Zoo museum- a division of the university, and from the first days of its existence, it was to some extent a teaching aid. In addition, the Faculty of Biology (until 1955) and various laboratories and departments that preceded it were located in the same building with collections, and students really could get acquainted with animals at the same time as their studies. From here, by the way, practicums originate, and to this day they form the basis of special courses at the departments of the Faculty of Biology.
But the museum "worked" not only for students and university staff. Already from the first years of its history, albeit with interruptions, the museum has been open to the public. Without going into statistical calculations, let's just say that the number of visitors as a whole has been constantly growing, and today about 100,000 people visit each year. Pleased to note that most of them are children.
What can be seen in our museum?
Only modern animals, except for the complete skeleton of a mammoth, "meeting" visitors at the stairs to the second floor. Previously, the museum had a number of animal fossils, now they are in the Paleontological Museum.
Representatives of all groups of animals, from unicellular (mainly, of course, these are dummies) to birds and mammals.
Our exposition is systematic. The traditional arrangement of exhibits, originating from the educational collection, has been preserved. Animals are arranged in a systematic order, type by type, squad by squad, in accordance with ideas about the degree of their relationship and the course of animal evolution.
The main variety of animals, from unicellular to reptiles, is concentrated in, on the first floor of the museum. Above it is, fully occupied birds And mammals. And also on the second floor there is the so-called bone hall, the exposition of which is dedicated to showing internal structure vertebrates, on the example of which various aspects of the evolution of the structure in this group, which is so important for humans, are illustrated.
There is an exposition in the corridor of the second floor "Zoological Museum in the history of Moscow University: collections and people" dedicated to the history of the museum from its foundation in 1791 within the walls of Moscow University to the present day. Here you can look at the exhibits that appeared in the museum under its first director, Fischer von Waldheim; get acquainted with the museum during its heyday under the direction of A.P. Bogdanov in the second half of the 19th century; follow up difficult history museum in the 20th century. It is pleasant to note that the exposition is made up of natural exhibits - witnesses of their time. The historical exposition will be of interest both to specialists - biologists and museum workers, and to everyone interested in the history of Russian science.
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The Zoological Museum of Moscow State University was founded in 1791 as the Cabinet of Natural History at the Moscow Imperial University.
Address: 125009 Moscow, st. Bolshaya Nikitskaya, 6
Website of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University: http://zmmu.msu.ru
Museum Director: Mikhail Vladimirovich Kalyakin, Doctor biological sciences, ornithologist
phone 629-41-50
Deputy Director for the administrative and economic part: Olga Mikhailovna Mezhova
phone 629-48-81
Scientific Secretary: Spasskaya Natalia Nikolaevna, candidate of biological sciences, teriologist
phone 629-49-30
Chief Guardian: Tikhomirova Anna Viktorovna, ornithologist, curator of the exposition, illustrative, auxiliary scientific, archival and photo funds
phone 629-51-78
The Zoological Museum of Moscow State University is one of the major museums natural-historical direction in Russia - has existed for 215 years.
In terms of the volume of scientific funds, which currently include more than 8 million items, it is among the top ten largest museums in the world of this profile. The most extensive collections are entomological (about 3 million), a collection of mammals (more than 200 thousand) and birds (157 thousand). Of particular scientific importance is the collection of type specimens (about 7,000 items), documenting the discoveries of animal taxa new to science - genera, species and subspecies, of which more than 5,000 have been described on the basis of the museum's collections throughout its history.
IN modern exposition about 10 thousand exhibits were exhibited: two halls are reserved for the systematic part, demonstrating the taxonomic diversity of the world fauna, one hall - evolutionary and morphological. The art fund of the Zoological Museum includes more than 400 drawings and paintings by outstanding animal artists, such as V.A. Vatagin, N.N. Kondakov, whose paintings are decorated exposition halls and museum lobby. Science Library The zoo museum, which includes the memorial libraries of many outstanding Russian zoologists, has approximately 200,000 items.
Zoological Museum of Moscow State University - one of the largest research institutions. Its scientific part includes 7 sectors: invertebrate zoology, entomology, ichthyology, herpetology, ornithology, theriology and evolutionary morphology. The main direction of research is the analysis of the structure of the taxonomic diversity of the animal world, including systematics, phylogenetics, faunistics. Work is underway in the field of theoretical taxonomy, evolutionary morphology and ecology.
