Vinogradsky’s columns are known as a model of a microbial community for experiments in laboratory conditions. The article proposes a system of integrated use of Vinogradsky’s columns in the space of the Earth Science Museum as: a) a visual dynamic “living exhibit”, b) an interactive platform of the Youth Museum, and a mobile cluster for exhibitions and the Science Festival, c) a natural educational and methodological tool, and d) a laboratory naturalistic experimental setup. Making a series of Vinogradsky’s columns from different locations of the initial pedo-soil matrix of various compositions allows for a successful combination of scientific, experimental, educational, and demonstration-interactive tasks in the space of a natural science university museum. In the Earth Science Museum at Moscow State University (Hall 21 – East European Plain), a series of Vinogradsky’s columns has been developed, based initially on the materials of bottom sediments samples of pond reservoirs, selected by a team of novice nature explorers (students of Moscow State University and schoolchildren) as part of the project “Youth Museum” of Moscow State University. Two-year monitoring has allowed to obtain new data on the development of microbial communities and to arrange an original cluster in the hall and to present a series of columns at the All-Russian Science Festival.

The open-air exhibition “Glaciers from the Arctic to Moscow” aims to present the interdisciplinary issues of complex cosmoglobal aspects and mechanisms of interaction between the geospheres, which are the product of climate change spanning the entire history of the planet and continuously affecting ecosystems. The exhibition is organized at the Botanical Garden of Moscow State University in collaboration with the Earth Science Museum of Moscow State University as a cluster of the Youth Museum. A synthetic version of the distribution of glacial covers in the territory of the East European Plain and a version of the most commonly accepted scale of glaciations and interglaciations of the Quaternary period with the main astrochronological reference points have been specially developed and designed to be easily understood by a wide range of visitors to the exhibition. Special attention is paid to Milanković’s cycles, and original information stands have been created to reflect their work. The natural basis of the exhibition is formed by a group of different-sized erratic boulders, arranged according to the reconstructed location of the rocks that form them in their parent locations, modeling the “glacier route” on the East European Plain. By analyzing the “travel notes” in the form of systems of characteristic grooves and “tan crusts,” as well as the composition of the rocks, together with each visitor, it is possible to reconstruct the path of a particular boulder, and, with the help of information boards, to try to understand the scenario of the glacier’s development, the history of the region, and the planet as a whole. The created exhibition can be positioned as a universal conceptual and design solution for the space of a university science museum.

The article, based on materials from the Moscow State University Archives, examines the activities of the Botanical Garden of Moscow University during the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945). Using a systematic approach, the article traces changes in the main parameters of the Botanical Garden’s structural and functional organization under the influence of adverse external factors. It is shown how, in the context of the crisis caused by the war, which led to a shortage of resources for scientific activities, the areas of research and educational work were transformed, and the composition and structure of the Botanical Garden’s plant collections, as well as the number and organizational structure of its scientific and auxiliary staff, changed. Special attention is paid to the personality of K.I. Meyer, who headed the Botanical Garden in 1940–1948.

The article is devoted to the activities of the famous zoogeographer and ornithologist M.A. Menzbier as rector of Moscow University, which he headed during the revolutionary upheavals of 1917–1918. It considers the rector’s attempts to lead the university while remaining faithful to the principles of academicism in the conditions of destruction and breakdown of all public life.

The article provides scientific and artistic descriptions of the paintings composing the triptych “Transformation of the River Network of the Russian Plain”, namely: G.E. Satel’s “Moscow Canal” and M.A. Suzdaltsev’s “At the Construction of the Volga Hydroelectric Power Station named after V.I. Lenin” and “Tsimlyansk Reservoir (Sea)”. The creative path of the artists G.E. Satel and M.A. Suzdaltsev, the background to the creation of their joint triptych, the interaction of the acting director of the Museum Yu.K. Yefremov with these artists applying for the commission, and his opinion of the resulting paintings are considered. The connection between the triptych paintings and the natural science exposition of the hall is shown. Comparisons are made with the paintings “Ob” by I.V. Titkov and “Yenisei” by Ya.D. Romas.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) serve as hubs for the redistribution of biogenic element flows, since they generate three output streams (liquid, solid and gaseous), where the proportional content of biogenic elements depends on the wastewater treatment technology. The circular economy principles require accounting for these flows to develop a strategy for utilizing biogenic elements to meet the needs of the growing urban population. Identifying sewerage basins within a river basin serves as a tool for calculating these flows. The maximum possible amount of biogenic elements (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus) redirected by treatment plants to local water bodies, to the atmosphere, and to sewage sludge is estimated for each sewerage basin. Such calculations enable an assessment of the maximum biogenic load downstream of the treatment plant discharge point (in the event of a plant shutdown) and the design of potential technological chains for utilizing sewage sludge. The author proposes to use a GIS-based method to identify sewerage basins within a river basin. This approach allows for the calculation of maximum biogenic element flows based on the population within each sewerage basin, providing insights into the environmental load on each individual basin and the entire river basin as a whole. Additionally, this method identifies zones with the highest load on watercourses within the river basin and assesses the risks of watercourse pollution due to urban development and the emergence of new residential areas. The article presents a methodology for identifying sewerage basins within the Moscow River basin, calculating the population within their boundaries, and estimating the daily load of two indicators, namely: total nitrogen and phosphate phosphorus. Using geoinformation tools, a map of sewerage basins was plotted, identifying areas within the Moscow River basin with the highest and lowest coverage of wastewater treatment plants.

