The Moscow Zoo Museum is located in the most beautiful and oldest building on the territory of the zoo. This is a "stone pavilion for ungulates in 2 floors", built in late XIX- the beginning of the XX century. You saw it for sure: the giraffe Samson lives on the first floor, and the Museum of the History of the Moscow Zoo is located on the second floor. Entrance to the museum is free! There are no animals here, but it is very interesting here!
The lobby displays the emblems of the zoos of the world, of which there are already more than 10 thousand
Each zoo has its own memorable, unlike the others, emblem
The Museum of the History of the Zoo is a dynamically developing exposition and exhibition project of the Moscow Zoo GAU, which was formed in 2008-2015 as a Visit Center and then grew into a unique educational museum exposition.
Desire to show complex and interesting life zoos "from the inside" prompted in 2008 the employees of the Moscow Zoo to create a Visit Center, the exposition of which allows you to look at the relationship between humans and wild animals as a continuous process - from hunting and use as food, clothing, housing, from temporary keeping in primitive pens - to breeding in captivity in order to preserve the wild fauna on Earth, as a biological and aesthetic value.
AT central hall The expositions intertwine three main themes: the relationship between man and animals, the creation and functioning of zoos, and the history of the Moscow Zoo.
There are four columns in the hall, each of which carries a certain load and tells about what is around it.
The first column talks about ancient civilization, in particular Egypt. It tells about the collection of animals that were created by the ancient Egyptian, Roman and Greek rulers. Animals at that time were used only for food. Later they began to use animal skins for clothing and housing.
Animals were used as human helpers, such as picking fruit from trees. Animals were used for military purposes, as well as for entertainment - animal fights.
The layout of the Colosseum, everything was done according to old books, it turned out to be quite difficult to complete
The era of geographical discoveries gave impetus to the emergence of zoos in our modern sense.
The showcase is dedicated to the Moscow Zoo. Photographs of the founders, pavilions of the zoo are presented. Exhibited coins 10, 20.50 kopecks. In those years, in different days ticket prices varied. On the day when the entrance cost 50 kopecks, the wealthy public came to them, it was so calmer to walk around the zoo.
In the 1890s, buildings appeared that still exist on the territory of the zoo - the dovecote building, the museum building
From the archives: facade of the building of the Moscow Zoo Museum
Another column is dedicated to European zoos, which the creators of the Moscow Zoo visited and emphasized something from what they saw to create our zoo.
The first European zoo opened in 1752 - the Vienna Zoo
In 1857, A.P. Bogdanov submitted a report “On the adoption of measures to arrange a zoological garden” to the Committee for Acclimatization. Being on a business trip abroad, he, on behalf of the Committee, examined the zoological gardens of London, Paris, Amsterdam, Ghent and Harlem. The study of the structure of the zoological gardens of Europe, their layout, the architecture of the pavilions, the principles of keeping animals formed the basis for the creation of the Moscow Zoological Garden.
The project was initiated by Vladimir Vladimirovich Spitsin, and the authors were L.V. Egorova, one of the oldest employees of the zoo, I.L. Kostina, T.E. Baluyan, N.V. Karpov, V.P. Sheveleva, E.Ya. Migunova, T.V. Voronina, N.R. Rubinshtein and other employees of the zoo, as well as the architect N.I. in the museum.
The zoo's first animals are large animals donated by patrons.
One of the first animals of the zoo, probably can be considered - the wallaby kangaroo.
The territory for the zoo has already been chosen, but has not yet been organized (there were no buildings and fences). While all this was being done, the animals were placed in the yards of the employees of the acclimatization society, in general, the acclimatization society began to create a zoo. The wallaby kangaroo lived at the home of Professor Usov, one of the creators of the zoo, and slept on his bed. It was a completely tame kangaroo.
After the revolution, there were hard times for the zoo, there were big problems with food, there was nothing to drown. Moscow was getting cold and starving and, accordingly, the zoo also suffered, but survived. Difficult times for the zoo were in the 30s, at that time many were afraid of a car driving up to the entrance. Many zoo employees were repressed.
During the war, it was a very difficult time for the zoo, by the way, during the Second World War, the zoo practically did not close. Maybe there were a few days, in the most heavy raids and bombings.
