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.

Folding-thrust dislocations formed under the influence of lateral compression forces are quite widely represented in the sedimentary cover of the Scythian-Turanian plate. Horizontal tectonic movements are usually accompanied by lateral displacement of individual blocks of the Earth’s crust separated by strike-slip faults. In contrast to thrust dislocations, information about the presence of strike-slip faults for the Scythian-Turanian plate is extremely limited. This problem is considered on the example of dislocations of Triassic sediments of the Peschanomyssk–Rakushechnaya uplift zone of the South Mangyshlak trough. A detailed lithological and stratigraphic analysis of sections of Triassic sediments exposed by deep wells within this zone was carried out. Characteristic lithological strata were identified and their stratigraphic binding was performed. The shifting nature of regional basement faults was established. Many of them were active in the following periods, characteristic shear deformations were formed in the sedimentary cover as a result of this activity. Morphological features of dislocations that are traps of oil and gas were established. The authors’ reconstructions are based on their comprehensive analysis of geological and geophysical materials, including data from high-precision large-scale aeromagnetic surveys, reflected wave seismic exploration, deep drilling, and remote surveys. In order to restore the history of the development of the territory as a whole and the folded-discontinuous dislocations complicating it, paleotectonic constructions were carried out. The information provided in this paper on this problem allows us to take a fresh look at the geodynamic situation of the formation of platform territories, and may also contribute to solving some oil and geological problems, since oil and gas accumulations are often concentrated in areas of wrench faults.

The article discusses the results of our preliminary studies of Paleocene columnar stromatolites from the “Kamyshinskie Ushi” location, near the northwestern periphery of the town of Kamyshin. The morphology, composition and features of the buildings were studied. They can be attributed to the morphological type of columnar non-branching stromatolites; fan-shaped branching stromatolites are less common; their mineral composition differs little from the host rocks and consists mainly of quartz grains cemented by silicon oxide. Dark layers are much more saturated with ore inclusions. The concentration of chromium, molybdenum, wolfram, vanadium, cobalt and nickel in dark varieties increases noticeably, which confirms their stromatolite origin. The deposition settings of their formation remain controversial.

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.