Moscow Zoo

In 1862, in Moscow's Manezh exhibition held animals, organized by the Committee on the acclimatization of plants and animals. After the exhibition at the hands of the organizers left a lot of living "exhibits." Then the question arose about the opening in Moscow zoo. The main initiator of its creation was a professor at Moscow University, Anatoly Petrovich Bogdanov. We considered several options for the zoo: Izmailovo, Tsaritsyno Presnensky ponds. The choice was made in favor of fresh water. The decisive factor was close enough to the city center, which means convenience for potential visitors. For the device "a living museum in the open air" was filled with one of the ponds, private individuals were purchased adjacent land. And January 31, 1864 (February 12 n. S.) Moscow Zoological Gardens opened. A curious fact. In 1681 near Presnensky ponds was built suburban palace of Tsar Fedor Alekseevich. When the royal residence was Amusing yard, for which in 1685 "for the work of a chest Polar Bear" dropped 13 planks of pine-half, and under the chest, this contrived "wheels kindest." Thus, the first zoo existed in Presnya in the XVII century. The first buildings of the Zoological Garden was designed by PS Campioni. He brought to Moscow a group of animals, donated by the Paris acclimatization garden. Many animal lovers zoo donated money, donated animals. The commander of the frigate "Svetlana" II Butakov brought from circumnavigation collection of Australian animals. Emperor Alexander II gave the elephant. In the late 1870s - early 1880s in the Botanical Department of the Zoological Garden acted "Family Garden", hosted by well-known entrepreneur MV Lentovskogo. In subsequent years, to the zoo were built additional pavilions and enclosures. At the same time worked here well-known Moscow architects: LN Kekushev [http://um.mos.ru/personalities/2176/], SK Rodionov. At the end of the XIX century on the corner of Georgia and B. B. Presnenskaya (now - Presnya) streets instead unpretentious wooden arches appeared elegant entrance with two towers designed by architect KK Hippius [http://um.mos.ru/personalities/9994/]. Acted Biological Station, the building of which in the neoclassical style was designed by RI Klein [http://um.mos.ru/personalities/15360/] (Konyushkovskaya street, 31, p. 1). Significantly affected the zoo during the events of 1905 .: destroyed a number of buildings, burned the library, destroyed Aquarium. In 1919, the Zoological Garden nationalized. In subsequent years, its territory has increased significantly, the creation of scientific laboratories and research departments, and he received a new name familiar to us - Zoo. In 1936, the Zoo was built a new entrance, designed by sculptor VA Vatagin and DV Gorlov, which existed until 1964, the 850th anniversary of Moscow in the 1990s, revolutionized the Zoo (the work was done MNIIP "Mosproject 4"). A new entrance lobby, a number of new enclosures, various thematic exhibitions. Currently in the Moscow zoo contains more than 1,100 species and nearly 8,000 copies of various fauna.