into the question of the function of the subfornical organ in the rat) published in the Deutsche Zeitschrift für Nervenheilkunde in 1963. (8) In the bibliography, she mentions an upcoming publication entitled ‘Untersuchungen zur stereotaktischen Ausschaltung des Subfornicalorgans der Katze’ (Investigations into the stereotactic ablation of the subfornical organ in the cat), though this paper was unable to be found.

When Natalia returned to New Zealand, she married Richard Venetz, who was listed in the New Zealand electoral rolls as a ‘Fitter’. Her mother, Maria, was listed at the same address. Natalia’s only other known work association was Seacliff Hospital, which was listed as her home institution on her publications. Later in life, the family moved to Auckland. Natalia and Richard both died in 1992 and were buried together with Maria Pachomov at Papakura Cemetery.

References

1. Michael A. Protopopov, A Russian Presence: A History of the Russian Church in Australia, Gorgias Press: New Jersey, 2008.
2. ‘History’, St Nicholas Church, accessed 11 May 2025: https://stnicholaschurch.org.nz/history/
3. ‘University of N.Z.’ Press, 21 November 1950, accessed 11 May 2025. Papers past.
4. ‘Examinations in Medicine’, Press, 20 November 1953, accessed 11 May 2025. Papers past.
5. ‘University of Otago’, Press, 9 December 1954, accessed 11 May 2025. Papers past.
6. N Pachomov & J E Caughey, ‘Partial pituitary insufficiency following post partum haemorrhage’, New Zealand Medical Journal, 57, 1958, pp.43-54.
7. J E Caughey & N Pachomov, ‘Carbohydrate metabolism in patients with dystrophia myotonica’, New Zealand Medical Journal, 60, 1961, pp.376-382.
8. N Pachomov, ‘Morphologische Untersuchungen zur Frage der Funktion des subfornikalen Organs der Ratte’, Deutsche Zeitschrift für Nervenheilkunde, 185, 1963, pp.13–19