The Darwin Museum in Moscow is one of the largest and most technically equipped in the world. The initiator of its discovery was Alexander Fedorovich Kots, a professor of zoology at Moscow State University. The year of its foundation is considered to be 1907, since it was at this time that the professor began to lecture at the Moscow Higher Women's Courses using stuffed animals as visual aids. The premises for the museum were allocated by the Bolsheviks, who came to power in 1917. During the Civil War, there were not enough funds to open the exposition, so the premises opened its doors to visitors only in 1822. The Darwin Museum acquired the director in the person of Alexander Fedorovich Kots, who remained in office until 1964. An important role in the formation of the exposition was played by Friedrich Lorenz, the owner of the largest taxidermy company. Effigies made by his company have adorned museums in Europe and made up the main part of the Darwin museum's exposition.
New building for the Darwin Museum
In the early 40s, the museum's exposition grew, and it no longer containedsmall building. The question arose about the construction of a new spacious building. But the decision on this issue was delayed, and the Darwin Museum in Moscow continued to huddle in a small mansion. Only in the mid-60s, Vera Nikolaevna Ignatieva, who replaced A. F. Kotsa, was able to achieve a positive result. The decision to build a new building was made, but no less than three decades remained before its implementation. The foundation of the future museum was laid in the early 80s of the last century. But the construction was mothballed and turned into one of the most famous long-term construction projects in the capital. The new building took an extremely long time to build and was completed under massive pressure from the then mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov. In 1995, the new Darwin Museum was opened, address: Vavilov street, house 57.
Life of the museum in the new building on Akademicheskaya
From that moment on, the Darwin Museum in Moscow became the largest natural science museum in Europe. In accordance with the idea of the founding father A. F. Kots exposition demonstrates the theory of evolution: natural selection and the struggle for existence, the diversity of life on planet Earth, the influence of hereditary factors and their variability, and much more. The museum has unique collections of abberative forms, animal paintings, melanists, teeth of extinct sharks, albinos and "live" dinosaurs that can move a little and roar beautifully. Many visitors come to the Darwin Museum. Ticket prices vary and depend on the selected excursions, age andthe number of people in the group.
Modernity
Since 1988, the Darwin Museum in Moscow has been headed by Anna Iosifovna Klyukina. In terms of technical equipment, the institution keeps pace with the times. Computers are installed in the halls of the museum, providing information from the Internet. There are also jukeboxes reproducing the singing of various birds and the cries of animals. A unique guidebook has been developed for self-acquaintance of visitors with the expositions. This training guide is very handy and immediately gained popularity. Also in the Darwin Museum, visitors can visit the film lecture hall, the 3D cinema, the Eco-Moscow multimedia center and the Living Planet light and music exposition. Today, the Darwin Museum is not an ordinary acquaintance with interesting facts, but a truly fascinating tour into the natural world. Visitors can weigh themselves in "mice" or "elephants", find out how a person feels when he descended on a bathyscaphe under water to a depth of 2.5 thousand meters, and much more.
Permanent and changing exhibitions
The Darwin Museum (Moscow) has permanent exhibitions. For example, on the first floor there are halls "Biological Diversity" and "Museum History". On the second floor, among the permanent exhibitions, the halls of the Stages of Cognition of Wildlife and Macroevolution are in the greatest demand among visitors. On the third floor there are exhibits on the following topics: "Nature of Moscow and the region", "Red Book", "Crisis of ecology", "Zoological geography" and"Evidence for Evolution". The funds of the Darwin Museum are extensive, and the staff constantly introduces more and more new topics to visitors. Interesting lectures are also given regularly.
Continuing education for pupils and students
The Darwin Museum is currently working on the creation of an interactive educational center. For this, modern progressive technologies are used. The Center is a single cognitive environment that allows you to learn about the world around you, your place in it and the great responsibility of man for the future of nature on the planet. Here, visitors will spend as much time as they want, and access will be open at a convenient time for them. The exposition will have many levels. There will be sections for people who are seriously interested in the subject, for adults who are not tired of exploring the world, for children who are interested in everything, for people with specific needs. The exhibits of the center will introduce many aspects. For example, how a person differs from animals, how living beings cognize the world, what emotions and feelings are, how plants, animals are arranged, and much more. And it will be possible to make a fascinating journey around the globe in a few minutes. The development of the project is carried out by a group of designers, programmers and museum staff. The design is created by the Honored Artist of Russia A. N. Konov.
Darwin Children's Museum
Museum staff work hard to ensure that children come with a desirehere. Special interactive tours have been developed on 5 different topics: "Neighbors on the Planet", "Giants of the Disappeared and more", "Treasures of the Tropics", "Miracle in Feathers" and "The Secret of Life - Living Cell". Topics are studied for an hour and a half, and then a fun and educational tea party is arranged for the children. Groups consist of 20 people, among which there should be no more than 16 children. The cost of the tour is from 10 to 13 thousand rubles, more precisely indicated when ordering. In summer, parents can order a birthday party for their child at the museum (the cost of the holiday, along with a sweet table, is 8,900 rubles).
Darwin Museum for People with Disabilities
Today, not only he althy people can visit the Darwin Museum, but also those with disorders of the musculoskeletal system, that is, wheelchair users. For this, special devices are provided: ramps, elevators, recreation areas and lifts. In addition, the museum can be visited by people who are hard of hearing and deaf, blind and visually impaired. There are special places in the parking lot for cars with disabilities. The museum offers wheelchair rentals, films are sub titled, exhibits are equipped with Braille signs, and there are dedicated restrooms.
Darwin Museum opening hours and ticket prices
The facility is open every day except Monday. The museum is open from 10 am to 6 pm. The last Friday of every month is a day off. Visit the Darwin Museum in Moscow, tickets for adults - 200 rubles, for preschoolers - 70 rubles. To visit both buildingsThe ticket price will be 250 rubles. If you'd like to take advantage of the museum's free admission, come on the third Sunday of any month.
