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Mineral Collections of Russia, Part 2. Mineralogical Almanac, volume 3. 2000.

Pp. 136, color illustrations - 132, historical photo - 32.

Editorial

This issue of the Mineralogical Almanac is a sequel in the «Mineral Collections of Russia» series. The interest, which our readers expressed about the first issue of this series, confirmed that it is a right time to acknowledge the real value of mineralogical museums and collections. There is a growing understanding that besides purely scientific and aesthetic value the mineral collections are unique «reserves of stone», which help to understand systematically the world surrounding the mankind.

The situation with mineralogical collections and museums in Russia is a subject of constant attention of the Russian Geological Society (RosGeo). This organization has already completed compilation of the unified museum directory and has prepared it for publication. RosGeo regularly organizes conferences and seminars on museum business and publishes materials about individual museums. This almanac is also prepared and published with a help of RosGeo.

The Russian Mineralogical Society (RMS) demonstrates similar activity. The problem of preservation and expansion of museum collections is a priority topic in scientific activity of the RMS.

In contrast with the previous issue, which was completely devoted to private collections, this publication was designed to be as diverse as possible in its contents. Although it displays only twelve collections of Russia, representing approximately one fifth portion of the museum collections, which we are planning to include in the following issues of our almanac, their geography covers various regions of our country in Central Russia, in the Urals, in Siberia, and in the Far East.

A brief historical review of museums and collections of the Russian Empire, which nave being assembled since the early 18th century until the early 20th century, provides an understanding about establishment and development of this occupation in our country.

In this issue, we intended to include various collections, representing different traditional styles of collecting in Russia. The almanac contains articles about museums of academic geological institutions, whose collections are the result of systematic study, exploration, and development of certain types of raw materials for industry. These collections of the Russian Academy of Sciences museums characterize a scientific background of the geological works in Russia.

The museums of high educational institutions occupy a special place. Today, many such collections have a tremendous historical and scientific value, being a national treasure of Russia.

«Museum in museum» is our new rubric devoted to the new special thematic exposition in the Vernadsky State Geological Museum, one of the largest mineralogical museums of our country. We believe that popularization of the mineralogical knowledge is important for the growing generation. Therefore, we decided to tell about two school museums in the Urals, where teenagers collect, study, and guide excursions to their expositions.

This issue was prepared by a large team of enthusiastic and highly professional specialists. Directors of museums and chief curators of collections contributed their articles to this volume. They are not only whole-heartedly devoted to their business, but they are also most competent specialists.

We hope that this issue of our almanac will raise an interest to our future publications, in which we will relate to many other Russian museums and mineral collections.

 

  Editorial 4
     
  Vladimir Feklichev, Tatyana Dubrovskaya  
  Mineral and Geological Collections in the Russian Empire  
  of the 18th — early 20th Centuries  5
     
MUSEUM COLLECTIONS: Geological Museum of Far East of Russia 32
     
  Museum of the Geology of Central Siberia 40
     
  Nikolai P. Yushkin  
  The Chernov Geological Museum 44
     
  Leonid S. Skobel’  
  Museum of Quartz. Settlement of Saranpaul’ 58
     
  Anvar A. Yusipov, Vladislav I. Chuprov  
  The Gems Museum 62
     
  Nadezhda A. Bogatyreva  
  Museum of Earth’s Sciences 72
     
  Vitalii Ya. Gerasimenko, Tat’yana V. Dubrovskaya, and Aleksander E. Korol’kov  
  Ershov Geological Museum 84
     
  Vladimir I. Kuz’min, Nina V. Skorobogatova  
  Geological Museum of VIMS 90
     
  Galina F. Anastasenko  
  The Mineralogical Museum of St.-Petersburg University 100
     
  Fersman School Geological Museum 116
     
  Irina V. and Pavel S. Kozlov  
  Museum of Young Geologists 118
     
MUSEUM IN MUSEUM Elena Isaeva  
  «Geological Kunstkamera» Exhibition, Vernadsky State Geological Museum 120