Description of the attraction
The Central Museum of Communications named after Alexander Stepanovich Popov is one of the oldest Russian science and technology museums. It is located in the center of St. Petersburg, not far from St. Isaac's Square, in the former palace of Chancellor Alexander Andreevich Bezborodko, the chief director of post offices. Later, the building belonged to the Post Office.
The museum was founded in September 1872 and is dedicated to the history of the development of various types of communication, including mail, telegraph, radio. It was originally formed as the Telegraph Museum, based on the idea of Karl Luders, the director of the Telegraph Department. Nikolai Evstafievich Slavinsky stood at the origins of its birth and development. Until 1911 he worked as the first director of the museum. In the period from 1884 to 1919, the institution existed as the Postal and Telegraph Museum. In 1924 it was renamed the Museum of People's Communication, and in 1945 it became the Central Museum of Communication named after Popov.
In 1974, the museum was closed due to the emergency condition of the building and the need for repairs. In 2000, a project for the development of the museum was developed, which provided for its opening in 2003. And in 2003, the reconstruction of the building was completed.
The museum displays exhibits and materials devoted to the history of mail and postage signs, including postcards, letters that went through the mail, marked envelopes, rare archival materials showing the history of mail in our country. These exhibits make it possible to trace the evolution of postal items and their design from the historical period of the 18th-19th centuries to the creation of mail-art, one of the modern trends in art.
The museum funds contain the State Collection of Postage Stamps of the Russian Federation, which is of great value for philatelists not only in Russia, but throughout the world. The exposition also contains royal decrees, old travel documents, A. S. Popova, 1st civil communications satellite "Luch-15" and other exhibited materials.
The museum collection of Alexander Stepanovich Popov's instruments began to be compiled in 1926-1927. Now it includes most of Popov's equipment heritage, including devices that date back to the invention of the wireless telegraph, the first copies of a lightning detector and a radio receiver. The museum has created a special hall dedicated to A. S. Popov, and his archive contains the inventor's documentary fund.
Also in the museum you can visit the interactive hall "Physical foundations of telecommunications", dedicated to key physical phenomena, the history of inventions, the history of technologies of all types of telecommunications on the basis of a collection of rare exhibits and at the same time - their interactive counterparts (multimedia products and models). In addition, all exhibition halls of the museum are equipped with touchscreen panels that offer visitors more detailed historical information and photo and video materials.
