N.M. Kulagin Zoological Museum
On the grounds of the Timiryazev Academy, among the academic buildings and experimental fields, there is a place where you can take a journey through the entire history of the animal world. The Zoological Museum named after Nikolai Mikhailovich Kulagin is not just a display of stuffed animals, but a serious scientific base where students, professors, and even schoolchildren get to know the amazing diversity of Earth’s fauna. The history of the museum is directly linked to the name of Nikolai Mikhailovich Kulagin. In 1894, he took up the position of adjunct professor at the Moscow Agricultural Institute and for nearly fifty years headed the Department of Zoology. As Academician B.E. Bykhovsky noted, Kulagin made a huge contribution to the development of theoretical zoology, organized departments of pond fish farming, beekeeping, and entomology, and was involved in nature conservation and the training of game managers. The first exhibits were collected by faculty and students of the department – this is how the collection gradually took shape. The museum officially opened in 1939. Later, the holdings were significantly enriched with materials gathered by Professors B.A. Kuznetsov and A.A. Paramonov. The museum is arranged according to the classical systematic principle – from the simplest invertebrates to the highest mammals. A walk through its halls turns into a fascinating journey up the evolutionary ladder: Invertebrates: rich collections of mollusks, crustaceans, insects (the most numerous group), and echinoderms; Fish: the pride of this section is a mounted specimen of the giant beluga, a valuable commercial species; Amphibians and reptiles: represented by key species; Birds: emphasis is placed on domestic species, including game birds. In addition to mounted specimens, there is a collection of eggs (about 90 items) and skeletal preparations. Mammals: large predators and ungulates. Among the exhibits are elk, European bison, reindeer, wild boar, and wolf. The ancestors and related forms of domestic animals are also presented separately. Of particular interest are: a collection of ungulate antlers (20 pairs) – both domestic and African species; fossils (73 specimens); exhibits demonstrating the variety of coat colors in foxes, rabbit breeds, and nutrias – a clear example of how humans influence morphological variability in animals. Some exhibits are truly unique and hold global scientific value: A mounted platypus – the only modern representative of the platypus family, a species listed in the IUCN Red List. Seeing it in person is a rare opportunity. A fossilized skull of a woolly rhinoceros – a witness of the Pleistocene epoch that lived on the territory of modern Russia thousands of years ago. A mounted superb bird-of-paradise (Lophorina superba) from New Guinea – also protected by the international community. Exhibits created at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries by famous taxidermists F.K. Lorenz and D.Ya. Fyodorov. These are not just biological objects, but genuine works of museum art with historical and cultural value. The Zoological Museum is more than just an exhibition space. It actively functions as an educational base. Undergraduate and graduate students in Biology and Animal Science conduct practical classes here. Many animals are presented as biological groups, making it possible to see the features of their natural habitats and interspecific interactions. After a seven-year break due to reorganization, the museum has reopened its doors. The exhibition continues to develop, adapting to modern educational tasks. Today, not only are classes held for students, but also specialized courses for schoolchildren and evening students. The museum strives to preserve its collections while actively integrating into next-generation educational programs.
Address: Moscow, Timiryazevskaya St., 44, building 1
