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Museums of the University play an extremely important role in creation of unified cultural and educational environment. |
Museum of History of RSAU-MTAA
Museum of History of the University is a living chronicle of creation and development of the oldest educational institution in Russia. Five museum halls represent documentary collection and items related to the most important periods in the history of the Timiryazev Academy and development of agricultural science.
The history of the Academy depicts lives of scientists, faculty members, research scientists, and students who worked, lectured and studied at the Academy. There are a lot of materials about founders and the first leaders of the Academy and scientific schools. Special stands represent materials devoted to the outstanding scientists N.I.Vavilov, A.V.Chayanov, D.N.Kondratjev, and N.P.Makarov, their bright, and at the same time tragic lives and scientific creative work.
The exposition in the largest Hall is devoted to Timiryazev Academy students and professors who defended their mother-land during the Great Patriotic war in 1941-1945 from fascist invaders and gave their lives for its freedom.
In the Jubilee Hall one can see the artistic model-scheme “History Tree”, which depicts in a visual way the structure of the Academy during different periods of its development.
Museum occupies a comfortable mansion on the territory of the ancient park. Numerous visitors including students, school children, and district residents can open here for themselves new pages in the history of the Academy, Moscow and Russia.
Memorial flat of K.A. Timiryazev
In 1920 The Resolution of All-union Central Executive Committee was passed “…to preserve and save harmless the study room, the library and manuscripts of K.A.Timiryazev”. According to his Regulation the memorial study room of the scientist was organized on May26, 1942 and on April 25, 1946 it was passed to Moscow Agricultural Academy and became the memorial flat of K.A.Timiryazev. Since 1960 the museum has been in the custody of the government and included in the International reference book “The world establishments of culture” edited in London.
The memorial flat of K.A.Timiryazev is engaged in cultural, educating and scientific work.
On the basis of museum archives two Doctor’s and 15 Candidate’s dissertations were defended. Many books and articles have been published on the archives material.
The museum workers carefully keep the memorial furniture of the flat, the library, archives and also photo negatives, drawings, and devices created by K.A.Timiryazev. The museum has 29.000 stock-keeping units. By the 160-year anniversary of K.A.Timiryazev a “Guide to the museum” and “Invitation” for visitors were published. The personality of the outstanding scientist is of great interest to our contemporaries. Students, school children, residents and visitors of Moscow often visit the museum. The archives of the museum are still of interest for researchers and memorial furniture is of interest for designers.
Museum of Minerals and Geology
Museum of Minerals and Geology exists for more than 135 years. The year of its foundation is considered 1867 when I.B.Auerbakh, the founder of the Chair of Geology and Minerology and the first Head of this Chair bequeathed his large collection of minerals and fossils to Petrovskaya academy. Collection of the museum was considerably enlarged when G.A.Traunshold was the head of the mineralogical study room. He paid great attention both to the collection enlargement and its systematization. By the beginning of 20th century collection of minerals and rocks accounted over 4000 units.
In 1905 when E.S.Fedorov was the head of mineralogical study room the collection was enriched by numerous minerals and rocks collected by him in the Middle Urals, the Caucasus, the Murmansk coast of the White sea and also by rock samples from Finland, Kazakhstan, and Transbaikalia.
The exhibits gifted to the museum by the outstanding scientists B.I.Vernadsky, V.A.Obruchev, V.V.Nikitin, and others are carefully kept.
Professor Y.V.Samoilov not only enlarged the collection of the museum, but also organized the first museum of agroindustrial ore. In prewar time one more collection of agroindustrial ore collected by professor E.I.Kantor enriched the museum.
At present, the museum stock has about 12000 samples. There is the unique collection of fossils and meteorites.
V.R. Williams Soil-Agronomic Museum
The Museum was founded in 1934 on the special Decree of the Soviet Government in commemoration of the 50-year anniversary of scientific and pedagogic activity of V.R.Williams.
During the period from 1888 to 1939 V.R.Williams and his numerous students collected thousands of different exhibit items, soil columns, samples of soil horizons, rocks, and herbary.
All exhibit items are arranged in accordance with soil-geographical demarcation. Peculiarities of soils in some regions of Russia, CIS-countries and foreign countries are on display.
At present, the world largest soil collection is on display in the museum. Several generations of soil scientists, geographers and geo-botanists collected it – A.N.Sokolovsky, V.P.Bushinsky, N.M.Tulaikov, P.A.Manteifel, N.I.Savinov, V.A.Frantseson, S.P.Yarkov, O.S.Rostovtseva, M.P.Grigoryeva, N.E.Emelyanov, A.N. Shurigin, and others.
Diversity of animal kingdom, the richness of its forms is exhibited in N.I.Kulagin Museum of Zoology and E.F.Liskun Animal Science Museum. Their exhibitions are devoted to the history of the development of animal production science, the origin of domestic animals, evolution process of cattle, a breeding process of national stocks.
