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Today our turn is the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University. And the emphasis in the topic will not be in terms of the exhibition of this magnificent museum, but as a remarkable architectural object of Old Moscow. The Zoological Museum of Lomonosov Moscow State University has a glorious history. And besides, it was in this museum that Vladimir Ipatievich Persikov, the main character of Mikhail Bulgakov’s science fiction story “Fatal Eggs,” worked. We will not leave history behind - and we will also examine this architectural masterpiece both from Bolshaya Nikitskaya and from the courtyard of Moscow State University.
The Research Zoological Museum of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University is one of the largest natural history museums in Russia. In terms of the volume of scientific funds, it is among the first ten largest museums in the world of this profile, and ranks second in Russia. Its scientific collections currently include more than 8 million storage units. The annual increase in scientific collections is about 25-30 thousand units. storage The most extensive collections are entomological (about 3 million), mammals (more than 200 thousand) and birds (157 thousand). The modern exhibition includes about 7.5 thousand exhibits: two halls are dedicated to the systematic part, one to the evolutionary-morphological part. More than 150 thousand people visit the museum every year.
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The museum was founded in 1791 as a “cabinet of natural history” at the Imperial Moscow University. Back in 1759, a natural science museum was formed at Moscow University, then called the Mineralogical Cabinet. After biological ones appeared among its exhibits, in 1759 a “cabinet of natural history” was created from them.
In 1802, Pavel Grigorievich Demidov, who had his own natural science museum, which included excellent collections compiled in the three kingdoms of nature (including minerals) and an excellent library, expressed a desire to transfer it to Moscow University and previously contributed 100 thousand rubles to the safe treasury, so that the percentage of the donated amount went to the maintenance of the museum and to the salary of that special professor of the newly formed department of natural history, who would become the custodian of the collections.
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Specially invited to Moscow in 1803, G.I. Fischer von Waldheim, in 1804, began organizing and describing the university collections and the P.G. Demidova. He completed the first inventory of the collections in 1806-1807.
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In the Moscow fire of 1812, the priceless scientific wealth of the museum was almost completely destroyed. Fischer, who remained in Moscow, managed to save only part of the conchological collection (mollusks). Fischer, having transferred all his personal collections and library to the museum, began to attract many naturalists and private collectors to the active acquisition of new funds and concerns about the restoration of the museum, and already in 1814 the revived museum had 6 thousand items of storage. In the inventory of the collections of the restored museum, published by G.I. Fischer in 1822, there were almost 10 thousand items. The zoological and mineralogical collections were finally separated - even territorially. The revived zoological museum was housed in a wing of the new classroom building. By the early 1830s, G.I. Fischer managed to increase the volume of the collection to 25 thousand items. Initially, the collection served primarily educational purposes. Since 1866, the museum has become publicly accessible. The building on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street was specially built for the museum according to the design of K. M. Bykovsky (in 1892-1902) in the eclectic style. In the 1930s, the museum was included in the Biological Faculty of Moscow State University.
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The Zoological Museum consists of two buildings, placed at right angles along Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street and Nikitsky Lane. At the junction at the corner there is a semi-rotunda the height of the first tier with a portal framed by Tuscan semi-columns. The decorative elements use animalistic and plant motifs.
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Now, let's take a look into the courtyard of the Zoological Museum and, at the same time, Moscow State University...
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Before us is the Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics.
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On the right is the building of the Institute of Asian and African Countries.
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To the left are the Research Institute and the Department of Normal Physiology.
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And this is the building of the Zoological Museum from the courtyard.
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The Zoological Institute became the setting for Mikhail Bulgakov’s fantastic story “The Fatal Eggs”. It was here that Professor Persikov invented a certain red ray, which contributed to the rapid development of animal organisms. Reptiles then overran the capital and surrounding areas, and a catastrophe ensued... The story was perceived by contemporaries as a libelous satire on the communist idea: behind Vladimir Ipatievich Persikov the figure of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was seen, and the red beam was a symbol of the socialist revolution in Russia, which was carried out under the slogan of building a better future , but brought terror and dictatorship.