All employees were on duty on the roofs of the zoo pavilions these days. Many employees lived on the territory of the zoo. There was such a family named Zakusilo. They lived on the territory of the zoo, during the raid they were both on the roof of the pavilion dropping incendiary bombs. They saw how the bomb hit their house and no one was on duty there, their main task was to save the animals.
Two side halls tell only about the Moscow Zoo.
the museum will be interesting for both children and their parents
All expositions are decorated with animalistic works
The museum has some biological objects, but only those that the animals themselves have already lost
For example, an elephant lost a tooth, sawed off its horns, musk ox fur. The museum does not keep stuffed animals.
The main gates of the zoo have become the hallmark of the Moscow zoo and the Presnya district
The main entrance of the zoo in different years
In the center of the museum is a large model of the Moscow Zoo
Zoo schemes in different years
The pride of the museum - poster dated May 22, 1949. It is in the same frame as in 1949
When Yuri Luzhkov came to the zoo for the first time with his little daughter and saw the deplorable state of the zoo... he said that we were urgently starting reconstruction. The completion of this reconstruction is now taking place.
There are still a lot of interesting things in the museum, of course it is better to go in and see for yourself :)
I would like to say a huge thank you for the work in opening the museum of the Moscow Zoo - Natalya Ivanovna, the artist who came up with the design of the museum, as well as the author of the exhibition, Irina Kostina
Come with the whole family to the museum and if you like it, write your review about the museum in the book of honored guests
Museum history.
Research Zoological Museum of Moscow state university them. M.V. Lomonosov traces his genealogy to the Cabinet of Natural History, founded at the Moscow Imperial University in 1791. Initially, the Cabinet was replenished mainly through private donations: among the most significant are the collection of the Semyatsky Cabinet of Natural History and the Museum of P.G. Demidov.
Almost all museum collections of the university perished in the Moscow fire of 1812; only a small part of the corals and mollusc shells have been preserved. In the 1920s, a zoological collection was separated from the restored Cabinet, which formed the basis of the museum of the same name, located in the new classroom building of the university ( former home Pashkov). The principle of organization was systematic, meant to illustrate the natural system of animals. In 1822, the first inventory of the museum's collections was published, which included more than 1,000 specimens of vertebrates and about 20,000 specimens of invertebrates.
From 1804 to 1832 the museum was headed by the outstanding zoologist G.I. Fisher is a student of K. Linnaeus, the author of the first scientific works on the fauna of Russia. In 1832, he developed a project for the organization of the National Museum natural history in Moscow on the model of classical national museums France, England and Germany. However, this project was not accepted (there is no museum of this type in Russia until now).
In 1837-1858 the museum was headed by K.F. Ruler - Founder Russian school ecologists. He paid the main attention to the study of the domestic fauna, gave great importance collection of serial materials, and not only on modern, but also on fossil animals. By following this concept, by the end of the 50s. the museum has already accumulated more than 65 thousand copies.
An important role in the development of the Zoological Museum was played by prof. A.P. Bogdanov, who led it from 1863 to 1896. During this period, the funds were divided into exposition, educational and scientific ones, and systematic accounting work with them began. In 1866, the museum was opened as a public one; by the end of the century, up to 8,000 people a year visited its exposition.
In 1898-1901, especially for the Zoological Museum, which was headed by prof. A.A.Tikhomirov, 
under the project of acad. Bykhovsky, a building was erected at the corner of Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street. and Dolgorukovsky (Nikitsky) per., preserved without structural changes to this day. In 1911, a new systematic exposition was opened to the public in the Upper Hall.
In the 20s, the building housed the working premises of the Scientific Research Institute of Zoology, Plavmornin, since 1930 - services and divisions of the newly organized Faculty of Biology of Moscow University, in the structure of which the museum itself was introduced. During these years (from 1904 to 1930) the museum was headed by prof. G.A. Kozhevnikov. Under him, scientists-zoologists were formed within the walls of the museum, whose works subsequently received worldwide recognition: experts on invertebrates Acad. L.A. Zenkevich, prof. Borutsky; entomologist prof. B.B. Roddendorf, prof. E.S. Smirnov; ichthyologist acad. L.S. Berg; ornithologists prof. G.P. Dementiev, prof. N.A.Bobrinskaya, prof. N.A.Gladkov; theriologists prof. S.I. Ognev, prof. V. G. Geptner. In 1931, the Zoological Museum was transferred to the Museum Department of the People's Commissariat of Education (until 1939) and received the name "Central State Zoological Museum". The volume of scientific funds by the beginning of the 40s. reached 1.2 million copies.