The article traces milestones of the formation and development of sciadography in the Botanical Garden of Moscow University in the 19–20th centuries in the aspect of the history of science. In accordance with the logic of the development of scientific know­ledge, taxonomic ideas about the Umbelliferae were transformed as research methods improved. Studying of the Umbelliferae became a specialty of the Botanical Garden of Moscow University. The evolution of approaches to the construction of the system of this family of angiosperms is considered: from G.F. Hoffmann’s artificial system (early 19th century), based on comparative morphological data, to B.M. Kozo-Polyansky’s natural system (early 20th century), based on the principles of evolutionary morphology, and further, to phylogenetic systematics based on modern research methods and quantitative methods of data processing. This approach was developed by V.N. Tikhomirov and M.G. Pimenov, their colleagues and students (since the 1970s). January 2025 marks the 265th anniversary of the birth of G.F. Hoffmann (1760–1826) and the 135th anniversary of the birth of B.M. Kozo-Polyansky (1890–1957).

Expedition work is an important aspect of the activities of any natural science university museum, starting directly from its formation as a scientific, educational and enlightening center. As the museum structure develops, the role of such expeditions is transformed, acquiring the character of an evolutionarily necessary structural and functional mechanism. In the 75-year history of the Earth Science Museum of MSU, three main stages of expeditionary activity are distinguished. The first one is associated with the formation of the Museum in the 1950–60s and reflects, as the main task, the formation of an array of naturalia (natural objects), as well as photographic materials and works of art, which formed the basis of the exposition and collection base. The second stage is marked by targeted expeditions for specific local exhibition and research tasks, involving field collection of natural facts. At the third stage in the 21st century, the functional spectrum of the Museum’s expeditionary activities is expanding: field work, in addition to the traditional mechanism of new acquisitions, becomes an arena for positioning the Museum for the general public outside its classical space, an interactive cluster of education and popularization of science, involving various social groups in the area of the expedition’s work in museum co-creation. The Museum’s expeditions are widely reflected in popular science films and books, at “Science Festivals”, in the media space and blogosphere. These innovations have been testing in recent years in the mode of the scientific and educational expedition “Floating Universities Flotilla” in the Volga region, which has become an important resource for the implementation of the concept of a mobile network museum, as well as the formation of a youth museum as a promising interdisciplinary project of the Earth Science Museum of Moscow State University.

The gallery of artistic portraits of outstanding Russian and foreign naturalists, consisting of sculptures and paintings, occupies an important place in the exposition of the Earth Science Museum at Moscow State University. The 270th anniversary of the Moscow State University named after Lomonosov and 75th anniversary of its Earth Science Museum is an occasion to turn to the activities of scientists directly related to Moscow University. The portraits of paleontologists of the 19th – first half of the 20th century, which were at the beginning of the science of fossil organisms at Moscow University, are shown in the museum halls. They have contributed to the development of this science, as well as museology at the university, and laid the foundation for modern research and teaching paleontological courses. Among them are the learners of Johann Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim (1771–1853) – Charles Roulier (1814–1858) and Grigory E. Shchurovsky (1803–1884), Vladimir O. Kovalevsky (1842–1883), Aleksei Petrovich (1854–1929) and Maria Vasilievna (1854–1938) Pavlovs, and Aleksei Alekseevich Borisyak (1872–1944). Brief biographical information of the scientists is provided. Their contribution to the development and organization of paleontological research at Moscow University is shown.

The article presents an analysis of the exhibition activities of the Earth Science Museum of Moscow State University as an important component of scientific and educational work, significantly expanding educational and outreach activities. In accordance with the development of science and the socio-political situation in our country and the world, the topics of exhibitions, places and methods of their holding changed. At the same time, they reflected the current aspects of the 270-year history of Moscow University as if in a mirror.

The article presents the main stages of the scientific path of Ivan A. Heim (Bernhard Andreas von Heim, 1758–1821), a representative of the German academic society, who moved to Russia in 1779 and held the position of the rector of Moscow University from 1808 to 1819. I.A. Heim’s scientific heritage in the field of linguistics, geography and statistics is considered. The great merits of I.A. Heim in the organization of evacuation of Moscow University during the Patriotic War of 1812 and its subsequent restoration are shown.

For the first time in the research literature, the paper highlights the cooperation of the outstanding Russian investigators G.N. Potanin (1835–1920) and V.I. Vernadsky (1863–1945). The basis of interaction between these scientists was determined by the fact that both of them were students of Natural Department of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Imperial St. Petersburg University. They carried the knowledge and interest in research gained at the university throughout their lives. Based on authentic sources, the authors revealed the role of A.A. Inostrantsev (1843–1919) as the organizer and ruler of the geological cabinet (museum) at St. Petersburg University, where G.N. Potanin acquired the necessary knowledge for his scientific expeditions to Central Asia in 1874. Under the influence of Dr. Inostrantsev, Potanin realized the importance of museums in geology and other branches. Besides, he supported V.V. Dokuchaev (1846–1903) in conducting soil science research in Russia. The paper emphasizes the participation of the university student Vladimir Vernadsky in Prof. Dokuchaev’s expeditions and in the preparation of a soil exposition at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1889. Following in the footsteps of his teachers and mentors, V.I. Vernadsky joined the museum science, became the curator of the Mineralogical Museum in Alma Mater, and then, some years later, in the Imperial Moscow University.