Horse Breeding Museum
Horse Breeding Museum is a real pride of the University. The thematic art collection devoted to horses is the largest in the world. The collection numbers 3000 pieces of art and has no equal in the world. The exhibition has both educational and esthetic value. Wonderful paintings of N.E.Sverchkov, the Russian patriarch of animalistic art, paintings of V.A.Serov, M.A.Vrubel, A.O.Orlovsky, M.B.Grekov, A.A.Plastov, and many others are exhibited here.
Museum of the Chair of Animal anatomy, histology and embryology
Museum of the Chair of Animal anatomy, histology and embryology was founded as an instructional and scientific subdivision of the Chair in 1934. Since 1936 the collection of the museum has been placed on two floors of the educational building: exhibit items for instruction are displayed on the first floor and scientific exhibition – on the second floor. The exhibit item are arranged in accordance with a collection of V.Y.Brovar – a locomotor system in its comparative and age-related aspects; a collection of B.K.Gindse – the mammal and human brain vessels; and a collection of V.I.Ippolitova – a nervous system of domestic mammals.
Bee-keeping museum and training and research apiary
Bee-keeping museum, training and research apiary were founded in 1868 on the initiative of professor I.N.Chernopyatov. In the following years the museum activities were connected with the names of academician N.M.Kulagin, professors N.P.Chirvinsky, P.N.Kuleshov, P.N.Veprikov, A.F.Gubin, and G.A.Avetisyan. In the museum and on the apiary students familiarize themselves with bee life and behavior, and develop skills of bee keeping.
The personnel of the Museum and the apiary are involved in consultative work with amateur bee-keepers from Moscow and Moscow region.
Gardens, parks and Forest research station (dacha)
More than half of the total area of the University (370 hectares) is under green planting, including Forest research station, an ancient park, Dendrological garden, Michurin orchard, numerous squares, and flower beds. The forestland of the University is of great historical and scientific importance. The Forest research station is a cradle of Russian forestry, a unique forest oasis, a “green lung” of Moscow.
Green riches of the Forest research station were created by generations of scientists. Besides the main Russian tree species there are about 50 foreign tree species. In Europe it is the only one museum of diverse forest plantings and the base for stationary research. Over 80 bird species inhabit this forestland.
R.I.Shreder Dendrological Garden located in the very center of the University was laid out two years before the foundation of Petrovskaya Academy. At present the Garden occupies 12 hectares. About 500 different trees and shrubs species originated from Europe, Asia and North America are grown here. The composition and placement of collection on the territory of the Garden are designed for instruction of students when they are on excursion or have their labs. Immense trees and shrubs collections, natural way of planning, beautiful landscapes make the Garden the masterpiece of park-gardening technique. The park and Dendrological Garden are put in the list of park- gardening monuments protected by the government.
Botanical Garden of the University was founded in 1896. About 3000 plant species and forms are in its collection. More than 500 species of tropical and subtropical plants are grown in a hothouse.
Michurin Orchard of the University takes rank as one of the best on the diversity of fruit trees in the middle region of Russia. A tree nursery of the garden supplies planting stock for many economies in the non-black soil zone of Russia.
Traditions, education and creative work
Educational work is always in the center of attention at the University. It is a good tradition of the University.
The Palace of Culture of the University is the center of students’ creative work, their aesthetic, and moral education. Almost 900 students are involved in art activities. The results of students’ creative activity are impressive. For instance, the public theater of the Palace of Culture founded in 1946 has staged more than 80 plays. Group of folk dancing “Kabluchok” was organized in 1962. It always enjoyed wide popularity among students. The ensemble was honored with 40 awards and became the laureate of cultural programs at the XXI Olympic Games and the XII World Festival of Youth and Students.
It has become a good tradition to hold annual student festivals “Golden Autumn in Timiryazevka” and “Spring in Timiryazevka”. Participation in these festivals unites the actors and audience, including faculty, students, and university staff.
The fine art studio is very popular. Art works displays are organized on a regular basis.
Fine art studios numbers about 300 of students who take part in city and university festivals.
Great attention is paid to students’ sport activities. A modern sport and recreation center includes a gym, swimming pools, hand-wrestling room, a stadium, a football field and tennis courts, and an exercise room. Students take part in 20 sport activities, including basketball, volleyball, ping-pong, mini football, darts, weight lifting, badminton, arm wrestling, sport aerobics, chess, ski racing, track-and-field events, and others. The sport activities involve more than 700 of students.
University athletic teams take part in 40 different competitive events in Moscow students’ games. Students also take part in city district competitions in mini-football, basketball, volleyball, chess games, where they regularly win prizes.
There is a Horse Riding Hall and 42 horseboxes. Riding is very popular among students and children from nearby living apartments. There is a special section for medical rehabilitation of children who suffer with locomotor system abnormalities.