In July 1941, all the halls of the museum were closed. Some of the scientific collections were evacuated to Ashgabat, the rest were placed in the Lower Hall. In March 1942, both halls on the second floor were opened to the public, and in 1945, the lower one as well. The evacuated funds were returned in 1943. In the 50s. The main event was the release of the museum building from the services of the Biological Faculty in connection with its relocation to the new building of Moscow State University on the Lenin Hills, which made it possible to significantly improve the placement of scientific collections.
In the 70-80s. (Director O.L. Rossolimo) the museum has undergone a complete reconstruction. Due to the release of the "wings" of the building, occupied by residential premises, the area of storage facilities was increased, and exposition halls were unloaded.
Scientific part of the museum.
The scientific part of the museum currently includes 7 sectors: invertebrate zoology, entomology, ichthyology, herpetology, ornithology, theriology, evolutionary morphology. The number of scientific staff - 26 people. Among them are the world's leading experts in taxonomy of individual taxa of shellless and testate molluscs, crustaceans, mites, beetles and dipterans, gobies, and desert rodents. The main direction of research is the analysis of the structure of taxonomic diversity, including systematics, phylogenetics, faunistics. Developments are underway in the field of theoretical taxonomy. 
The works of the museum are published annually under the general title "Research on Fauna" (34 volumes have been published), scientific monographs are published (for last years at least 20, among them the fundamental summary "Mammals of Eurasia"), catalogs of collections (primarily type, also the Demidov collection of mollusks), teaching aids for their storage. With the support of the museum, 4 scientific journals in the field of zoology are published.
Museum funds.
In terms of funds, the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University is among the top ten major museums world in this profile, ranks second in Russia (after the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg). Its scientific funds currently include more than 4.5 million items. The annual increase in scientific collections is about 25-30 thousand items. xp, and a significant contribution is made by the branch institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences of Problems of Evolution and Ecology, Oceanology, Geography, etc. The most extensive collections are entomological (about 3 million, of which more than 1 million are beetles); very significant collections of mammals (200 thousand), birds (140 thousand). Of the regions, the Palaearctic is most fully represented.
Of particular scientific importance is the collection of type specimens (about 7 thousand units), documenting the discoveries of animal taxa new to science - species and subspecies, of which more than 5 thousand have been described on the basis of the museum's collections throughout its history.
Of great historical value are: a collection of mollusk shells, which belonged to P.G. Demidov, with whom the Cabinet of Natural History began; the collection of insects by G. Fischer, which served as the basis for writing his famous "Entomography"; a few exhibits of birds and mammals, during the time of G. Fischer and K. Roulier, demonstrated in classes with students and public lectures (for example, the skull of a mountain gorilla, which has an inventory No. 1); fees N.A. Severtsov and A.P. Fedchenko of the second half of the last century, who organized the first systematic studies of mountain territories Central Asia.
Among the later contributions of great importance for research on taxonomy are: the world-famous collections of beetles V.I. Mochulsky and butterflies A.V. Tsvetaeva; a collection of terrestrial and marine invertebrates collected by Semper at the end of the last century in the Philippines and until recently considered lost; collections of mammals and birds from the Peruvian Amazon, Vietnam, Mongolia; oological collection of Palearctic birds.
Library.
The scientific library of the museum has about 200 thousand items. mainly specialized publications on zoology. Among the most valuable are lifetime editions late XVIII - early XIX centuries C. Linnaeus, J.-B. Lamarck, G. Fischer. The attraction of the library is books and prints from the personal collections of zoologists S.I. Ogneva, N.I. Plavilshchikova, G.P. Dementieva and others.
Exposure.
AT modern exposition about 7.5 thousand exhibits were exhibited. General principle its construction is kept the same: two halls are reserved for the systematic part, one for the evolutionary-morphological part. Invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles are housed in the Lower Hall. Birds and mammals in the Upper Hall. The key concept of systematic exposition is the demonstration of the taxonomic diversity of animals of the world fauna. The task of evolutionary exposure is to demonstrate the operation of the basic laws and rules of macroevolutionary transformations of morphological structures.