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✪ Big disappointment: The legend of the Loch Ness monster New study of the lake
✪ Apple satellites filmed the Loch Ness monster
✪ Loch Ness monster
✪ DOES THE LOCH NESS MONSTER EXIST?
✪ HOW THE LOCH NESS MONSTER WAS FILMED
Subtitles
Legend
Shooting Dinsdale
The progress of the boat, filmed by Dinsdale himself for comparison, numerous computer studies, additional verification by Kodak specialists, and the initial JARIC conclusion itself provide convincing evidence that there could be no question of a trace left by the boat.
Professor Henry Bauer, Virginia Polytechnic, USA.
Sound scanning
Disappointed with the effectiveness of visual research, those wishing to find confirmation of the urban legend turned to alternative search methods, in particular, sound scanning. The first session of this kind was carried out in the mid-50s, and since then work in this area has continued continuously. Thus, the researchers learned a lot about Loch Ness, in particular, they calculated the total amount of biomass in the lake - a key factor that is directly related to the possibility of the existence of a large creature here.
In addition, sound research revealed the existence of a seiche effect in the lake, which can cause optical illusion and which Inspector Campbell initially attributed to eyewitness observations. We are talking about the sudden appearance of powerful short-term flows of water, provoked by sudden changes in atmospheric pressure. Such currents can carry large objects with them, which, moving against the wind, can create the illusion of moving forward “of their own free will.” It is this phenomenon that experts explain the silhouette in McNab’s photograph.
Gordon Holmes film
Satellite image
In the summer of 2009, a resident of the UK said that while viewing satellite photos on the Google Earth website, he saw the creature he was looking for. The photograph of the service actually shows something that vaguely resembles a large sea animal with two pairs of flippers and a tail.
Latest Research and Myth Debunking
A group of specialists from the UK, using a robot called Munin, conducted, according to the researchers themselves, the most detailed study of Loch Ness to date (April 2016). Scientists representing the “Loch Ness Project” under the leadership of Adrian Shine decided to check the information provided by a certain fisherman at the beginning of 2016 that there was a huge crevice at the bottom of the lake. According to the fisherman, it could well accommodate the legendary monster. According to the researchers, the robot, using sonar methods, was able to obtain very detailed information about this section of the lake at a depth of up to 1,500 meters. At the same time, the maximum depth of the lake reaches “only” 230 meters (this is one of the deepest lakes in Scotland). However, experts decided to check the periodically voiced assumption that it is actually deeper due to not yet open crevices or underwater tunnels, Sky News reports.
No anomalies were found during the study, which means there is no crevice in which the monster could be hiding. According to researchers, this suggests that the Loch Ness monster, apparently, does not exist after all. But the robot, moving along the bottom of the lake, came across a fake monster created in 1969 for the filming of the film “The Private Life of Sherlock” Holmes." During filming, the model drowned in the lake - due to the fact that director Billy Wilder demanded that two humps be cut off from her, which worsened her buoyancy.
The last photo of the Loch Ness monster
Amateur photographer Ian Bremner, 58, photographed what may be one of the most convincing sightings of the Loch Ness monster to date (September 2016). Bremner drove through the highlands in search of a deer, but instead witnessed a startling sight: he saw Nessie floating in the calm waters of Loch Ness. Ian spends most of his weekends around the lake photographing the stunning natural beauty. But when he returned to his home, he noticed a creature in the picture, which he believes could be that elusive monster. The photo shows a swimming two-meter-long creature with a silvery wriggling body - its head flashed in the distance, and about a meter away from it a tail was visible, with which the animal rushing away splashed the water. The creature was spotted as it surfaced for air. The photo taken by Ian shows a long snake-like creature that fully corresponds to the generally accepted description of Nessie that appeared back in 1933. The photograph he took closely resembles some of the clearest and most famous images of this creature. In 2016, “encounters” with the monster have already been reported five times - including evidence provided by Ian. This is the highest number of sightings since 2002. Some of Ian's friends believe that his photo actually shows three seals playing in the water. Over the years, there have been 1,081 recorded sightings of the Loch Ness monster hiding in the water.