Every year the Zoo Museum publishes works under common name“Investigations in Fauna” (more than 46 volumes have been published), publishes scientific monographs in the “Zoological Researches” series. With the support of the museum, scientific journals on zoological topics are published.
Scientific and educational work is carried out by employees of the excursion and exposition department. Annual visits - more than 150 thousand people and more than 1700 excursions on various topics, including for students of biological universities. The museum has a biological circle for high school students, the total annual composition of the study group of which is 30-40 people, and the educational center "Planetarium" also operates.
Museum history.
Research Zoo museum Moscow State University. 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, housed in the new classroom building of the university ( former house 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 papers 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.
Big role in the development of the Zoological Museum played 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 Narkompros (until 1939) and was named the 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 liberation 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 specialists in taxonomy of individual taxa of shellless and testate mollusks, crustaceans, mites, beetles and dipterans, gobies, and desert rodents. The main direction of research is the analysis of the structure of taxonomic diversity, including taxonomy, phylogenetics, and 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 journal in the field of zoology.
Museum funds.
In terms of the volume of funds, the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University is among the top ten largest museums in the world in this field, and 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, with a significant contribution being made by sectoral institutions Russian Academy Sciences 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.
Big historical value have: a collection of mollusk shells that 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 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.
About 7.5 thousand exhibits are exhibited in the modern exposition. 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 mainly includes representatives 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 on permanent display.
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.
The educational center "Planetarium" operates on the basis of the lecture hall. 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.
The Zoological Museum of Moscow State University (not to be confused with museums) is located in the very center of Moscow. His address is st. Bolshaya Nikitskaya, 6, at the intersection with Nikitsky lane. Taking into account the eternal Moscow traffic jams, it is best to get here by metro, from the stations Okhotny Ryad or the V.I. Lenin Library to go for about five minutes, no more.
Opening hours: from 10 am to 5 pm, like most, all days of the week except Monday. The last Tuesday of every month is a sanitary day.
Ticket prices: for adults - 100 rubles, for schoolchildren, pensioners and students - 50 rubles, for preschoolers 10 rubles.
The museum is located in historic building, which was built especially for him in 1902. In the 70-80s of the last century, the building was reconstructed ( appearance this did not affect), the halls became more spacious, the area of the museum increased.
Initially, the Zoological Museum was formed as a Natural Science Cabinet at the Moscow State University. Then the zoological part stood out from it, which at that time made up the main collection of the museum, which was constantly replenished and is still being replenished. To date, it has 4.5 million exhibits.
The whole museum is conditionally divided into three large components, which correspond to the separate halls of the museum. Most of the animals are concentrated in the so-called Lower Hall - from unicellular ciliates to reptiles. Birds and mammals can be seen in the Upper Hall. Also on the second floor is the Bone Hall, whose name speaks for itself.
Before visiting, it is better to choose a specific goal for yourself - for example, today you will examine marine life, next time mammals, the third time insects. In addition, the ticket price is quite democratic and conducive to multiple visits. Better yet, book a tour. The Zoological Museum offers over 30 different thematic tours; the choice depends only on who you like best - animals and birds, for example, or reptiles. True, the guides here come across different: it happens that you listen, but there are also rather dull ones, from whose story you want to yawn. A thematic tour for a group of schoolchildren costs 1500 rubles, the same will cost private tour. For a group of adults, the cost of the tour will be 2500 rubles.
Of course, if you are already out of childhood and you are not a fan of Discovery and Animal Planet, then think before you go here, the museum can be disappointing - apart from the actual stuffed animals and their skeletons, dried insects, the remains of mollusks, there is nothing here. Children, as a rule, are delighted with the museum. No wonder, because here you can show them a panda with a cub, and a family of polar bears, and the Przewalski horse, and bright butterflies, and huge beetles. Children usually pester with the question: “Are they real?” Yes, it's all real. It is impossible not to note the high skill of taxidermists (these are people who make stuffed animals). It doesn’t fit in my head how the carcass of a dead animal can be turned into quite a lively animal with shiny eyes. You look at the wolf - as if he is about to pounce on you.