The exposition exhibits mainly representatives of mass species. Along with this, there are also unique objects: for example, a complete skeleton of a Steller's cow, a stuffed pigeon (both of these species were exterminated by man 200 years ago). Among the exhibits that particularly attract visitors, one can note two stuffed giant pandas - one of the rarest animals, a collection of very bright and large tropical butterflies and beetles; finally, openwork skeletons of vertebrates made about 100 years ago.
The exposition is based on natural objects: stuffed animals and skeletons of terrestrial vertebrates, total specimens of fish, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates fixed in alcohol, dried and straightened insects. Elements of the landscape principle are also used: some objects are mounted on imitations of a natural substrate. Field objects are accompanied by diagrams and texts containing information about the taxonomic position, distribution, features of biology and morphology, and the principles of operation of individual morphological structures.
Many stuffed animals and preparations are decades old. They were made by such outstanding taxidermists as F. Lorenz, later - V. Fedulov, N. Nazmov, V. Radin.
The museum has an art fund, which includes more than 400 drawings and paintings by outstanding domestic animal artists: V.A. Vatagina, A.N. Komarova, N.N. Kondakova, G.E. Nikolsky and others. Some of the paintings are exhibited in permanent exhibition.
Work with visitors. Museum for children.
Scientific and educational work on the basis of the exposition is carried out by the excursion and exposition department with 10 employees. Every year, the museum exposition is visited by 190-200 thousand people, about 1700 excursions are organized on 15-18 topics.
On the basis of the lecture hall operates Education Centre"Planetarium". Lectures are developed and read by scientific experts in the relevant fields of knowledge. Their subjects cover biology, history, art, architecture.
The museum has a zoological circle for senior classes. Classes are held on the basis of the museum's stock collections, lectures on the evolution and biology of animals, field trips.
The museum is open daily except Mondays from 10 am to 6 pm.
Address: 103009 Moscow K-9, st. Bolshaya Nikitskaya, 6.
Contact phone: 203-89-23.
I propose to look at the museums of our capital not only as a repository of exhibits, but also as architectural objects. Let's start with one of the oldest - the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University, located on Bolshaya Nikitskaya, 2
Building of the Zoological Museum
The official history of the Zoological Museum is usually counted from the formation of the Cabinet of Natural History in 1791. The basis of the first collection was donations from representatives of the Demidov dynasty, then there were gifts from Catherine the Second, Alexander the First, and Princess Dashkova. Almost the entire priceless collection perished in the fire of 1812, only a part of the sea shells was saved. Due to numerous donations, the collection was restored anew. During the 19th century, it was located in various university buildings on Nikitskaya Street, until a separate building was built specifically for the Zoological Museum in 1898-1902.
Facade of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University overlooking Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street
The author of the project was Academician of Architecture, Chief Architect of Moscow University Konstantin Mikhailovich Bykovsky. In total, on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street, he built several buildings for the university. The building style of the Zoological Museum can be described as restrained eclecticism based on classicism. The first floor of the building along the entire facade is highlighted with decorative rustication, i.e. facing with quadrangular, tightly fitting stones, in this case- with pyramidal surface treatment
The building has the shape of an angle in plan and is located along Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street with one branch, and along Nikitsky Lane with the other. The architect beautifully solved the problem of balancing the facades and placed the main entrance from a cut corner. Under the roof, along the entire facade of the building, there is a stucco frieze, in which, in addition to plant garlands, you can see many animals: squirrels, bats, various reptiles, herons, owls and other birds, heads of bears, hares, wolves, mountain goats and other artiodactyls and equids
On each of the facades of the museum there is a semicircular niche. Based on the classicist traditions in which the building was designed, I am not sure that it was supposed to have a window, as is the case now, but with a much greater degree of certainty it can be assumed that a niche was intended for a statue, most likely an allegorical one, of one of the cohorts of patron gods of science and knowledge
The building looks very curious from the courtyard: the decor of the facade is made as carefully as from the street, only it is not plastered or painted.
Interestingly, until 1953, part of the current premises of the museum was residential, there were apartments for professors of the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University. Professors were visited by I. Mandelstam, M. Bulgakov, V. Kandinsky, R. Falk. It was here, within the walls of the Zoological Museum, that in 1931 Mandelstam wrote the famous: “Everything is just nonsense, sherry brandy, my angel…”. And Professor Alexei Severtsov served Bulgakov as the prototype of the famous Professor Persikov, the hero of the story "Fatal Eggs". Here, in one of the modest rooms, in the summer of 1940, Marina Tsvetaeva was sheltered with her son, who had nowhere to go after being evicted from Golitsino.
