The Zoological Museum is one of the oldest in Saint Petersburg. It originates from the Kunstkammer (chamber of curiosities), established by the order of Peter I in 1714. In 1832 the Zoological Department of the Kunstkammer became independent. In 1931 on the basis of this museum the Zoological Institution of Academy of Sciences of USSR was organized. Staying one of the largest zoological museums in the world, the museum was turned into the exhibition department of the institute.
Up to the end of the 19th century the museum was situated in the building adjoining the Academic center. In 1901 its collection was moved into the former building of the custom warehouse, built in 1832 to the design of architect I.Lukini. This beautiful classical building on Vasilievsky Island houses the museum till nowadays.
The museum exposition familiarizes the visitors with the representatives of the fauna of different regions of the Earth. More than 40 thousand items represent all the groups of animal world - invertebrate, fish, amphibious, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The exhibition is organized in the systematic way. There is a special collection, illustrating Darwin's theory of evolution.
Hundreds thousands of typical specimens (so-called etalons) preserved in the museum are of special scientific value. The museum also treasures unique exhibits representing rare animals, listed in the International Red Book, or extinct species.
One of the most famous and valuable exhibit of the museum collection is Berezovian mammoth. The huge, well preserved ancient beast, that had stayed for 40 thousand years in permafrost, was found in Siberia on the bank of the River Berezovka. In May 1901 to that place a special expedition was sent. A loghouse was built over the creature and for two months it was heated for to defreeze the mammoth. In Saint Petersburg one of the first to see the mammoth were the members of the Royal family. The unique find was shown to the public only in May 1903 when German specialists had made a special showcase where the mammoth stays till nowadays. Recently the showcase has been equipped with up-to-date system of highlight, that allows visitors to see the smallest hairs on mammoth's fell.
The museum also treasures mummified baby mammoths Dima and Masha, who died 40 thousand years ago. Dima, known to all the scientist of the world as Magadan mammoth, was found at the gold-field on the valley of the stream Kirgilax in 1977. The six-month-old mammoth most probably had strayed and fall into uliginous well-like lake, from where it couldn't get out.
The stuffed dog, called Tyrant, is of certain historical value. It is considered to be the dog of tsar Peter the Great.
There are several dioramas where animals are presented in natural environment. For example, dioramas "Numbrays," "Rookery of Fur Seals," "Sea Shore Colony of Birds", "Saigas in Summer" and "Komodo Dragon."
Many world-famous travelers and naturalist (P.Pallas, N.Przhevalsky, N.Miklukho-Maklay and others) made an outstanding contribution to the museum collections. In the Soviet time from numerous expeditions to Antarctica and different regions of the World Ocean, as well as from the most remote corners of USSR, new materials for the museum collection were brought regularly. In spite of the fact that the funds of the museum already numbers about 15 million specimens, the collection continues growing. Not long ago the new exhibition was opened - "Fauna of the black smokers", presenting animals, that inhabit the most uninhabited places on the Earth - volcanic areas at great depths.
The main objectives of the Museum's work are considered to be dissemination of biological knowledge and the popularization of the biological sciences. The Zoological Museum is extremely popular in St. Petersburg and is well-known throughout the country and abroad.