Pros against
The main argument of skeptics remains the indisputable fact that the amount of biomass in the lake is not enough to support the life of a creature of the size attributed to the Loch Ness monster. Despite its enormous size and abundance of water (brought here by seven rivers), Loch Ness has sparse flora and fauna. In the course of research carried out by the Loch Ness Project, dozens of species of living creatures were identified. However, sound scanning showed that the lake contains only 20 tons of biomass, which is enough to support the life of one living creature weighing no more than 2 tons. Calculations based on the study of fossil remains of a plesiosaur show that a 15-meter lizard would weigh 25 tons. Adrian Shine believes that one should look not for one creature, but for “a colony that would number from 15 to 30 individuals.” In this case, all of them, in order to feed themselves, should be no more than 1.5 meters in length; practically this means that the lake is not able to feed a colony of creatures larger than lake salmon (salmon).
In addition to the above fact, there are a number of indirect arguments that also work against the version of the reality of “Nessie”. For example:
However, supporters of the reality of “Nessie” are not convinced by the arguments. Thus, Professor Bauer writes:
Dinsdale's filming convincingly proves that the lake - at least in the 60s - was indeed inhabited by a giant living creature. Moreover, I am convinced that it exists here - or existed - in the singular. Something else remains unclear. Everything indicates that this creature requires oxygen to maintain life. But it hardly appears on the surface. If we summarize the testimony of eyewitnesses who described a massive body with a hump, fins and a long neck, then the appearance of a modern plesiosaur emerges. But the creatures that live in Loch Ness do not come to the surface and spend part of their lives at the bottom. This suggests that we are already dealing with a descendant of a plesiosaur, which over time developed the ability to remain without air for a very long time.
Supporters of the reality of "Nessie" refer to ancient legends, according to which at the bottom of the lake there is a network of caves and tunnels that allow the monster to swim out to sea and return back. However, studies of the bottom and shores indicate that the existence of such tunnels here is unlikely.
Conscious hoax
One alternative explanation for this phenomenon is that the owners of hotels and other establishments located near the lake used the ancient legend of the monster to attract tourists. Therefore, local newspapers published “eyewitness accounts” and photographs supposedly confirming their claims, and even made dummies of Nessie. Wilson's hoax accomplice, Christopher Sparling, was the stepson of Montague Wethorle and testified that people from the newspaper's editorial office pressured Wethorle to produce conclusive evidence. Noteworthy is the proximity of the activation of the theme of “the monster from Loch Ness” (1933) and the film adaptation of “The Lost World” by Arthur Conan Doyle (1925), which popularized cryptozoology, thereby creating fertile ground for the emergence of an urban legend about the existence of a relict lizard in Scotland. It should be noted that the “first eyewitness” - Mr. John Mackay - was the owner of a hotel in Inverness, and in the film “The Lost World” there is a scene of a plesiosaur sailing past a steamship and a small mise-en-scène at the very end of the picture, where a brontosaurus fell from the Tower Bridge it had broken into Thames, floating on the surface of the river, raising his head high on his thin neck and arching his back exactly as captured in the “surgeon’s photo.”
This version does not explain the early mentions of the creature, but these mentions themselves, like most medieval legends, are not accurate and are not confirmed by anything. It can be noted that the biographies of a number of medieval Christian saints contain references to fantastic monsters expelled or pacified by them (for example, Saint Attracta, Saint Clement of Metz and others); It is possible that the story of the pacification of the monster on Loch Ness was remembered a posteriori, when the urban legend about “Nessie” had already taken shape.
The famous Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, lives at the bottom of the Scottish Loch Ness lake. That's exactly what one says. Scientists around the world have been trying to prove or disprove the existence of Nessie for several years now. And sensation hunters sincerely hope to meet one of the most mysterious creatures on the planet.
Fact or fiction?
In appearance, Nessie resembles a giant seal with a long neck and the head of a lizard. People who lived near the mysterious lake kept their secret for many years, which was eventually revealed by Roman legionnaires. The strangers noticed the stone figure of a strange animal that they had never seen before. Mentions of an unusual creature living in the lake can be found in numerous sources dating back to different centuries.