Immediate communication between V.I. Vernadsky and G.N. Potanin occurred in the 1890s – 1900s, when they participated in discussions on ideological and political reorganization of Russia, pondered on the problems of regional self-government in the country. As a brief conclusion from this publication, the authors postulate free thought and scientific creativity, which related to Vernadsky and Potanin, as relevant ideas of our days.

The article reviews the activities of the famous botanist Mikhail I. Golenkin (1864–1941) as an organizer of Russian science. Honored Professor of Moscow University (1916), Honored Scientist of the RSFSR (1929), M.I. Golenkin headed the Department of Plant Morphology and Systematics for many years (1904–1918; in 1918–1929 – Department of Plant Morphology and Systematics of higher plants) of Moscow University and its Botanical Garden (1902–1930), at the same time (1922–1931) he was director of the Research Institute of Botany of the Association of Research Institutes at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Moscow University. Professor Golenkin was an honorary member of the Russian Botanical Society and the Moscow Society of Naturalists (since 1921), Vice–president of the MSN (1930–1932). 2024 marks the 160th anniversary of Prof. M. I. Golenkin’s birth.

A temporary exhibition “Crimea in the works of naturalists, artists and writers” was opened in the Earth Science Museum of MSU at June 10, 2024. The exhibition is located in the so called “Naturalist’s Cabinet” (the main building of MSU, 24th floor). Its subject reflects some directions of the scientific and cultural developing of Crimea from the 18th century up to modern time. Most attention is payed to the scientists and graduates of Moscow University.

The life and work of Professor Igor L. Vasilyev (1940–2019) is an illustrative example of the versatility of a? university geologist. As a native of Tambov City and a graduate from the renowned Saratov Higher Geological School during its peak (1950s–1960s), Professor Vasilyev spent the majority of his life working in Transbaikalia (Buryatia), researching Paleozoic and Proterozoic deposits in areas of hydrothermal ore genesis. Here, he put forward an original interdisciplinary concept of coevolution of synchronously developing volcanic systems and reef structures in the coastal zone of a marine basin with an output to ore formation. He worked as a researcher, a practical geologist, a teacher, and an organizer of the scientific and educational process. In the 1990s, after returning to his native Tambov City, Professor I.L. Vasilyev taught the course of engineering geology at The Technical University and actively engaged in museum work, organizing field trips and creating a set of educational collections, followed by the initial museum exhibition in the format of a geological cabinet. Currently, the museum cluster he established is being developed within the scientific and educational center “Coevolution of Geospheres Museum” of Tambov State Technical University.

Professor N.E. Zhukovsky placed strong emphasis on visual clarity in writing and explaining his scientific works, repeatedly addressing the importance of geometric representation in theoretical mechanics. Drawing on archival materials from the Museum of Bauman Moscow State Technical University, the authors demonstrate that the “Russian Method of Craft Training” was built on the accumulated theoretical scientific foundation of the mid 19th century, gradually enriched by systematic collections of tools and teaching aids for each subject, and further developed through the practical work of students and their teachers. Examples of mechanisms created by Professor N.E. Zhukovsky can be found in the writings of his students and followers, in the works of Soviet scientists, and in museums of foreign universities–all of which hold high cultural value as part of our society’s scientific and pedagogical heritage. Through the case study of creating the museum replica “Hess’ Loxodromic Pendulum” based on Zhukovsky’s calculations, the article illustrates the substantial cultural potential embedded in the papers and designs of the Russian scholar. It shows how much inspiration and new scientific ideas contemporary educators and students can still draw from the now classic works of Professor Zhukovsky and his disciples. The reader will become acquainted with the principles of this scholar’s scientific and pedagogical activity—vivid examples of genuine scientific dedication by a scholar and patriot of our country.

The article examines the collaboration between the Earth Science Museum and professors from the Faculty of Biology and the Faculty of Soil Science at Lomonosov Moscow State University (Faculty of Biology and Soil Science until 1973) from the museum’s founding to the present day. In the early 1950s, university professors collaborated with the museum staff to create biology-themed exhibits at the Museum. In particular, they helped preparing the exhibits on the 26th floor (Marine Hall) and the 25th floor (Natural Zonation). A brief overview of the current course offerings in biological disciplines at the Earth Science Museum is presented, including courses for students from the Faculty of Biology, the Faculty of Geology, and the Faculty of Philology at Moscow State University. The disciplines covered include “Ecology”, “Marine Communities and Ecosystems”, “Ecology with Fundamentals of Biogeography”, and “Modern Natural Sciences”. The museum’s exhibition serves as a unique educational environment for such classes, particularly when incorporating modern pedagogical approaches such as the flipped classroom model. The article presents the collaborative work of the Museum’s staff and students from the Faculty of Biology within the framework of the MSU’s Development Program “Development of the Foundations for the Establishing, Operating, and Advancing a Comprehensive University-based Scientific and Educational Youth Museum Using the Example of Lomonosov Moscow State University.” It also highlights the creation of a unique interdisciplinary open-air exhibition at the MSU Botanical Garden on Leninskie gory named “From the Arctic to Moscow: The Path of Glaciers”.

