Kharkiv Nature Museum and Taxidermy Workshop
On my arrival in Kharkov, I stayed with my readers Andrey and Yana, who are blogging Encyclopedia of Wanderings. Andrey works as a researcher at the Museum of Nature of the Kharkiv National University. V.N. Karazin. The term is long, so for convenience and brevity I will call it the Kharkiv Nature Museum. So, Andrey gave me a separate tour of his place of work. So I was lucky, and I could walk through the halls of the museum in a free rhythm, take pictures, get answers to my stupid questions, visit «behind the scenes» museum. For ordinary visitors, a visit is possible only as part of excursion groups..
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Kharkiv Nature Museum
The Kharkiv Museum of Nature recently celebrated its 200th anniversary. It was formed from the collections of the zoological and mineralogical offices of the Kharkiv National University. V.N. Karazin to this day is not a separate legal entity, but one of the departments of the university. The very first exhibits were brought from Hanover back in 1807, after which a natural history cabinet was formed. Subsequently, its fund was replenished several times, and the study turned into two separate museums - zoological and mineralogical. Only in the 60s of the twentieth century, both offices finally merged into the Museum of Nature, finding themselves in their separate building, the former student dormitory on Trinkler Street.
Nature Museum Kharkiv outside
The Museum of Nature is one of the largest museums in Europe, its collection includes more than 250 thousand exhibits, including stuffed animals from all over the world, a rich collection of insects, rocks and minerals. As I learned, the missing parts of the skeletons are often made of plaster, and some motley carcasses are tinted with paint - nothing lasts forever. The scarecrow frame is made using two technologies - from wire and cotton wool or by the papier-mâché method. The latter is more modern and durable.
Andrey starts a tour for me
The elephant's head was donated several years ago by a nearby zoo.
Elephant tusks grinded on the bars in the zoo
Seal
The mouth of a sperm whale, and its length is 20 meters
A year later, some bones shine with fat.
Dolphin and Human Brain Spot 10 Differences
Children's excursion
I learned what a whalebone looks like. He's not a mustache at all.
Lioness and lion cub
Coral turns out to be animals
One of the most colorful stands in the museum
Shells from all over the world
Fish are the hardest to do, they look like plastic
The most unpleasant thing is all sorts of worms
Eerie just
Insect collection
Dried crocodile
The bird is tinted
There is even a hippo
I finally learned what saigas look like. So cute and funny!
The staircase is entangled with vines
In the backyard there is a university technique
Charoite - mined only in Russia
Museum caretaker's corner
Natural Museum corridors
I feel a little sorry for the animals, but much more of them die in all kinds of trades. And in the museum, at least you can promote love for animals.
A little behind the scenes
The Museum of Nature really employs fans of their craft. Otherwise, how can you work for a salary of 6000r, I can't imagine. Surely you have to earn extra money or somehow get out of it. But if the museum was located a little to the west, in neighboring countries, then it would be possible to devote oneself entirely to scientific activity. It's amazing how many strong-minded people in our countries are held by museums and other similar organizations..
Research staff office
Common room for evenings with a mammoth in the corner
It also becomes a little sad that museum workers have to dodge and improve the museum's exposition with minimal means, sometimes from their own pockets. In particular, cassette tape recorders with recording of the sound of birds in some exhibitions were replaced by local craftsmen with mp3 players. I immediately recall the technical equipment in the form of media players of virtual guides on tower menara in Malaysia.
Cassette recorders replaced with mp3 players
I also managed to ask for a taxidermy workshop, where they make some exhibits and walk along the corridors in the basement. Nice gaming environment, gothic.
Taxidermy workshop is in the basement
Portraits of the former leader hang in the basement corridors
No entrance for unauthorized people
Taxidermist at his desk
Ready birds
Taxidermy workshop
Taxidermy workshop
Kharkiv Nature Museum - opening hours
Museum working hours - 8:30 - 16:30.
The cost of visiting is 300 hryvnia (1200r) for a group of 1-15 people. You can come alone, but you need to pay in full for the excursion service. You cannot walk freely around the museum without a guide. There is an option - come on Saturday, when groups of single visitors gather.
The Museum of Nature is located at Trinkler Street, 8, a 5-minute walk from the metro station «The university».
Museum website - muzei-prirody.blogspot.com/
About my walks in Kharkov and Kharkiv Zoo can be read in the relevant articles :)