MUSEUM OF THE ARCTIC AND ANTARCTICA
The Arctic Museum was opened to visitors on January 8, 1937, but the decision to create it was made much earlier. Already in the 1920s, in connection with active exploration of the Arctic, many prominent polar explorers and scientists came up with proposals to organize a permanent polar museum.
Address:
St. Petersburg, st. Marata, 24 a
Telephone:
(+7812) 571-25-49
The Arctic Museum was opened to visitors on January 8, 1937, but the decision to create it was made much earlier. Already in the 1920s, in connection with active exploration of the Arctic, many prominent polar explorers and scientists came up with proposals to organize a permanent polar museum.
In 1930, the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR approved the decision to create the All-Union Arctic Institute (VAI), which included a museum of the Arctic as a special department. Initially, the museum's exhibits were stored in the basement of the VAI and were used only for exhibitions.
In 1933, the building of the former St. Nicholas Edinoverie Church on Marata Street, built in 1820-1838, was leased to the Arctic Institute to create a museum. designed by architect A.I. Melnikov. During 1934-1936.
According to the project of the architect Sivkov, the premises of the former temple were reconstructed into a museum. At the same time, the staff of the Arctic Museum developed a scientific concept, prepared and collected exhibits, and created a permanent exhibition. Arctic scientists and researchers took an active part in organizing the museum: the first head of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route O. Yu. Shmidt, the first director of the VAI R. L. Samoilovich, academician Yu. M. Shokalsky, VAI researchers V. Yu. Wiese, I Y. Gakkel, A. F. Laktionov, N. V. Pinegin, etc. Since the opening of the museum, its employees have strived to quickly respond to all important events in the Arctic.
Thus, already in September 1938, an exhibition dedicated to the work of the first drifting station North Pole-1 (May 1937 - February 1938) opened. It presented the Papanin residents’ living tent, their personal belongings, instruments and equipment. The museum quickly received not only domestic but also international recognition.
In 1937, at the World Exhibition in Paris, his exhibits were awarded an Honorary Diploma. In the 1950s, a new stage in the development of the polar regions of the globe began - the systematic exploration of Antarctica. The museum's collection was replenished with new exhibits from the first Soviet Antarctic expeditions. In July 1958, the museum received a new name - the Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic. On February 2, 1998, by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, the museum was given a new status - the Russian State Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic (RGMAA).
Currently, the RSMAA is the largest museum in the world, the collection of which (about 100 thousand exhibits) is dedicated to polar topics. It presents archaeological monuments and relics related to the history of the development of the Northern Sea Route, including an archaeological collection of household items of the Pomors of the first half of the 17th century, found by expeditions of the ANII led by A.P. Okladnikov (1945) in the extreme northeast of Taimyr and M.I. Belov (1968-1973) on the site of the ancient Russian city of Mangazeya. The exhibits also include instruments and expedition equipment, written, cartographic and printed sources, and photographic documents.
The museum's collections contain photographs depicting many significant events in the Arctic, including the initial period of the existence of the world's first Arctic linear icebreaker "Ermak" (1899-1901), the activities of the Hydrographic Expedition of the Arctic Ocean (1910-1915), a trip on the icebreaker "Krasin" to rescue members of the Italian expedition on the airship "Italy" (1928), the work of the first drifting stations of the joint venture and the first Soviet Antarctic expeditions. RSMAA has archives of famous polar captains, Soviet polar explorers, as well as the designers of the first nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" and the nuclear icebreaker "Arktika". An interesting collection of paintings and graphics, which includes works by artists A. A. Borisov and N. V. Pinegin, original creations by Tyko Vylka and students of the Institute of Northern Peoples, representatives of Soviet realism I. P. Ruban, M. A. Kaneev, V. V. Fomenko, N. Martynov, O. Kotelnikov, A. Medvedev, works by SAE participants N. I. Shvyrkov and V. I. Kostyrsky, as well as professional traveler F. Konyukhov.
Official website
In 1930, the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR approved the decision to create the All-Union Arctic Institute (VAI), which included a museum of the Arctic as a special department. Initially, the museum's exhibits were stored in the basement of the VAI and were used only for exhibitions.
In 1933, the building of the former St. Nicholas Edinoverie Church on Marata Street, built in 1820-1838, was leased to the Arctic Institute to create a museum. designed by architect A.I. Melnikov. During 1934-1936.
According to the project of the architect Sivkov, the premises of the former temple were reconstructed into a museum. At the same time, the staff of the Arctic Museum developed a scientific concept, prepared and collected exhibits, and created a permanent exhibition. Arctic scientists and researchers took an active part in organizing the museum: the first head of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route O. Yu. Shmidt, the first director of the VAI R. L. Samoilovich, academician Yu. M. Shokalsky, VAI researchers V. Yu. Wiese, I Y. Gakkel, A. F. Laktionov, N. V. Pinegin, etc. Since the opening of the museum, its employees have strived to quickly respond to all important events in the Arctic.
Thus, already in September 1938, an exhibition dedicated to the work of the first drifting station North Pole-1 (May 1937 - February 1938) opened. It presented the Papanin residents’ living tent, their personal belongings, instruments and equipment. The museum quickly received not only domestic but also international recognition.
In 1937, at the World Exhibition in Paris, his exhibits were awarded an Honorary Diploma. In the 1950s, a new stage in the development of the polar regions of the globe began - the systematic exploration of Antarctica. The museum's collection was replenished with new exhibits from the first Soviet Antarctic expeditions. In July 1958, the museum received a new name - the Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic. On February 2, 1998, by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, the museum was given a new status - the Russian State Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic (RGMAA).
Currently, the RSMAA is the largest museum in the world, the collection of which (about 100 thousand exhibits) is dedicated to polar topics. It presents archaeological monuments and relics related to the history of the development of the Northern Sea Route, including an archaeological collection of household items of the Pomors of the first half of the 17th century, found by expeditions of the ANII led by A.P. Okladnikov (1945) in the extreme northeast of Taimyr and M.I. Belov (1968-1973) on the site of the ancient Russian city of Mangazeya. The exhibits also include instruments and expedition equipment, written, cartographic and printed sources, and photographic documents.
The museum's collections contain photographs depicting many significant events in the Arctic, including the initial period of the existence of the world's first Arctic linear icebreaker "Ermak" (1899-1901), the activities of the Hydrographic Expedition of the Arctic Ocean (1910-1915), a trip on the icebreaker "Krasin" to rescue members of the Italian expedition on the airship "Italy" (1928), the work of the first drifting stations of the joint venture and the first Soviet Antarctic expeditions. RSMAA has archives of famous polar captains, Soviet polar explorers, as well as the designers of the first nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" and the nuclear icebreaker "Arktika". An interesting collection of paintings and graphics, which includes works by artists A. A. Borisov and N. V. Pinegin, original creations by Tyko Vylka and students of the Institute of Northern Peoples, representatives of Soviet realism I. P. Ruban, M. A. Kaneev, V. V. Fomenko, N. Martynov, O. Kotelnikov, A. Medvedev, works by SAE participants N. I. Shvyrkov and V. I. Kostyrsky, as well as professional traveler F. Konyukhov.
Official website
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Telephone:
(+7812) 571-25-49
Working hours:
MONDAY: closed TUESDAY - SUNDAY: 10.00 - 18.00 (ticket office open until 17.30) ON THE LAST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED FOR SANITARY DAY
Address:
St. Petersburg, st. Marata, 24 a
