Fersman Mineralogical Museum

29.11.2012 22:42 Просмотров: 1088 Печать | E-mail

At Leninskiy Prospect in Moscow, there is one of the oldest in Europe mineralogical museums. The museum is close related to the history of mineralogy in Russia. All the famous Russian mineralogists worked at the museum or their activity was related to it in some way. Museum was founded in Saint-Petersburg in 1716 as a mineral cabinet of Kunstkammer. It was transfered to Moscow in 1934. This is one of the most exciting mineral museums in the world. Its collection contains 2300 of 4000 known existing mineral species. The museum arranges temporary exhibits of Russian minerals and gems heritage in Russia and abroad.

The museum collection is devided in five sections:

Systematic collection
Curently consists of more than 90000 items representing about 2400 mineral species (from 4000 species actually known in nature). The minerals of this collection demonstrate diversity of mineral species by their structure, morphology, physical properties, associations with other minerals.

Crystal collection
More than 4800 crystals in the collection represent all crystal systems and the most part of space groups.  You will see crystals of different forms and combinations, twin laws, perfection and defection of natural and human made crystals.

Mineral occurrence collection
More than 31000 items represent a set of mineral types, mineral associations and genetic features of more than 300 russian mineral occurences and several dozens of the most famous foreign ones.

Pseudomorph collection
About 2200 mineral specimens represent different kinds of pseudomorphs and also different features of mineral growing and transformations in various conditions.

Gems and stone art collection
Among 8000 items of this collection, you can see gemstone rough, faceted gemstones, article made of stones. A rather big part of this section is Russian stone art of 18-20 centuries including about 30 items designed by the famous Russian jeweller - Karl Faberge.

Every piece of the museum collection is described in a computer catalogue.

• Address: 18-2, Leninskiy Prospect, Moscow.
• Getting there: from Metro stations Oktyabr'skaya or Leninskiy prospect by any bus or trolley bus to the bus station "Hospital of Saint Aleksiy".
• Working hours: every day from 11.00 until 17.00 except Monday and Tuesday.
• On Wednesday entrance is free.
• Entrance fee: 150 rubles.
• You can order an excursion at this number: (495) 954-39-00.
• Website: www.fmm.ru

Author of the photos: ibn_al_farabi