B.K. Gindze Museum of Anatomy
The official opening date of the Anatomy Museum at the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy is considered to be September 2, 1940, which is documented by the start of the visitor logbook of the Anatomicum, of which the museum was a structural subunit (Gindtse, 1940). The founder of the museum and initiator of its creation was the first head of the Department of Animal Anatomy and Histology, Professor Boris Konstantinovich Gindtse (1881-1953). As early as 1935, under his leadership, construction began on a specialized academic building – the Anatomicum (now Academic Building № 16), designed exclusively for the needs of teaching anatomy and histology. The building initially included not only lecture halls and laboratories but also premises for two key exhibitions: a scientific collection and an educational one (History of the Department, 1965). It is within these walls that academy students continue to study morphological disciplines to this day. The core of the original collection consisted of specimens personally gathered by B.K. Gindtse during his time working at the Medical Faculty of Moscow University, where he held the positions of prosector (from 1921) and lecturer (1925-1930). Among these, materials on anthropogenesis were of particular interest, including precise copies of plaster casts from the Darwin Museum created by Gindtse, as well as an extensive collection of human anatomy specimens, including stages of embryogenesis. The founder’s scientific interests, focused on the study of the arterial system of the brain in humans and domestic animals, allowed him to form a unique collection of corrosion casts of mammalian cerebral vessels, unparalleled in the country (Gindtse, 1938). The museum’s scientific exhibition is notable for its systematic diversity and continues to be expanded. It includes fundamental collections created by leading morphologists of the department. For instance, the works of V.Y. Brovar are represented by comparative and age-related series of specimens of the locomotor apparatus. The research of V.I. Ippolitova formed the basis of an extensive collection on the nervous system of domestic mammals. This section of the museum serves as an important material base for scientific research and is constantly being updated thanks to the efforts of department staff, postgraduates, and alumni. The educational exhibition, organized systematically in strict accordance with the curriculum, provides a detailed visual aid. Its structure allows students to independently study key sections of the course. The osteological collection includes both complete skeletons of major domestic animal species and birds, as well as individual bone specimens demonstrating species and age characteristics. Specimens of the muscular system are widely represented, including complex neuromuscular and neuro-vasculo-muscular preparations. Significant sections are devoted to the macroscopic structure of the digestive, respiratory, urinary, and reproductive systems, as well as the sensory organs, skin and its derivatives, the nervous system, and the cardiovascular system. The museum is actively integrated into the educational process. Its exhibits are used for visual demonstration of the form, internal structure, and topography of organs during practical and seminar classes. A separate section addresses comparative anatomy of chordates, presenting evolutionary series from lancelet to mammals. To enhance learning efficiency, the museum is equipped with a histology lecture room and employs multimedia technologies for delivering lectures and practical sessions. Beyond its primary educational function, the museum carries out an important public outreach mission. Today, thematic excursions and classes are regularly held there, not only for students of the academy and other universities but also for schoolchildren and anyone interested in biology and morphology. Thus, the Anatomy Museum of the Timiryazev Academy, preserving its historical heritage, remains a living, developing educational and scientific center, continuing the traditions established by its founder, Professor B.K. Gindtse.
Address: Moscow, Timiryazevskaya St., 44, building 1