Halls of the Zoological Museum
In total, the museum has three exhibition halls on two floors. The halls are located in that part of the building that stretches along Bolshaya Nikitskaya. Along Nikitsky Lane there are offices and offices that are not accessible to visitors. In the Lower Hall, animals from unicellular to reptiles are presented; here are the most exhibits. Birds and mammals are shown in the Upper Hall. Also on the second floor there is a hall comparative anatomy or the Bone Hall. See how spectacular the colonnade of the central aisle of the Lower Hall looks
The capitals of the columns are decorated with curls of acanthus leaves intertwined with snakes.
The old floor, lined with patterned metlakh tiles, has been preserved here. In the aisles, the tile pattern has been erased from the feet of numerous visitors, but there are well-preserved areas with a clearly readable pattern.
The upper hall immediately takes us to the era of Art Nouveau, construction eiffel tower and the first skyscrapers, when they loved to emphasize structural elements
Feel this rhythm of steps and railings, the laconic ornamentation of beams, the appropriateness of rivets
Staircase of the Upper Hall leading to the balconies-gallery
Along the side walls of the Upper Hall on the second floor stretch balconies-gallery, which are supported by Art Nouveau brackets.
These side balconies are not accessible to visitors, but sometimes on the Days of Museums, tourists are taken to this bridge, thrown from one wall to another
The floor in the Bone Hall is so cheerful
In the Bone Hall, one should also pay attention to the picturesque frieze on the theme of the history of the living world of the Earth. This is the work of the founder of Russian animalistics, the artist Vasily Vatagin, who worked for thirty years at the Zoological Museum and was also at the origins of the Darwin Museum
The value of V. Vatagin's work is in the exceptionally correct biological drawing, in the mastery of scientific illustration, as close as possible to the original and at the same time enriched with artistic intent. At a time when the art and technique of photography had not yet reached its present heights, when there was no computer programs image processing, biological drawing was practically an integral part of fundamental science. It turns out that so far artistic illustrations, for example, in guides to birds, are of much greater value than photographs, because very few photographs have an angle that allows you to see all the necessary identifying features.
Vatagin's works can be found in almost the entire exposition of the Zoological Museum. Huge picturesque panels depicting the life of wildlife meet visitors already in the foyer and are a real hallmark of the museum
Paintings by V. Vatagin in the lobby of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University
Funds and exposition of the Zoological Museum
It must be said right away that with the current level of transmission and preservation of the image, and with the opportunity to travel around the world, the museum exhibits do not make a stunning impression and sometimes seem primitive. But the immeasurable scientific value of the museum is determined not by its spectacle, but by the uniqueness of its funds. Only 14 thousand exhibits are presented in the halls, while the scientific funds include about 8-10 MILLION (!!!) items of storage. The collection of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University is currently the second largest in Russia (after the Zoological Institute and the Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg), and in the world it occupies approximately 13th place.
Moreover, the development of science does not diminish, but only increases the value of what has been accumulated. For example, Austrian scientists recently turned to the museum for samples brought by the Przhevalsky expedition for genetic comparison with the current inhabitants of the Asian steppes.
In the Zoological Museum, almost all exhibits are natural biological material. The museum basically does not exhibit plastic models. There are only two exceptions. This is a model of unicellular animals that cannot be seen without a microscope - radiolarians, and a cast of coelacanth - the rarest, considered extinct animal, of which there are about 100 copies in all museums of the world, and in our country there is a single copy in the Institute of Oceanology. Forms of storage include both classical - dry and wet preservation, and new ones - tissue samples for DNA analysis, various transcripts of the molecular level (genotypes, karyotypes, sequences, etc.), cryocollections, audio recordings of voices, etc. racks store hundreds of thousands of jars, vials and other vessels of thick glass with ground stoppers, additionally sealed with films of bull bladders or more modern materials. Despite all the tricks, alcohol from vials and cans gradually evaporates, so it has to be topped up regularly
Among the scientific premises there is the so-called "kozheednik" or, scientifically, "dermestarium", where animal skeletons are cleaned by leather-eater insects and where entry is prohibited even for employees. The building of the Zoological Museum has extensive cellars. In that basement, under Nikitsky Lane, there was a bomb shelter with a high degree of autonomy: airtight steel doors with bolts, like in a bunker. In the other direction, the dungeon goes towards the Kremlin, but not far: the passage is blocked with brickwork. The described basements, storages and rooms for scientists are not accessible to visitors, but then I want to tell you what you should pay attention to in the halls of the museum. Here in this narrow corridor of the second floor, do not pass by one of the most unusual exhibits
This is an image of the coat of arms of the Russian Empire, which at first glance seems to be embroidered with multi-colored beads and beads, but in fact it is lined with more than 5,500 beetles and 20 species of butterflies. This appliqué painting is almost 180 years old and was donated by the original Slovenian entomologist Ferdinand Jozsef Schmidt. AT Soviet time the coat of arms was hidden in the storerooms. The picture was restored three times, picking up the lost insects of the same size and color, and if initially it consisted of specimens of the ethnofauna of the Balkans, now it is almost entirely of Russian species.