The article examines the applicability and functioning of artificial soils, whose creation is based both on research into modeling moisture and salt transfer in soils and on the development of nature-like biogeochemical technologies for recreating natural biogeochemical cyclicity. Two main technological approaches for constructing artificial soils are demonstrated, namely: modeling soil processes and applying the modeling results to technologies for creating functional horizons of artificial soils. It is noted that artificial soils are essentially biophysical models, our consideration of which allows for the design of such soils for a wide variety of functional uses.

The paper traces in stages the key trends and events in the history of the complex of scientific and educational areas which originated and developed in the Saratov Volga region largely due to the activities of V.I. Vernadsky’s students and followers. On the example of the most outstanding personalities, the influence of such personalities on features of the evolutionary dynamics of specific organizations, the city and the region is shown. Such an analysis allows us to see interregional interactions from a new perspective, the role of the region for the country, as well as to propose original scientific and educational projects for further study and popularization of V.I. Vernadsky’s heritage.

At present, it is possible to identify a number of new directions for the development of biogeochemical research, at the junction of fundamental and applied studies. A novel field of research is being formed, namely, engineering biogeochemistry, within the framework of which innovative biogeochemical technologies and technological processes based on modeling and management of ecosystematic biogeochemical cycles are being developed. The application of these innovative technologies for the restoration of disturbed and polluted impact ecosystems, in particular, polar ecosystems in the zones of operation of gas-producing enterprises, is considered. Technological examples of calculations of geoecological risks, as well as microbial contamination risks are given. A pool of the developed biogeochemical technologies and their connection with other innovative technologies within the framework of gas-producing companies is shown.

A number of interactive visitor interaction mechanisms are proposed within the format of a natural science university museum. A pilot project, tested at the Earth Science Museum of Moscow State University, provides the opportunity to immerse its visitors into the main exhibition using simple VR technologies, including 3D filming of the search and recovery of future museum objects during expeditions. The content of the new exhibition, in particular, consists of appropriately processed episodes of popular science films shot by the “Floating Universities Flotilla” expedition along the Volga, Don, and Caspian regions. In addition to the regional connection to the hall’s theme, links to specific exhibits and locations are provided; video segments are dedicated to the history of the search and selection of a particular exhibit (or their series) located in the hall, as well as the specifics of the location and research area of the expedition. Thus, visitors have the opportunity to participate in a virtual field trip, whose product, in the form of exhibits, is displayed in a specific museum hall. In addition to the permanent, stationary virtual cluster, a mobile version of the project presentation has been developed, which was tested at the 2024 All-Russian Science Festival at Moscow State University. To this end, the Earth Science Museum’s portable pavilion was equipped with virtual glasses, which allow festival visitors to “go on an expedition” along the routes of the “Floating Universities Flotilla,” “visit” the find sites, participate in the discovery and recovery process, and load them onto a research vessel. The virtual project’s creators—winners of the All-Russian "Youth and Museum" competition—served as guides and companions on the virtual field route. In 2025, as part of the “Floating Universities Flotilla” scientific and educational expedition, 360° video production was conducted along a predetermined route plan through natural sites to select potential museum exhibits.

The article demonstrates the important role of animalistic painting in environmental education and enlightenment in natural science museums, in particular, the Scientific and Educational Earth Science Museum at Moscow State University. Particular attention is paid to those artists whose works in the animalistic genre are presented in the museums which they collaborated with (N.V. Pinegin, V.A. Vatagin, K.K. Flerov, A.N. Komarov, V.A. Gorbatov, D.Ya. Cherkes, M.A. Birshtein, L.I. Naroditsky, I.A. Popov, M.I. Sidorov, S.P. Rychagov, V.A. Arlashin, D.N. Domogatsky, A.N. Bazel'tsev). The article identifies paintings in the animalistic genre exhibited in the “Natural Zonality” section of the Earth Science Museum at Moscow State University, provides scientific and artistic descriptions, and demonstrates the relationship with natural exhibits. Based on this analysis, proposals for modernizing the exhibition were formulated.

Of fundamental and priority applied importance are new scientific and practical results obtained at the V.R. Williams Federal Research Center of Forage Production & Agroecology for the study of natural food resources in Russia, based on modern knowledge, materials and technologies. For all 11 natural and economic regions of Russia (Northern, Northwestern, Volga-Vyatka, Central, Central Chernozem, Volga, North Caucasian, Ural, West Siberian, East Siberian, and Far Eastern), agro-landscape and ecological zoning of land and forage ecosystems has been developed. The following materials were obtained for each area: a map M 1:2,500,000, a legend, a database on land, a database on forage lands, a database on negative processes, a classification of forage lands, a classification of deer pastures (where available), recommendations for forage production and environmental management in agriculture. The research used the Map of the Soil and Ecological Zoning of Russia from the Faculty of Soil Science of Lomonosov Moscow State University, as well as other numerous sources. When creating and developing new highly productive and resistant plant varieties and nature-like technologies based on zoning, science and industry will be able to use local natural and climatic resources with the greatest efficiency and minimize the development of negative processes.

This study investigates the metal-bearing potential of Upper Jurassic (Tithonian stage) combustible shales from the Kashpir deposit (Volga Basin) using linear geochemical spectra methodology. Samples from mine workings and natural outcrops were analyzed by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results reveal elevated concentrations of Ca (27.5–38.6%) and Fe (20.3–24.3%), indicative of a carbonate-clay composition with pyrite inclusions, characteristic of reducing sedimentation conditions. Excesses over the Clarke values were revealed for Ba, Co, Sr, Ni, and Mo, confirming the industrial potential of these shales as a source of rare and non-ferrous metals. The authors have developed a novel analytical approach based on reference concentrations (maximum and minimum values), enabling assessment of metal enrichment without identifying a dominant ore-forming element–particularly valuable for multi-element systems. The observed differences between mine and surface samples are attributed to post-sedimentary processes (leaching and oxidation). Our findings demonstrate a consistent lithological-geochemical shale type and highlight prospects for their comprehensive exploitation.

