The Timiryazev Biological Museum was founded by the famous physiologist and biologist B. Zavadovsky, who was later awarded the title of academician. Let's take a virtual tour and see what this establishment has to offer its guests.
History of the Museum
The future scientist came up with the idea of founding the museum when he took part in a workshop on experimental biology as a young specialist, but he was able to realize his dream only in 1922. The Timiryazevskaya Museum (as guests of the capital mistakenly call this institution, in fact, its name is different, but more on that later) was the first in the world to present to the general public such areas of biology as plant, animal and human physiology, genetics, ecology and the theory of evolution.
Unique architecture
Initially, from 1922 to 1934, the Timiryazev Museum in Moscow was located in two halls of the Sverdlovsk University on Miusskaya Square. Subsequently, under its exposition was allocateda unique architectural complex on 15 Malaya Gruzinskaya Street, where the museum is still located. Its premises were built in the nineteenth century by the Moscow merchant and collector Shchukin specifically for the establishment of the Museum of Russian Antiquities. Do you want to admire the beautiful architecture of this building? There is nothing easier. The metro station, near which the museum is located, is Timiryazevskaya. Come, you won't regret it!
The purpose of the building predetermined its construction in the Old Russian style with characteristic gables on the roof, original brick decor, an abundance of carvings and tiled inserts. The ceilings and walls inside the building also abounded with paintings, drawings for which were copied from old books. Furnaces lined with tiled slabs were installed in the rooms. After some time, the room became too cramped for the exhibition of Russian antiquities, and Shchukin completed another house, which he connected to the first thirty-meter underground tunnel. In addition, a one-story building was built to store archival documents. All three buildings represent a single architectural complex, which in 1995 was given the status of an architectural monument. By the way, the street next to which the museum is located (Timiryazevskaya) is one of the most famous in Moscow. Arriving here on an excursion, you will thoroughly replenish your knowledge base by learning a lot of interesting things about this piece of Belokamennaya.
First exposures
First of all the Biological Museum(Timiryazevskaya Street is rich in establishments of this kind, which led to confusion in the names) received an environmental department, in which glass showcases with plants, enclosures with animals and aquariums with fish were installed. An evolutionary department was also created, including a drawing of a tree, which clearly demonstrated the stages in the development of the animal and plant world. Some expositions were devoted to human evolution and life extension issues. Even then, in the laboratory of the physiological department, experiments with animals were demonstrated to visitors, and in some cases they even took a direct part in them. In addition, one of the country's first expositions on genetics and selection issues was opened in the museum.
Role in the learning process
Even today, this cultural institution in its activities is largely guided by the principles of its founder, Academician B. Zavadovsky. He wanted to create, first of all, a worldview museum, designed not only to demonstrate exhibits to visitors, but also, if possible, to clearly demonstrate the presence of general principles in biology. In his opinion, the main emphasis should be placed on the study of the vital activity of various organisms, which is facilitated by a visual demonstration of objects. Zavadsky also considered studies to be an integral part of the exposition, in which visitors themselves could take part, thus gaining practical knowledge and skills.
Therefore, the museum to them. Timiryazev can rightfully be considered focused on school and student audiences; its exposition is actively used in the educational process. Existing exhibits create an excellent base for conducting practical classes on many topics among children and young people. In addition, the staff of the institution has specially developed interactive programs designed for schoolchildren, as well as for family visits.
Museum today
Today there are about seventy thousand different exhibits in the exposition. Particular attention is drawn to the unique exhibition in the Timiryazev Museum, consisting of sculptures on anthropogenesis, as well as a wonderful collection of corals and mollusk shells. The employees of the institution also managed to collect an exceptional botanical collection, including a unique herbarium, as well as beautiful sculptures and paintings depicting objects of domestic and foreign microflora.
Many expositions, for example, "Biosphere and Man", "Plant Physiology", "Genetics", "Room of Discoveries" and others, have no analogues in Russia. About fifty exhibitions are held annually, dedicated to individual topics and collections, which are characterized by an interactive presentation of material and originality of the issues raised. We also visit the Museum of Horse Breeding on Timiryazevskaya. The official website on the World Wide Web provides detailed information about all upcoming events.
Bthe excursion program includes more than sixty different topics and about twenty lectures intended for visitors of any age category. Museum staff conduct all excursions at a high scientific level, accompanying them with visual demonstrations and colorful videos. In addition, exhibitions of flora lovers, such as cacti, violets, orchids, as well as rare minerals, are regularly held on the territory of the museum. The building is equipped with a greenhouse that allows visitors to admire exotic plants all year round, and on the adjacent territory it is planned to create a landscape exposition with an artificial reservoir, alpine slides and an arboretum.