Not only scientific, but also historical value is a stuffed rhinoceros, or rather, a rhinoceros. The animal itself was bought in 1862 in Calcutta and transported to Moscow. They called her Semiramide, and the minister who looked after her gradually renamed her Monka. The story about how Monka-Semiramide walked around Moscow from half a kilometer, when it was necessary to transfer her from a temporary place to a permanent one to the Zoo, is noteworthy. The gendarmes blocked the traffic, about 20 workers gathered to keep the rhinoceros on a chain, a heavy log was also tied to the chain. But Monka ran, broke the chain and was stopped only by a piece of bread. So, having fed her about 11 kg of bread, they brought her to the Zoo. She lived there for 24 years, and after her death she presented the Zoological Museum with two exhibits: a stuffed animal in the Upper Hall and a skeleton in Kostnoy. Previously, a scarecrow stood in the aisle and there are still legends that people jumped over it - and not only across, but along (!) - not only students, but also the luminaries of domestic science
In general, many inhabitants of the Moscow Zoo ended up on the museum’s exposition after death: these are giant pandas, and the Indian elephant, and the lion (a gift to I. Stalin from D. Nehru), several species of monkeys and birds
And the stuffed hippo, most likely, was made right in exhibition hall, because due to its size it does not pass through the door leading to the hall. This exhibit was used in the film by Eldar Ryazanov "Garage" - it was on it that the "luckiest" member of the cooperative, performed by the director, slept
On my own behalf, I would advise you to pay attention to the showcase with the birds of central Russia. You will be surprised to see the species diversity of the most familiar birds to us: sparrows, tits, buntings. And here you can also find out the names of the birds that live next to us, in city squares and alleys
Everyone, of course, has their own sympathies in the animal world, but as an insect fan, I cannot help but draw your attention to butterfly stands.
In fact, out of the one and a half million species of animals on Earth known to us, up to a million are insects - so this is their planet)). Look at these handsome beetles - you just want to take them in your hands to feel their heaviness, solid cast bodies and admire the impeccable perfection of nature's creations
How to get to the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University
The official address of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University is Bolshaya Nikitskaya street, building 2 (former building 6). It is in the very center of Moscow, on the corner of Bolshaya Nikitskaya and Nikitsky lane, 6-7 minutes walk from the metro Okhotny Ryad(exit to Tverskaya St., to the Yermolova Theatre):
Walk a minute longer from the stations of the Lenin Library, Aleksandrovsky Sad and Arbatskaya Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line:
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Thursday until 9 p.m., but visitors are not allowed in one hour before closing. Monday is a day off. The last Tuesday of the month is a sanitary day. Ticket price: full - 300 rubles, for schoolchildren, students, pensioners - 100 rubles.
The museum offers dozens of excursions for different ages. Their subject matter and design procedure can be found on the official website of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University. The museum has a bio-lecture room and a circle of young naturalists.
clue - theater house January 14th, 2017
The theater house, and now the house at number 13, standing on the bend of the Zoological street, was built according to the sketch of the artist V.D. Polenov. From 1904 to 1918, Polenov lived in an old estate on Sadovo-Kudrinskaya Street, 7. In 1915, the artist noticed an empty plot of the peasant Mironov in the neighborhood. The buyer of the plot was Moscow Society People's Universities, in which Polenov led the Section for Assistance to the Device of Village, Factory and School Theaters.
