Horse Breeding Museum and Biological Museum. Timiryazevskaya and M.Gruzinskaya streets will not leave you indifferent

The Timiryazev Biological Museum was founded by the famous physiologist and biologist B. Zavadovsky, who was subsequently awarded the title of academician. Let's make a virtual tour and see what the institution has to offer its guests.

History of the museum

The idea of the foundation of the museum was born in the future scientist, when he was still a young specialist who took part in a workshop on experimental biology, but he could realize his dream only in 1922. The Museum of Timiryazevskaya (as the guests of the capital mistakenly call this institution, but in fact its name is different, but more about this later) was the first in the world practice to present to the general public such areas of biology as the physiology of plants, animals and man, genetics, ecology and the theory of evolution .

Unique architecture

Originally, from 1922 to 1934, the Timiryazev Museum in Moscow was located in two halls of the Sverdlovsk University on Miusskaya Square. Subsequently, under his exposition, a unique architectural complex was set up on 15 Malaya Gruzinskaya Street, where the museum is still located. His premises were built in the nineteenth century by a Moscow merchant and collector Shchukin specifically for the installation of the Museum of Russian Antiquities. Would you like 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 will not regret!

The purpose of the building predetermined its construction in the Old Russian style with characteristic pliers on the roof, original brick decor, an abundance of carvings and tile inserts. The ceilings and walls inside the building were also replete with paintings, drawings for which were copied from old books. In the rooms were installed ovens lined with tiles. After a while, the room became too tight for the display of Russian antiquities, and Shchukin completed another house, which he connected with the first underground tunnel of thirty meters in length. In addition, a one-story premise 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 in the neighborhood of which is a museum (Timiryazevskaya), one of the famous in Moscow. Having arrived here on excursion, you will thoroughly replenish your knowledge bag, having learned a lot of interesting things about this piece of White Stone.

The first expositions

First of all, the Biological Museum (Timiryazevskaya Street is rich in this kind of institution, which caused confusion in the names) received an environmental department in which glass showcases with plants, aviary with animals and fish tanks were installed. Also, an evolutionary department was created, which includes a picture of the tree, which clearly demonstrated the stages in the development of animal and plant life. Some expositions were devoted to human evolution and life extension issues. Even then, in the laboratory of the physiological department, visitors were shown experiments with animals, and in some cases they even took part in them directly. In addition, one of the country's first expositions on genetics and breeding 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 an ideological museum, designed not only to demonstrate exhibits to visitors, but also to visually show the presence in biology of general principles. In his opinion, the main emphasis should be on studying the vital activity of various organisms, which is facilitated by a visual demonstration of objects. Also an integral part of the exposition, Zavadsky considered studies in which visitors themselves could take part, thus obtaining practical knowledge and gaining skills.

Therefore, the Museum. Timiryazev can rightly be considered to be oriented towards school and student audiences; Exposition is actively used in the educational process. The exhibits provide an excellent base for conducting practical classes on many topics among children and young people. In addition, the staff of the institution specifically developed interactive programs designed for schoolchildren, as well as for family visits.

Museum in our days

Today there are about seventy thousand different exhibits in the exposition. Special attention is drawn to the unique exhibition in the Timiryazev Museum, consisting of sculptures on anthropogenesis, as well as an excellent collection of corals and shells of mollusks. The staff of the establishment also managed to assemble an exceptional botanical collection, including a unique herbarium, as well as beautiful sculptures and paintings depicting the objects of domestic and foreign microflora.

Many expositions, for example, "Biosphere and Man", "Plant Physiology", "Genetics", "Room of Discoveries", etc., have no analogues on the territory of Russia. Annually there are about fifty exhibitions devoted to certain subjects and collections, which are characterized by an interactive presentation of the material and originality of the issues raised. Also very much visited by tourists is the Horse Breeding Museum on Timiryazevskaya. The official website of the World Wide Web provides detailed information on all upcoming events.

In the excursion program more than sixty different themes and about twenty lectures intended for visitors of any age categories. The staff of the museum conduct all excursions on a high scientific level, accompanied by a visual demonstration and colorful video films. In addition, the museum regularly hosts exhibitions of flora lovers, for example, cacti, violets, orchids, as well as rare minerals. There is a greenhouse in the room, allowing visitors to admire exotic plants all year round, and on the adjacent territory it is planned to create a landscape exposition with an artificial pond, alpine slides and arboretum.