On June 12, 2011, the opening ceremony of the Moscow Planetarium will take place. For the first time since reconstruction, the planetarium, which was closed for renovations in 1994, is opening for public access.
The Moscow Planetarium is one of the largest in the world and the oldest planetarium in Russia.
In 1928, the Moscow Council, recognizing the need to educate and educate the working people, decided to create a planetarium in Moscow as a center for promoting the science of the Universe. The unique building was built according to the design of architects Mikhail Barshch and Mikhail Sinyavsky. The first stone was laid in 1928, and the construction was completed the following year. On November 5, 1929, the first planetarium in the USSR was inaugurated, and the first lecture was held with a demonstration of the artificial starry sky. The first lecturer was the director of the planetarium, Konstantin Shistovsky.
The Moscow Planetarium has become one of the largest in the world: the diameter of its dome is 27 meters. Its main value is the planetarium itself, made by the German company Zeiss, consisting of 119 individual lanterns, displaying 5,400 moving stars and planets on a high dome.
The main activity of the planetarium is holding public lectures and scientific and artistic programs on astronomy and cosmonautics, forming a scientific worldview based on generalizing the achievements of modern natural science.
In the 1930s, the “Stratospheric Committee” worked at the Moscow Planetarium, whose employees studied the upper layers of the atmosphere and dealt with problems of jet propulsion. Since 1934, the planetarium has housed astronomy clubs and, in the summer, an astronomical site and an observatory.
During the Great Patriotic War, a special course “Astronomy for Scouts” was taught at the planetarium, and the ability to navigate with the help of celestial bodies saved many lives.
Lectures were given in the planetarium, accompanied by a demonstration of the artificial sky (on a hemispherical dome screen using a special optical apparatus) with the Sun, stars, planets, satellites, and various spacecraft. Dozens of the country's greatest scientists began their journey into science under its dome, having studied in its astronomical circles; The first cosmonauts listened to lectures here.
In 1977, the planetarium was reconstructed. Instead of the old planetarium apparatus, a new one was installed, manufactured especially for Moscow at the Carl Zeiss Jena GDR people's enterprise. It was a new generation device with software control. Along with regular lectures and theme nights, the planetarium began to host automated audio-visual programs.
In 1990, an observatory was opened in the planetarium, on its astronomical site, where the largest telescope in Moscow is located.
In the first year of the planetarium's existence, the Rising Sun device was created, which operated until the planetarium was closed in 1994.
The Star Theater troupe worked in the planetarium. The plays were staged: "Galileo", "Giordano Bruno" and "Copernicus". In the 1990s, the planetarium housed a Fantastic Theater, whose actors presented several performances based on the works of famous science fiction writers.
During this period, the owner of the planetarium changed - instead of the All-Union Society "Knowledge", the "curator" of the planetarium became the Twins company, led by former journalist Igor Mikitasov. He also became the general director of Moscow Planetarium OJSC.
Since its opening, the planetarium has never undergone major renovations. Many devices and engineering communications are morally and physically outdated. On July 14, 1994, the Moscow Planetarium closed for renovations.
In November 2010, the opening of the Moscow planetarium was postponed to April 12, 2011 - Cosmonautics Day.
On June 12, 2011, the official opening of the planetarium will take place, and the first visitors will be children from orphanages and schools. From June 13, everyone will be able to visit the planetarium.
After completion of the reconstruction, the area of the facility will increase almost sixfold - up to 17 thousand square meters, and at the same time it will be able to accommodate about a thousand visitors. The updated planetarium will have several functional areas - a domed hall, an interactive museum with models of the Moon, Earth and Sun, a classic museum with an exhibition about globes “The Universe at an Inclination” and a training center. The main hall of the planetarium will house the largest dome in Europe - 25 meters high.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
To see the stars on a clear sunny day, you need to descend to the bottom of the well. And you can admire the picture of the starry sky on a cloudy day only by flying in an airplane above the top edge of the clouds. To see one of the most beautiful constellations - the famous Southern Cross - we, residents of the northern hemisphere, need to travel to the equator. The sun and stars can be observed simultaneously only from a spacecraft...
Halley's Comet will make its next approach to Earth in 2060. Our distant descendants will be eyewitnesses of the next solar eclipse in the European part of the country - it will happen in 2126. And only in the 30th century will earthlings be able to see Comet Donati again - one of the brightest comets of the 19th century.