The building was designed by architect O.O. Shishkovsky and opened on December 29, 1916 in the presence of A.A. Bakhrushina, S.I. Mamontova, G.S. Burdzhalov, Polenov himself and many other famous cultural figures. This house housed scenery and costume workshops, scenery warehouses, props, props, a theater library and a hall for demonstration performances, which were staged by Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov himself.
At an extraordinary meeting of the Section for Assistance in the Arrangement of Village and Factory Theaters, it was decided to express gratitude for the generous gift, to ask the artist "to allow us to name the future building of the Section the House named after Academician Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov." The artist himself continued to call him simply Section.
The stylistic features of the house, its unusual three-dimensional structure suggest that the basis architectural project sketches were laid by V.D. Polenov. In the original forms of the building, one can feel the love for Western European medieval architecture, characteristic of the early projects of the artist.
V.D. Polenov. House of theatrical education in Moscow. Completed building project. Museum-reserve V.D. Polenova
Over the years, the house has lost its original façade, the large plane of which was enlivened by three tall Gothic windows and a balcony. Now there is no balcony, many new windows have been pierced, the old ones have been blocked up. Previously, he had his own expressive face, now in the register of historical and cultural monuments he is listed as a valuable city-forming object.
In Soviet times, the Central Demonstration Theater of the Teo Glavpolitprosveta was located here, for which in 1921 Sergei Eisenstein, together with Sergei Yutkevich, designed the play "Macbeth" based on the play by William Shakespeare. The play premiered on April 25, 1922.
In 1928, a fire broke out in the building, destroying Polenov's scenery and almost all theatrical property. In the 1930s, the building housed an industrial plant.
The building was badly damaged during the restructuring, however, the main compositional articulations and individual architectural elements décor - a corner tower with fragments of décor, a crenellated cornice, architraves of embedded window and door openings.
In 2009, the threat of destruction loomed over the Theater House - they were going to build the Federal Museum in its place contemporary art. The "Polenovskiy" house was supposed to be part of the new complex, retaining only part of its facades.
Museum of Contemporary Art as part of the State Center for Contemporary Art. Version until 2012 Zoological street, vl. thirteen
It ended with the fact that now the National Center for Contemporary Art is located here.
This center also occupies the neighboring building on Zoological Street - "Theater House".
Initially, Zoological Street was called Medynka. It is believed that here in the 17th century there was a honey yard of the palace village of Voskresenskoye. However, the area around the street was called both Medynka and Medyntsevy Gory. Therefore, it is possible that the name of the area was given by the surname of the landowners - merchants Medyntsevs.
The street received its modern name after the nearby Zoological Garden, the modern Zoo, was founded in 1864. It stretched from Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street to Krasina Street. In 1951, Bubninsky and Kabanikhinsky lanes were included in the street, which arose at the beginning of the 20th century on the site of the Bubna and Kabanikha rivers, enclosed in underground pipes. Now on Zoological Street next to the theater house there is a service entrance to the Moscow Zoo.
Information sources:
Wikipedia,
At Russian Academy sciences, there is a Zoological Museum, which is the largest in our country both in terms of the occupied territory and in terms of the volume of funds. The second place is firmly held by a similar institution at Moscow State University. The Zoological Museum is not one of the ten largest institutions of its kind in the world.
Famous patrons of Russia
The history of its creation is as follows. In 1802, the state issued an appeal for donations for education. Among the first to respond was the learned naturalist and philanthropist Pavel G. Demidov (1739-1821), a descendant of a famous dynasty. His ascetic activity is very extensive - in 1803 he opened a school with his own funds. higher sciences, which bore his name until 1919. At the same time, he donates funds in the amount of 100,000 rubles, an extensive library and the natural science collection he collected during his travels around the world to the future Moscow State University. The zoological museum will come into being thanks to these donations. In addition, in 1805, P. G. Demidov transferred to Moscow University the Mintz Cabinet, which contained the richest collections (several thousand) of medals and coins. These treasures later formed the main fund of the “Natural History Cabinet” formed earlier, in 1791.
Professional approach
In 1755, by decree of the Empress, the Imperial Moscow University - MGU was founded. The Zoological Museum is 36 years younger, which does not prevent it from being considered one of the oldest natural science organizations. He is 215 years old.
