Description of the attraction
The Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev Museum-Archive is located in one of the most picturesque corners of St. Petersburg, in the historical center - on Vasilievsky Island, on the Mendeleevskaya line in house number 2, not far from the Vasileostrovskaya metro station. Mendeleev's apartment-museum is a museum archive of St. Petersburg State University. The museum exposition tells in detail about the life and work of the greatest Russian scientist, who showed himself in many scientific fields: chemistry, physics, metrology, economics, geology, pedagogy, instrument making and others.
In the period from 1866 to 1890, Dmitry Ivanovich lived in an apartment located on the ground floor of the building of the Twelve Collegia. During this time he served as a professor at St. Petersburg University. The interior of Mendeleev's university apartment has not been completely preserved. Only the scientist's office has been recreated. For this, the surviving photographs of his home office in the Main Chamber of Weights and Measures were used. The furnishings of the study, along with a part of the archive and the library, were purchased in December 1911 from Mendeleev's wife. It was from this time that a memorial museum was organized at the university in 3 rooms of the former apartment of the great scientist. Such famous personalities as A. I. Kuindzhi, I. N. Kramskoy, I. E. Repin, I. I. Shishkin, V. V. Stasov. The founders of the museum were the employees and closest students of Mendeleev, who devoted a lot of effort to describing and systematizing his archive. A small exposition was organized in the rooms adjacent to the study.
In 1930, the Russian Chemical Society initiated the restoration of memorial items that belonged to Dmitry Ivanovich. In 1952, the museum premises were greatly expanded, which made it possible to create a new exhibition. The archive of D. I. Mendeleev.
The center for the study and popularization of the scientific heritage of the scientist was the memorial office. The exposition of Mendeleev's apartment-museum reflects the main directions of his activity. Here is a unique collection of instruments, many of which were designed by Mendeleev himself. He used them to conduct a variety of scientific experiments and experiments. Before the visitors there are not just glass sets, but inanimate witnesses of the birth of chemical science in Russia. With their help, the scientist managed to discover and prove the laws of chemistry.
Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev was not only a talented and gifted scientist, but also a jack of all trades. You can be convinced of this by examining the devices made by his own hands and displayed in a separate rack, on which you will see test tubes, flasks, various systems, etc.
The museum presents the Mendeleev's library, consisting of 20,000 books and publications of that time. Some books were written by the scientist himself. The museum was lucky enough to get some samples in the originals, and thanks to this, visitors will be able to see the books that were in the hands of the scientist more than 100 years ago. The museum also displays a collection of graphics and paintings collected by the scientist. Taking a look at it, visitors can be convinced of the sophistication of Dmitry Ivanovich's taste.
The exposition also presents Mendeleev's personal archive (16,000 copies), consisting of manuscripts, letters, and the scientist's diaries. The diaries convey the feelings, thoughts and thoughts of Dmitry Ivanovich.
The museum actively collaborates with scientists and researchers. That is why about 500 representatives of science from different countries come here every year, who want to learn more about the life and work of the great Russian scientist Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev.