May of 2025 marks the 180th anniversary of the Siberian researcher, geologist and geo­grapher Jan Stanislaw Franciszek Czerski (1845–1892). However, he worked not only in the field of geology and geography. An important part in Czerski’s researches was works on paleontology and zoology; he is also known as an archaeologist. In 1871–1879, Czerski worked at the museum of the Siberian (Eastern Siberian) Branch of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society in Irkutsk. He studied, catalogued and significantly expanded the zoological and paleontological collections of the museum. The article provides brief information from Jan Czerski’s life. His main works on the study of modern and quaternary Siberian mammals, which laid the foundation for further research in this area, are analyzed. Czerski’s paleontological research ranks him among the outstanding palaeontologists of the second half of the 19th century.

The international situation affects a wide variety of aspects of our life, including museum exhibitions. The closer the ties between countries, the more relevant exhibits can be seen in the display cases. Of the BRICS member countries, China is best represented at the Earth Science Museum of Moscow State University. There are numerous and diverse samples of rocks and minerals, fossils, soil monoliths and herbaria. Joint geological work is also reflected in the collections of rocks and ores from Iran and India. Until now, the museum has been maintaining only private relations with the rest of the BRICS member countries, thanks to which it has collections of butterflies, herbaria and individual samples of rocks and minerals. Nevertheless, the museum features the most distinctive exhibits from most of these countries.

During ten field seasons, in the format of the scientific and educational expedition “Flotilla of Floating Universities”, whose concept is based on the synthesis of science and art, many researches and educational, volunteer and publishing projects and events have been implemented in the Volga region, the Caspian region, the Don region and the Urals. The research areas of the tenth field season in 2024 (Samara–Saratov Volga region) focused on: a) stratigraphic and astrochronological analysis of sections of Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene sediments, b) studying the role of living matter in the evolution of geoecosystems with special attention to biosimilar bodies (paleosoils, hardgrounds), c) analyzing the distribution of cosmic matter in natural environments in the zone of the “Saratov meteor shower” in 1918, and d) the history of the Great academic expeditions in the 18th century (the Volga routes of I.I. Lepekhin, P.S. Pallas, and I.P. Falk). The key scientific and educational projects were a field meeting of the RAS Commission for the Study of the Heritage of Outstanding Scientists (V.I. Vernadsky section) and a field session of the Moscow Society of Naturalists (MOIP) on the Volsk–Saratov section of the expedition’s main route.

In this paper, we discuss questions of the common origin of the disciplines of soil science and landscape geochemistry. Their closeness lies in their common objects of study — soils and landscapes — and a common methodological approach based on systemic analysis, the evolutionary-historical principle, and the priority of the scientific approach in solving practical problems, as laid down by V.V. Dokuchaev. The prominent naturalists A.E. Fersman and V.I. Vernadsky emphasized the genetic connection and mutual enrichment of these sciences through theoretical concepts and experimental data. When considering common problems of these two disciplines, particular importance is given to the biological cycle as a fundamental law governing the functioning of ecosystems. In the classification of soils and soil-geochemical catenae, their position within the system of geographic landscapes is especially significant. Currently, priority issues include anthropogenic impacts and environmental monitoring, which involve studies of element migration over the biosphere, as well as efforts towards mathematical modeling.

December 29, 2024 marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of Russia's largest cultural and educational environmental organization, the All-Russian Nature Conservation Society (ARNCS). The article discusses the main stages of the crea­tion, formation and development of ARNCS and its main achievements.

The article presents an analysis of the results of the All-Russian competition of creative projects “Youth and Museum” organized by the Earth Science Museum of Lomonosov Moscow State University and the V.I. Vernadsky Non-Governmental Ecological Founda­tion within the framework of the MSU Development Program in 2024. Our methodology for holding such competition events, its content and results are described. The results of a survey of the visitors of the All-Russian Festival “Science 0+” on the works of the compe­tition winners are presented. Recommendations are given for organizing and holding of competitions aimed at attracting young people to the study of natural science topics through the museum sphere. The possibility of using competitions to stimulate interest in museum activities and the further development of a modern museum is discussed.

In the year of the 150^th anniversary of the famous Russian scientist Vladimir A. Barykin (1874–1939), an attempt is made to reconstruct the initial period of his scientific activity. Based on the documents from the State Archive of the Russian Federation and published sources, the pre-revolutionary stage in the life and work of V.A. Barykin is considered. The professional path of the scientist, his first scientific research, as well as participation in the Russian-Japanese and World War I are recreated. And although the flourishing of his scientific and organizational activities took place in the 1920s and 1930s, the pre-revolutionary period of his life was extremely busy with expeditions and research, becoming significant for the formation of a professional scientist and the definition of those research areas that he would develop later. The fruitful scientific activity of the scientist was interrupted in 1938, when he was arrested, and in 1939 he was shot during the repressions. Despite the rehabilitation of V.A. Barykin in 1955, no detailed publications about his life and scientific activity have appeared. This article attempts to fill in this research gap and honor the memory of the prominent Russian scientist in his jubilee year.

