Description of the attraction
In 1923, the nature department of the Vologda Museum-Reserve was opened. The core of the department is the collection "Homeland Studies". At the time when the department was created, the natural science collection numbered about 1320 items and was represented by paleontological and geological specimens and a herbarium. In 1928, a workshop was opened in the museum, which worked for stuffing stuffed animals, as well as assembling biological classes. The workshop produced more than 18 stuffed animals a year. It was from this moment that the creation and expansion of the zoological collection of the natural department began. At the moment, most of the exhibits in the zoological collection also come from the taxidermy museum workshop.
In 1929, the first exposition began its work, in four rooms of which sections were presented: botany, geology, zoology. In the new museum, you can get acquainted with the inhabitants of swamps and forests, as well as with the avifauna of the Vologda region. The very first natural history exposition was dedicated to spring flowers and was organized by the department employees in 1924. All these were only the first steps of the museum department of nature.
In the development and history of nature of the Vologda Museum-Reserve there are very curious and interesting pages, little known to most visitors. Very few people remember that it was in 1923 that a botanical garden was created, in which a collection of flora was actively collected. The garden was located on the territory of the previously existing bishop's garden, occupying an area of 4 hectares. The employees of the department kept constant observations of the development of plants and their ecology, and also organized constant excursions around the huge garden.
In 1927, a zoological garden began its work in the department of nature - a prototype of a never-created zoo. In this section, there were animals of the local fauna: wasp eaters, golden eagles, spotted eagles, white-tailed eagles, ferrets, wood grouses and many others. In total, more than a hundred species of various animals were presented. Walking and visiting zoological lard was considered the favorite pastime of Vologda children. The zoological and botanical gardens were located at the back of the museum courtyard and operated as part of the natural department before the war.
The creation of dioramas is the most difficult collecting and research work of employees of the department of nature. Each of the dioramas has its own prototype in the territorial zone of the Vologda Oblast, skillfully recreated by the museum staff. To accomplish this, a special group leaves for the site; During the work, the artist sketches a future diorama, zoologists and taxidermists conduct the necessary studies of traces of life, concluding what kind of animals live in this or that diorama. Other employees need to find the necessary material: buds, moss, hollows, nests, and more. This material is dried, then dyed and preserved until the desired moment. In the taxidermy museum workshop, stuffed animals are made. It turns out that almost all dioramas presented in the department's exposition contain real “pieces” of Vologda corners.
In this section of the exposition, numerous excursions on 20 topics are held. The greatest attention is paid to environmental and natural science education of visitors. Every year in the museum halls there are about 6 exhibitions devoted to natural science topics. At the moment, in the first hall there is an exhibition called "Legendary Exhibit", which is an exhibition of one exhibit. The "legendary exhibit" is dedicated to a stuffed brown bear, which has not only an interesting museum history, but also an interesting history of this stuffed animal in Vologda.
The museum pays special attention to single visitors. On weekends, once a season, there is an entertainment program for children and their parents. Visitors will become participants in various kinds of educational contests and games related to the natural theme. The natural department of the Vologda Museum-Reserve has existed for 84 years. Every year the museum is visited by more than 60 thousand people, which means that the awareness of the importance of the surrounding animal world is still alive in us.