After the funds of the “Cabinet of Natural History” were significantly replenished through the efforts of the patron P. G. Demidov, it became necessary to systematize them. This responsible task was entrusted to the already well-established (compiled an inventory of a similar office in Paris) Russian naturalist G. I. Fischer ( full name- Grigory Ivanovich (Johann Gottgelf, Gotthelf) Fischer von Waldheim, years of life - 1771-1853). G. I. Fischer, the author of the dissertation “On the Breath of Animals”, a student and follower, rejected the proposal of the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, who invited him to systematize his “natural history cabinet”, and remained in Moscow, in the future of Moscow State University. The Zoological Museum was created by his efforts.
Ascetic activity
In 1806-1807 he made the first inventory of all collections, including coins and medals. As you know, in 1812 Moscow burned. A lot of buildings perished in this fire, the priceless collections of the future Zoological Museum were almost completely destroyed. And the patriot of Russia Grigory Ivanovich Fisher, who managed to save part of the conchological (shells and mollusks) collection during the fire, began to restore the “office”, transferring his own collections, collections and the library to it. Then, using his personal authority and fame in scientific circles, he turned to natural scientists and curators of private collections with a request to help in the restoration of the lost museum, the revival of which could already be discussed in 1814. The second inventory, done by G. I. Fisher, was completed in 1822, and its data were published. Simultaneously with the systematization of funds, a zoological collection was allocated, and new museum at the university was created only on its basis. By 1830, thanks to the selfless activity of G. I. Fisher, the number of exhibits reaches 25 thousand items.
Necessary reorganization
The next improvement was carried out already in 1860. Then all the funds of the museum were divided into educational, scientific and exposition. For visitors, the future Zoological Museum of Moscow State University. Lomonosov opened in 1866. Of course, throughout all the years of its existence, it has developed dynamically, and by the end of the century, the premises allocated for it became cramped. And therefore, in 1989-1902, a new specialized three-story building was built for the museum according to the design of the academician, hereditary architect K. M. Bykovsky, at that time the chief architect of Moscow University. He built university buildings on Bolshaya Nikitskaya, in addition to the Zoological Museum, K. M. Bykovsky erected a library and buildings of several faculties.
The most beautiful building, made in the classical style, is located in the heart of the capital. The nearest metro stations are “Biblioteka im. Lenin" and "Okhotny Ryad". The museum moved to it from the old building on Mokhovaya. After moving public museum becomes only in 1911.
In 1930, the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University in Moscow was given to the Faculty of Biology. A major reorganization took place in the 1990s. After all the ordeals, the museum acquires an independent status. To date, its scientific funds reach several million units.
It is visited by up to 150,000 people a year, the number of excursions conducted during the same time reaches 1,700. More refined and extensive information on each type of scientific collections is widely available. Three well-equipped viewing rooms are given to visitors - two on the first floor, one (Bone Hall) - on the second. All collections are arranged according to species proximity, from protozoa to vertebrates.
Serious scientific research
The Research Zoological Museum of Moscow State University is doing serious work - it studies and systematizes knowledge about animals in general, about modern ones in particular. Therefore, out of 10 million exhibits, only 8 are exhibited, among which there are unique representatives of the world fauna, for example, the largest and heaviest goliath beetle and hundreds of other one-of-a-kind specimens. It is not surprising that Muscovites start visiting this museum at a very young age - they come here with their one-year-old children and are satisfied with the tour. The Zoological Museum, which is mostly positive, is really very good, keeping up with the times, providing all the "chips" that can attract and interest as many visitors as possible. And extraordinary people work here as guides. But always when visiting any museum in the world, there are people who think that the guides speak quietly, and the exhibits are covered with dust. The photo shows that this is not the case.
Ticket prices, reviews, interesting facts
You can be convinced of the colorfulness and high level of the collections by visiting the museum. Ticket price - only 100 rubles for a child as part of an excursion group of at least 20 people. For an adult with excursion service - 250 rubles, without an excursion - 200. There is a flexible system of benefits, free days for special categories of citizens and one free night per year.
Periodic exhibitions are very interesting. Some visitors buy tickets in advance with advance payment. It remains to add a few interesting facts- for some time, Marina Tsvetaeva lived in the apartment of Professor A.N. Severtsev, located in the museum building, who was the founder of the evolutionary morphology of animals. And he himself served as a prototype for the hero of the "Fatal Eggs" by M. A. Bulgakov.