Nessie, the legendary Loch Ness monster, has allegedly been caught on camera numerous times. However, even photographs did not provide scientists with evidence of the existence of a giant seal. Some researchers believe that the long-necked creature depicted in the photographs is actually a visual effect of a seiche. Falsification in order to profitably sell the image is also possible.
Loch Ness is relatively shallow, only 230 m. A huge animal, as Nessie is supposed to be, would not be able to hide and feel comfortable in this body of water. It has been suggested that at the bottom of the lake there is a deep crevice in which Nessie is hiding. However, with the help of detailed research in 2016, it was possible to establish that there are no caves at the bottom of the reservoir. No large animals were discovered that would necessarily be noticed by modern instruments.
Eyewitness accounts
In the late 1950s, a book by K. White was published with eyewitness accounts who claimed to have personally seen the monster. The author herself lived on the shore of the lake for many years and did not notice anything unusual. But even after the book was published, there were people who met Nessie:
Amateur researcher Gordon Holmes tried to make a film about the Loch Ness monster in 2007. He managed to detect the movement of an unknown object in the lake. But this recording did not convince the experts.
No one knows if Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, really exists. The human imagination is capable of creating things that live for centuries. The Scots are unlikely to be interested in finding evidence or refutation of the monster's existence. For them, Nessie is a reliable way to attract tourists who love ancient legends and tales. There really is a monster at the bottom of the lake. The prop monster was created for the film in the late 1960s. The artificial Nessie drowned during filming.
What is this Loch Ness monster? What kind of animal is this? How did the legend begin? Let's talk about the most famous falsification and interesting facts about the Scottish monster.
The Loch Ness monster is an unknown animal that looks like a prehistoric plesiosaur. With a long neck, small head and massive body. The mythical creature received its name from the name of Loch Ness in Scotland. It is worth noting that the lake is huge - with an area of more than 50 km², relatively narrow (1.5 km) and long (36 km). The average depth is about 130 meters, and the maximum is 230; the water is muddy, which makes it even more difficult to explore.
The origin of the legend of the Loch Ness monster
The ancient Romans were the first to mention the Loch Ness monster. When they first arrived in Britain, they described the local flora and fauna and wrote about the stories of local residents about a strange, long-necked, gigantic seal. Local Celtic legends described the monster in different ways. Some are like a water horse, others are like a huge frog. They all have one thing in common - the monster has a long neck and a small head.
The first official documents mentioning the mysterious monster date back to the 18th century, when General Wade carried out blasting operations. The loud noise of the explosion, according to the general, scared away two huge monsters. Later, the monster was also mentioned, but in general the noise around it died down. A new round and the emergence of modern legends about the Loch Ness monster occurred at the end of the 19th century.
By this time, the world already knew dinosaurs, including sea creatures. In 1880, a tragedy occurred - a sailboat sank. The strange thing was that there was complete calm and a warm, sunny day, but not a single one of the sailors swam out and was subsequently discovered. Then they remembered the old stories and the strange monster named Nessie.
Falsifications, errors and controversial facts about the Loch Ness monster
Most of the evidence that the monster actually exists is not convincing enough, can be interpreted differently, or is generally deliberately fabricated.
Surgeon's photo
Often, people, trying to become famous or earn money, deliberately falsified videos and photographs. The most famous attempt is considered to be a photograph taken in 1934 by surgeon Kenneth Wilson; the fake monster was created by him and three accomplices. The photo gained worldwide fame; over time, two of the accomplices admitted to falsification.
Ultrasound scanning
Sound waves, reflected from solid objects, give a clear idea of their shape and location. The study was conducted in the 50s, the results were two-digit. On the one hand, significant changes in water temperature were discovered, which could create sharp and strong currents that lift and carry along giant logs from the bottom. On the other hand, several large ones were found rising independently and maneuvering in the depths of the water.
Fin by Robert Rines
A whole group of scientists was engaged in a new study. Various equipment was used during observations. Finally, in 1972, a photograph of a large diamond-shaped fin was obtained.
