Russian paleontological museums

[RuMert]

Hi all!

Here is a list of Russian paleontological museums with a short description, impressions and a single photo ( made by myself, later). I have not visited all of them, but hope to do so step by step in the future. Most museums hosting paleo exibitions are organised as "local history museums" - everything from minerals to folk costumes. They do sometimes have good paleontological material. If you are in a big city, why not visit the local history (краеведческий) museum - there's a chance to find a good collection.

 

There's only a handful of dedicated paleontological museums. That's what I've found so far:

 

1. Moscow:
   5 museums.
   • https://www.paleo.ru/museum 
     The biggest museum with a good collection, but unfortunately many replicas and material from abroad. Emphasis on Permian reptiles, Gobi dinosaurs and big mammal skeletons:)
   • http://www.darwinmuseum.ru/projects/constant-exp/razvitie-organicheskogo-mira?eng 
     The museum concentrates on evolution concept, but (and that's why) features some good paleo material. The paleontolgical hall is situated on the top floor and thus not much visited after all the taxidermy. I advise you to begin with the top floor then descend.
   • https://www.fmm.ru/Main_Page?setlang=en 
     Fersman mineralogical museum (with atacamite pseudomorph after a mouse)
   • http://mgri-rggru.ru/fondi/museum/mineral.php 
     Mineralogical museum of  Sergo Ordzhonikidze Russian State University for Geological Prospecting (MGRI)
   • http://sgm.ru 
     Vernadsky State Geological Museum
      
2. Saint Petersburg:
   3 museums, all of them free (at least for Russian citizens, so you'll need to enquire), limited access and have very few visitors.
   • https://spmi.ru/gornyi-muzei 
     Mining museum
   • http://www.paleostratmuseum.ru 
     Stratigraphic museum, home to the oldest Russian paleocollection  (sold by K.Eichwald, also authentic XiX century displays). Situated in SPb university
   • http://www.vsegei.com/ru/about/museum
     Very nice one-hall museum with countless mineral and fossil specimens from different Russian locations and the oldest dinosaur skeleton in Russian expositions (the only one in SPb)
      
3. Kazan:
   • http://kazan-kremlin.ru/museums/muzej-estestvennoj-istorii-tatarstana/ 
     Good collection. Nice Jurassic marine life hall.
      
4. Samara Oblast: 
   • http://alabin.ru/sobytiya/prirodnaya-ekspozitsiya 
     Alabin museum - features a good Mezozoic marine hall (also trilos,mammals, etc).
   • Toliyatti (Samara Oblast): https://sites.google.com/site/ievbmuseum/nasi 
     A restricted access museum for professional geo/paleontologists, visits by appointment
      
5. Nizhny Novgorod: 
   • http://www.turionn.nnov.ru/muzei_mineralogicheskiy.html 
     The museum is now situated in State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (NNSAGU). Free, requires advance registration
      
6. Ulyanovsk Oblast: 
   • http://www.uokm.ru 
     Local history museum with a small paleontological hall on the ground floor. Still nice Jurassic marine material and a cave bear skeleton
   • http://www.simbircit73.ru/salon-muzej 
     Simbircite private museum, features some nice heteromorph ammonites, holotypes included
   • Undory (Ulyanovsk Oblast): https://undor-muz.ru 
     A small museum devoted to Jurassic-Cretaceous marine life
      
7. Perm Oblast (Kray): 
   • http://museum.perm.ru/filiali/muzey-permskih-drevnostey 
     Permian reptiles, etc. Looks good
   • http://museum.psu.ru/museum/muzej-paleontologii-i-istoricheskoj-geologii/ 
     Visits by appointment, probably small
      
8. Volgograd: 
   • https://museionsajtyarkova.ru/katalog/katalog-muzeya-evolyuczionnoj-ekologii-i-arxeologii.html  
      
9. Yakutsk:
   • https://www.s-vfu.ru/universitet/rukovodstvo-i-struktura/vspomogatelnye-podrazdeleniya/muzei/detail.php?SECTION_ID=162&ID=13263 
     Mammoths and associated fauna
      
10. Yekaterinburg: 
    • http://ugm.ursmu.ru 
      Mostly geological
       
11. Ivanovo: 
    • http://www.ivmk.net 
      Museum of stone (combines mineralogical and paleontological expositions)
       
12. Kirov, Kotelnich (Kirov Oblast): 
    • http://suminia.com/ru/About_the_Museum.htm
       
13. Kammenomostsky (Adygea Republic): 
    • http://worldroads.ru/muzey-ammonitov-adyigei 
      Dedicated to ammos
       
14. Stary Oskol (Belgorod Oblast) 
    • https://www.ammonit.ru/text/2257.htm 
      Museum of the local mining plant - marine reptiles, etc
       
15. Shestakovo (Kemerovo Oblast): 
    • http://brend.visit-kuzbass.ru/shestakovskii 
      Not a museum in a proper sense, but some kind of tourist route around dinosaur excavation sites
       
16. Nizhniye Chugli (Dagestan Republic):
    • https://www.ammonit.ru/text/1691.htm 
      A small private ammo museum

 

[Max-fossils]

Thanks for making this! I actually haven't visited many museums in the Netherlands... I'll try to make a list later of the ones I like most when I have visited more of them. 

[connorp]

I remember reading awhile ago about a museum in Russia dedicated to the Ediacaran fauna of the White Sea region, but I can't seem to find it now. Are you familiar with such a museum?

[RuMert]

Nope. The specimens would probably go to Arkhangelsk, but the local museum doesn't seem to speak much about such a collection. Then the main paleo museum in Moscow.