Scientific museums in the Russian Federation, in accordance with current legislation, are switching to the collection management standard developed for the Ministry of Culture. The absolute priority of preserving museum items is a serious obstacle to the implementation of the standard, which greatly limits the possibility of their scientific examination, which is contrary to the interests of scientists. The examination of museum items, like any other use, including exhibiting, inevitably has a negative impact on their preservation. At the same time, the examination serves to increase the value of any item, its relevance for modern culture.

The methodology of scientists’ work with collections began to form in the period of antiquity. In our country, tools for processing, describing, systematizing and storing collections were formed in the 18th–19th centuries, namely in scientific museums, museums of the Academy of Sciences. Museums in the Russian Empire were part of the scientific organization system. However, after the Soviet reforms in the 1930s, museum and scientific activities were radically separated. As a result, the research function of museums under the Ministry of Culture is poorly implemented, which is enshrined in current regulatory documents.

Scientific museums, due to their subordination to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, have scientific research as their target indicators, which determines their priority over traditional museum indicators (storage and replenishment of funds, exhibits and attracting visitors). Attempts to combine the interests of examining and preserving collections have been discussed for several decades. This problem is especially evident in relation to natural science collections and museums, most of which are under the scientific department. Its solution requires the development of a methodology for handling museum collections and amendments to regulatory documentation.

The aim of our study was to carry out a detailed stratigraphic dissection of sections of the western territories of Kazakhstan using the remains of ichthyosaurs. Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous ichthyosaurs were studied. Their collecting was carried out in the period of 2016–2023 from sections in the western Kazakhstan (the villages of Pogodayevo and Shchuchkino in the West Kazakhstan region, the village of Tushybek, Mangystau region (Central Mangyshlak Peninsula)) and the Middle Volga region (the village of Gorodishchi, Ulyanovsk region).

The article characterizes the reference sections of the Western region of the Republic of Kazakhstan with a description of the found remains of ichthyosaurs of the genera Kazakhstanosaurus, Nannopterygius, and Platypterygius. It has been established that fragments of their skeletons are found in the Upper Jurassic sediments of the sections near the villages of Pogodayevo and Shchuchkino in the West Kazakhstan territory, and in the village of Gorodishchi in the Ulyanovsk region, as well as in the sediments of the Lower Cretaceous of the Mangystau region. The species diversity of the genus Nannopterygius is noted.

Our study of the Upper Jurassic sections nearv. Pogodayevo, Shchuchkino and Gorodishchi, and the Lower Cretaceous section of nearv. Tushybek showed that the comparison of the identified Ichthyosaur genera with the Mesozoic scale complexes allowed accurate determination of the age of local stratons and the position of their boundaries.

For many decades, two main watercourses in the town of Volsk (Saratov region) have been serving the transit function of sewage effluents to the Volgograd reservoir. Sampling of bottom sediments was carried out along the length of the Verkhnyaya and Nizhnyaya Malykovka watercourses in order to analyze the specificity of the chemical composition of alluvial formations under technogenic impact conditions. The fraction of technogenic particles (plastics, coal, paint, synthetic fibers, etc.) was 4–20%. In terms of chemical composition, alluvium is represented by silicites with varying degrees of clay content., Bottom sediments are characterized as clay silicites, with the maximum content of heavy metals and organic matter (based on the value of loss on ignition) in the areas where wastewater enters the watercourses. The most typical contamination is with zinc, lead, and barium. The overall level of technogenic pollution of bottom sediments is high and can be named considerable in the upper reaches of the Nizhnyaya Malykovka watercourse only. In order to improve the ecological status of the watercourses, a set of measures is needed, including reconstruction and the creation of new infrastructure facilities of the urban environment.

Features of the prevalence of Cd and Pb dissolved forms in the water of sections of the Oka river and other rivers of the Russian Plain are considered. The influence of anthropogenic wastewater (industrial, municipal and agricultural) containing heavy metals is clearly manifested only in certain sections of the rivers of central Russia (Oka River, Volga River, and Moscow River) against the background of natural landscape and geochemical processes. An attempt is made to develop approaches to assessing the degree of anthropogenic influence on the water composition of various river sections, including those remote from pollution zones. An ecological and geochemical lead–cadmium indicator is proposed, which makes it possible to assess the anthropogenic impact and divide river sections into 3 categories (strong, medium and weak pollution, respectively). The river sections with low anthropogenic pollution have high values of this indicator corresponding to waters with the background (or close to background) concentration. A decrease in the indicator values means an increase in the role of anthropogenic effluents in the water composition, and estimates of the average concentrations of elements are technogenically dependent.

Based on the bio-bibliographic essays by Konstantin I. Meyer (1881–1965), head of the Chair of Morphology and Systematics of Higher Plants (1929–1931 and 1938–1963) and director of the Botanical Garden of Moscow University (1940–1948), the article traces the formation evolution of the Moscow School of Plant Morphologists, founded by Ivan N. Gorozhankin, who headed the Chair of Plant Morphology and Systematics (1875–1904) and the Botanical Garden of Moscow University (1874–1902). The diversification of scientific issues in line with the comparative morphological research direction developed by this scientific school in Russian botany is shown on the basis of the works of Gorozhankin’s most famous students. 2024 marks the 120th anniversary of the death of I.N. Gorozhankin (1848–1904) and the 160th anniversary of the birth of Mikhail I. Golenkin (1864–1941), his successor at the chair and in the Botanical Garden.