An independent examination established that the photo is genuine and not falsified, but its interpretation is different. Indeed, the object only looks like a fin, but it could be a log, an optical effect, or a large boulder at the bottom.
Photo from space
A satellite image taken in 2009 showed a strange creature with a long tail, four spade-shaped limbs and a massive body. The photo almost became a world sensation. However, it was discovered in time that the picture showed a boat with rowers, and the wave wake behind it was mistaken for its tail.
In the next article, we will look at what current arguments exist for and against the existence of the Loch Ness monster? How true are they?
Documentary about the Loch Ness Monster from National Geographic
November 12, 1933 someone Hugh Gray took the first photograph of a monster that allegedly lives in Scotland's Loch Ness. This photo became famous worldwide due to its publication in the British newspaper The Daily Sketch.
Under public pressure, the following year the Scottish Parliament was forced to put on the agenda the issue of the existence of Nessie, as the monster was nicknamed in the press. Deputies discussed the possibility of allocating funds to study Loch Ness and its inhabitants. However, the heated parliamentary battles did not lead to anything.
Researchers have still not found evidence that the Loch Ness monster really exists. AiF.ru has collected seven of the most interesting facts related to the Nessie phenomenon.
What is the name of the Loch Ness Monster?
The ancient Celts called the monster that lives in a Scottish lake by the crude name Nisag. And now he is affectionately called Nessie. This name is an abbreviation of the name of Loch Ness.
Loch Ness monster. Photo by Robert Wilson, 1934. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
The Loch Ness monster was seen more than 400 years ago
The first written mention of a mysterious creature living in the waters of Loch Ness dates back to the 6th century AD. The biography of Saint Columba speaks of his encounter with a “water beast.”
In the life of Columba it is written that one day the saint went out to Loch Ness and saw the funeral of a local resident who was killed by a certain lake monster
One of the saint’s disciples frivolously threw himself into the water and swam across a narrow strait to bring in a boat. As he sailed away from the shore, Nisag rose from the water. Columba drove the monster away with prayer.
Nessie is considered a giant sturgeon or dinosaur
Some researchers claim that Nessie is a huge sturgeon. Others insist that the monster is a plesiosaur. However, scientists consider both of these versions to be untenable. The fact is that the sturgeon cannot grow to such a gigantic size, and a prehistoric reptile in a Scottish lake would very soon die of starvation. Loch Ness contains only about 20 tons of biomass, which is extremely small for a 15-meter lizard that weighed more than 25 tons.
Illustration of a plesiosaur by Heinrich Harder. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Loch Ness has been covered in ice for thousands of years
Loch Ness, like all of Scotland, was covered with a continuous ice sheet during the last ice age, which began about 110 thousand years ago and ended around 9700-9600 BC. e.
Science does not know large animals that can survive in such conditions. However, some experts suggest that the lake has access to the sea through a system of underground tunnels that the monster could use.
Bathing elephants could be mistaken for the Loch Ness monster
In 2005 British paleontologist Neil Clark compared photographs of the Loch Ness monster with the schedule of traveling circuses on the road to Inverness. And he came to the conclusion that the locals saw not prehistoric dinosaurs, but bathing elephants.
A swimming elephant can indeed be mistaken for a monster. Only the trunk, crown and upper back of the animal are visible on the surface. This is exactly how eyewitnesses described Nessie - a long-necked something with two humps.
The Scots wanted to protect Nessie from the English
In 1933, the British planned to find and kill the Loch Ness monster, and put its carcass on public display at the Natural History Museum in the British capital. However, Nessie has already become a source of Scottish national pride. Therefore, the mere thought that a stuffed animal could be exhibited in London infuriated residents of the region. Therefore, the Scots demanded that laws be passed that would protect the monster. However, it didn't come to that.
Is the Loch Ness monster just an optical illusion?
Researchers have discovered the existence of a seiche effect in Loch Ness. These are underwater currents invisible to the eye, which can be caused by changes in atmospheric pressure, wind, and seismic phenomena.
Currents carry large objects with them. Observers may have the illusion that objects are floating on their own.
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