Zoological Museum of Lomonosov Moscow State University

Zoological Museum at Moscow University. Lomonosov is one of the oldest and largest in the territory of the Russian Federation. The Natural Science Institution was founded in 1791. Initially, the museum was located at the Moscow Imperial University. After almost 100 years, the collection of exhibits has grown so much that a separate building was built according to the project of the architect Konstantin Mikhailovich Bykovsky. The new museum has two floors and is located on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street.

New building – a bright representative of classicism, striking in its consistency and beauty. The facades of the museum are lined with quadrangular stones that fit tightly to each other. Under the roof there is a stucco frieze in the form of various animals and reptiles. From the courtyard, the building is made in the same style, the facades are not painted.

There are three exhibition halls in the first half of the building. In the second half of the museum there are staff offices and office space. It is closed to visitors. The total number of museum exhibits exceeds 10 million. The exhibition hall, which is located on the ground floor, presents hundreds of species of insects, animals and reptiles. The exhibits are exhibited in the form of stuffed animals, dummies and skeletons. The collection of snakes is stored in a special liquid that keeps the appearance of reptiles unchanged. The walls of the first exhibition hall are decorated with a collection of insects: locusts, praying mantises, butterflies, earwigs, beetles, etc.

The discovery of a fossil coelacanth in the waters of the Comoros Islands was a real sensation. This oldest of the carnivorous lobe-finned fish was considered extinct, and now you can admire it in the exhibition hall of the lower floor.

There are two exhibition halls on the second floor of the museum. The first one is called "Bone Hall" as it contains a collection of animal skeletons. The exhibits of the largest animals that exist on our planet are amazing (elephants, sea cows, gorillas, crocodiles, etc.). Young visitors to the museum are especially impressed. The walls of the second hall are decorated with art paintings depicting the history of the animal world.

In the second exhibition hall, you can admire various birds and mammals. After the "bone hall" these expositions are perceived as alive, and only then comes the understanding that all the exhibits – these are skillfully made stuffed animals.

Unique in its kind, the Moscow Zoological Museum provides extensive knowledge about the natural world. Recommended for visiting people of any age.