New data on the placoderm fish Plourdosteus livonicus (Eastman, 1896) from the Lower Frasnian deposits of the Mikhaylovsky Mine in the Kursk Region is described. These remains are currently housed at the Earth Science Museum of Lomonosov Moscow State University. The medio-dorsal plate from this locality allows reconstructing its form and proportion, as also early unknown anterior division of the bone. Only small fragments of medio-dorsal plates were formerly described and figured for P. livonicus from this and other localities in European Russia. So, the new data from the Mikhaylovsky Mine adds to the morphology information of this species. The medio-dorsals are of diagnostic significance and distinguish in the plourdosteids. The specimen from the Earth Science Museum’s collection is compared with the medio-dorsal plates of other Frasnian Plourdosteus species from the East-European platform.

2024 marks the 140th anniversary of the beginning of the expeditions of the laboratory of the Botanical Garden of Moscow University under the supervision of Professor Ivan Nikolaevich Gorozhankin to study the Central Russian flora. The historical and scientific context of the studies of this traditional object for the Botanical Garden of Moscow University during the 18th – early 21st centuries is traced. It is shown how the long-term targeted field research by the staff of the laboratory of the Botanical Garden has contributed to a methodologically unified approach to the organization of the program for studying the flora of the Oka River basin allowed not only to expand the territorial coverage, going beyond the purely Moscow region, but also to significant contribute to the development of an important scientific problem, namely, the cognition of the phenomenon of the Oka River flora. Gorozhankin’s principle of systemic research of regional flora was successfully implemented at the end of the 20th century by scientists of the Botanical Garden of Moscow University in the study of the flora of Central Russia.

The exposition of the department "Natural Zones" in the Earth Science Museum of Moscow State University (25th floor, halls Nos 18–20) presents 15 full-scale exhibits of dry 3D fragments of biogeocenoses, namely: spotted tundra; forest tundra; swamps: flat-hummocky tundra, oligotrophic upland and mesotrophic lowland sedge; spruce-green grass; grass-grass and tipchak-grass steppes; subtropical mountain forest; alpine meadows; semi-deserts; deserts – clay, wormwood-solyanka and ilak belosaksaulnik on ridge sands; and savannas. These exhibits demonstrate the interaction of the main natural components characteristic of the respective climatic conditions (soils, flora, and fauna). The article gives a description of the animal species represented in the exposition based on a visual examination of zoological exhibits and a study of their nomenclature and taxonomic changes.

The article talks about the important role played by the rectilinear-directing mechanism in the history of world science and technology. Using the example of pantograph, an early mathematical instrument, we will trace the development of this design, unique in its simplicity, over time and show rare examples of these devices from the collection of the Museum of Bauman Moscow State Technical University. The widespread use of pantographs dates back to the 18th–19th centuries, which allows us to reveal the relationship between natural sciences (the body of knowledge about the Earth, natural objects, phenomena and processes) and engineering, purely technical disciplines, using the example of the use of these scientific instruments in the activities of naturalists and scientists and inventors. Until recently, in mechanical engineering, the use of pantograph mechanisms made it possible to solve the problems of producing parts with complex shaped surfaces on copying machines without the use of CNC systems. Nowadays, copying machines with pantographs continue to be produced, but rather for hobbies, leisure, and artistic processing of materials. The authors’ choice of the topic is dictated by the infrequent mention of such tools and mechanisms in modern Russian publications and sources.

The article presents the results of studies of a number of sections of Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) deposits in the Saratov Right Bank region (settlements Krasnyi Oktyabr’, Doktorovka, Kurdyum and Shirokoe), confined to the Yelshano-Kurdyum uplift. Oryctocenosis combines autochthonous (ichnofossils), subautochthonous (bivalves and gastropods) and allochthonous (ammonites, wood fragments) elements. Sedimentological and mineralogical indicators (ripple marks, desiccation cracks, wedge-shaped structures, cross-bedding, glauconite, and calcite veinlets), as well as fossil remains and features of their taphonomy, allow us to diagnose the coastal ecosystem of the epicontinental sea basin. In the ecosystem format, we see a variety of physico-geographical situations: areas of the bottom which are periodically actively bioturbated and hydrodynamically transformed into mature hardground; zones of active hydrodynamics with the formation of cross-bedding; and zones of subaerial surfaces with the possible development of stick soils. Reconstruction of the paleoecosystem is complicated by the presence of a number of natural facts that have not been unambiguously interpreted, images of which are given in the article. The studied sections are of interest from the standpoint of geoheritage. Selected natural facts are actively involved in the development of a number of geoscientific university museums.

The old hypothesis by Academician V.I. Vernadsky of the biosphere being a geological force to build the surface and immediate interior of our planet is indirectly supported based on statistical data. According to occurrence data on findings of all known animal specimens and according to some characteristics of the tectonic activity of the Earth, the presence of several previously unknown cycles shortening from cycle to cycle (approx. By a factor of 1.51) over about a billion years, is substantiated. This leads to an idea of a cause-and-effect relationship between these two different categories of cycles. The influence of tectonics on biota, to one degree or another, has long been known. However, due to the mentioned cycles being rather accelerated, it is difficult to imagine that such strong acceleration in the tectonic cycles could arise due to some intra-tectonic causes, whereas the accelerated nature of biotic evolution due to some intrabiotic causes is quite possible. So, a conclusion arises of the mentioned contracting tectonic cycles being modulated by biota. Possible mechanisms of such influence are hypothesized, their clarification requiring additional research. This conclusion is revolutionary for geology and reveals biotic evolution’s previously unknown role as an active creator of global tectonic (cyclic) processes at a new, quantitative level, which is also revolutionary for evolutionary biology. But, regardless of these conclusions, the mentioned decreasing cyclicity is of interest itself, for the first time (statistically) speaking about the accelerated nature of evolution over such vast time periods.