The peculiarity of the museum associated with the abundance of stuffed animals is the persistent smell of naphthalene, like from a grandmother's chest. Boxes with naphthalene (or maybe it's some other chemical, but it smells exactly like naphthalene) are next to each scarecrow. All stuffed, by the way, under glass, so photographing them is not very convenient because of the glare.
Generally in general Zoological Museum of Moscow State University leaves a strange impression. Such an academic atmosphere has remained in few places in Moscow, except perhaps in the Lenin Library, and even then everything is electronic there now, but here it seems that you are in the 80s of the last century. The only thing that reminds of the present is everywhere trade stalls with all sorts of souvenir stuff on a zoological theme.
In conclusion, I would like to say that the Zoological Museum on Bolshaya Nikitskaya is undeservedly few visitors. But museums of a purely educational, rather than entertaining nature are becoming less and less. The Zoological Museum is one of them, and it is one of the ten largest museums in the world in its subject matter and is the second largest zoological museum in Russia after St. Petersburg.
(MGU) will be very interesting. It is located in the very center of Moscow and is great for a family visit.
The Zoological Museum of Moscow State University has the second largest collection in Russia in terms of the number of exhibits and is one of the ten largest museums of this profile in Europe. It is also a working laboratory for Russian biologists: its scientific funds currently include more than 8 million units. Among its exhibits there are those that are more than 100 years old. Note that all of its exhibits, with a few exceptions, are representatives of modern fauna. The fossil remains of ancient and extinct animals are included in the collection of another,.
Most strong impression a visit to the museum has an effect on children. They gladly enter the unknown world and completely plunge into the atmosphere of new discoveries. For this, the museum has created all the conditions: the grouping of exhibits, explanatory plates with them, the work of guides who are passionate about their work, and the mass various events. But even for adults, a trip to this museum becomes a memory of their own. school childhood. Moreover, the prices in it are low, with the ability to take photographs without restrictions.
Located in an old building of impressive monumental sophistication, the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University has changed very little over the years. recent decades. In its halls, one can feel the spirit of the Soviet times, noticeable both in the organization and maintenance of expositions, and in the condition of the exhibits. Caretakers of the halls, guides, employees, work "not for fear, but for conscience." Such old-fashionedness gives the museum a special charm.
The Zoological Museum of Moscow State University was founded in 1791 at the Imperial Moscow University. It was called at that time the Cabinet of Natural History. During the war with France in 1812, almost all of it burned out and was painstakingly restored. Initially, the Cabinet was planned as a large-scale tutorial for students of the Faculty of Biology, which until 1955 was located in the same building. Almost from the moment of its opening, the museum was accessible to the general public.
Working modeTue*: 10.00 - 18.00 (ticket office until 17.00)
Wed: 10.00 - 18.00 (ticket office until 17.00)
Thu: 13.00 - 21.00 (ticket office until 20.00)
Fri: 10.00 - 18.00 (ticket office until 17.00)
Sat: 10.00 - 18.00 (ticket office until 17.00)
Sun: 10.00 - 18.00 (ticket office until 17.00)
* - Except last Tuesday of the month
WeekendMonday, Last Tuesday of the month
Ticket priceFrom 100 rub. up to 300 rubles depending on the category of the visitor and the visit program.
Photo and video shooting is included in the ticket price.
Standard.
Additional InformationThe museum hosts interactive classes, popular science lectures, children's parties, festivals and birthdays. Works circle of young naturalists.
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Selected Reviews
Visitor ratings:
June 2017The most interesting was on the second floor, because. we entered the kingdom of birds with bright plumage, birds of paradise, and mammals. Very rich collection of stuffed animals, in good condition, gives a complete impression of the animal world of the earth. There are a lot of parents with children, even with babies. It is necessary to combine a visit to the Zoological Museum with the Moscow Zoo. Nobody gets worse.
May 2017
Accidentally went ... And did not regret it! Opened up completely new museum with the history and understanding of the world of flora for the Russians, since the birth of interest officially in Russia! Insightful - Visible! Gorgeous room! But a major overhaul in the spirit of the times... It would not hurt to have a virtual immersion in the world of our researchers and their discoveries!
April 2017
I went to this museum solely for emotions. Amazing atmosphere of a real museum from the doorstep. The building of wonderful architecture, extensive exposition. I am glad that the museum has not been touched by some kind of technical upgrade, I am convinced that its charm and uniqueness lies precisely in the authenticity in which it has been preserved.