Maria P. Nagibina (née Tsybulskaya) (1878–1943) was a Russian botanist, teacher, local historian, public figure, science organizer and popularizer. She was one of the first women in Russia who received higher education. She was the organizer of the first in our country scientific biological station of MSNS (Moscow Society of Natural Scientists) (1919–1925, v. Staroe Pershino). Being an employee of the Botanical Garden of Moscow University (1904–1917 and 1926–1943), she was engaged in plant growing, selection of domestic varieties of ornamental plants; she organized their collections and exhibitions.

The article considers an ecology course in relation to the most optimal approach for primary school children–on the example of various ecosystems of the world with consideration of individual examples of adaptation genesis and evolution of wildlife. The authors used the following teaching techniques and methods: avoiding the teacher’s adaptive speech, forming the skill of hypothesizing, and laying the foundations of biological drawing. All this helps us to make a better transition from theoretical educational programs to the practical acquaintance of children with the biodiversity of natural communities. This course can be used within the framework of museum pedagogy and on educational platforms, which can be the natural landscapes of protected areas of regional significance (nature reserves and preserves, natural monuments).

To mark the 160^th anniversary of V.I. Vernadsky's birth, Lomonosov Moscow State University has organized an exhibition based on the theme of “living matter”, which to a greater or lesser extent permeates all the geospheres of our planet, provides many mechanisms of interaction between the geospheres and links between the planet and the cosmos. Natural exhibits demonstrate peculiarities of the geochemical transformation of individual organisms and their communities during the transition from the biosphere to the lithosphere, the diversity of biocosmic bodies in the history of our planet, the possibilities of modern sciences in reconstructing geobiosystems of the past. The structure of the exhibition includes a number of special blocks containing original exhibits and information, namely: “Scientist’s Cabinet” with information about the life path, scientific directions and some students and followers of Academician V.I. Vernadsky (connected to him through Moscow University). The cluster “Co-evolution of the Biosphere and Lithosphere” with disclosure of the mechanisms of transition of living matter and integral ecosystems into the “stone record” of the Earth, the structure of the pedosphere in a broad sense, the diversity of biogeoprocesses and their products in the history of the Earth, the formation of “archives of nature” in the geospheres, the functioning of geobiodynamically active zones on the example of the East European Platform; the cluster “University’s Lukomorye”, reflecting peculiarities of coastal geo-ecosystems for the general public (on the example of the Paleocene of the Volga region). Most of the exhibits of the exhibition have been obtained during the scientific and educational expedition “Flotilla of Floating Universities” (2015–2022) from the Volga region, the Caspian Sea, the Don region and the Urals and are considered in the future as the basis for the development of a model polygon of the “MSU Youth Museum”.

An exhibition of photographs from the collection of Dmitry Nikolayevich Anuchin, organized jointly with the Earth Science Museum of Lomonosov Moscow State University, has opened in the Maritime Exhibition Center of the Museum of the World Ocean in Svetlogorsk, Kaliningrad region. Dmitry Nikolayevich Anuchin (1843–1923) was a famous Russian anthropologist, ethnographer, archaeologist, geographer, and museologist. D.N. Anuchin was active in spreading geographical knowledge and creating a Russian university geography school, and educated a great number of students. Dmitry Nikolayevich was at the origin of the creation of the Geographical Museum of Moscow University, which he headed for more than 20 years. The exhibition shows about 70 prints of photographs of the Russian North of the late 19th–early 20th centuries from D.N. Anuchin’s photo collection. A significant part of the collection (more than 3.5 thousand units) is now stored in the funds of the Earth Science Museum of the Lomonosov Moscow State University.

In the northwestern part of the Saratov Volga region, an unusually large (more than
4 m) for the region erratic boulder of an irregularly rounded polygonal shape was found, composed of Shoksha quartzite with sandstone and gravelstone interlayers. Its locality was investigated by a special expedition, the sample was removed from the parent substrate, moved more than 220 km and installed on the territory of the Saratov State Technical University named after Yu.A. Gagarin. The experience of exhibiting it on the university campus showed the effectiveness of implanting the object into the system of landscape design of the territory, turning it into one of the symbols of the university and an element of cultural space, as well as the rationality of positioning it as an original museum exhibit in the format of the Natural History Museum of the SSTU. Today, the specimen is a key element of the “ice age micropark” being developed in the open air and is thematically associated with a part of the exposition of the central hall of the Museum of Natural History of the SSTU, reflecting the Quaternary stage of the development of nature and man. In addition to excursion activities, the exhibit is used to deliver field lectures and conduct specially designed practical classes on the «foundations of geology», «historical geology», «Earth science», and other disciplines. All accompanying materials collected by the expedition are arranged in the form of a special collection of the museum’s scientific funds. Assessment of the object from the standpoint of geo-heritage allows us to propose giving it the status of a natural monument of local importance.