But all these and many other celestial phenomena can be seen on any day in the artificial sky of the Moscow Planetarium. How did this become possible? The history of the Planetarium is a fascinating story about the thorny path to the stars.
Preparation for construction
In mid-1927 By resolution of the Moscow Council, a Permanent Commission was created for the construction of a planetarium in Moscow. By that time, 12 planetariums had already been opened in the world - ten in Germany and two outside it, in Vienna and Rome. The Moscow planetarium became the third planetarium outside Germany and the thirteenth in the world.
By the spring of 1928, the USSR trade mission in Berlin finally agreed with the Zeiss company on the supply of the Planetarium projection apparatus (serial number 13) and with the Dikkerhof company on the construction of a fabric dome serving as a screen for demonstrating the sky.
The Moscow City Council allocated 250,000 rubles for the construction of the planetarium.
This amount included the cost of constructing not only the building itself, but also its equipment, a cinema auditorium, an astronomical museum, a library, classrooms for clubs, laboratory premises, as well as the installation of an astronomical observatory on the flat roof for mass excursions.
K. N. Shistovsky (first director) and architects M. O. Barshch, M. I. Sinyavsky
Meanwhile, the design of the Moscow Planetarium building was underway.
Young architects M.O. Barshch and M.I. were involved in the work. Sinyavsky, later a professor at the Moscow Architectural Institute. They presented a project made in the then fashionable style - “constructivism”. This style appeared in architecture in the 20s - 30s of the twentieth century, and its task was “to design the environment by creating structures in clear external forms, formed from simple stereometric bodies and assembled on a reinforced concrete frame.” The construction of the Moscow Planetarium was a significant event at that time. The Ogonyok magazine reported on September 23, 1928: “It is remarkable that given our material poverty, with our strict import plan, we are importing and installing an expensive structure, which is not available in many capitals (...). The Moscow Planetarium, according to its organizers, will be something like a people's university (...). Attracting with its external showiness, the planetarium will at the same time help workers expand their mental horizons. Therefore, its construction should be welcomed as an event of exceptional cultural importance.”
After appropriate comments, the Moscow Council approved the project, on the basis of which the main, cylindrical building of the Moscow Planetarium was built at 5 Sadovaya Kudrinskaya Street.
First stone
The first stone in the foundation of the Moscow Planetarium was laid on the day of the autumn equinox - September 23, 1928.
In mid-February 1929, specialists from Germany arrived in Moscow to install an iron frame - a spherical dome - screen. The Planetarium apparatus was already in Moscow at that time and was stored in packed boxes in the premises of the Moscow Department of Public Education.
At the end of May, when the auditorium was ready, installation of the Planetarium apparatus began under the supervision of specialists from the Zeiss company.
On August 3, 1929, the installation of the apparatus was completely completed. An acceptance and demonstration of the planetarium’s work to the leadership of the Moscow City Council was scheduled for this day. The show completely satisfied those present, the acceptance of the equipment was completed.
Private viewings took place during August, September and October.
Selection of museum materials
Scientific and methodological work was in full swing at this time. The main topics and selection of material were carefully thought through, strictly scientific content was taken into account, as well as the methodology and form of presentation. Several main themes were developed that satisfy not only the needs of the mass audience, but also school programs. A plan was presented for organizing an astronomical library-reading room and an astronomical observatory serving visitors and capable of conducting scientific work.
However, the most important issue was the creation of a large astronomical museum. The discussion about what a planetarium museum should be like was extremely heated, as two opinions fought: should there be a museum at the planetarium, or should there be a planetarium at the museum. The majority spoke in favor of the second proposal, and the museum itself was supposed to be developed on a grandiose scale, requiring a special, large extension, with laboratory rooms, large dynamic models, classrooms, etc. The planetarium was thought of as the final and generalizing spectacle seen in the museum. But the idea of creating a museum was never realized.
Grand opening of the Moscow Planetarium
The opening of the planetarium to the general public was scheduled for the October holidays. November 5, 1929 is considered the birthday of the Moscow Planetarium.
Here's what the Chronicle wrote from the journal World Studies (vol. ХVIII, no. 6):
“On November 5, the grand opening of the Moscow Planetarium took place in Moscow, the first in our Union and the 13th in the whole world. The opening was attended by Comrade T. Litvinov, Lunacharsky, Semashko and others.”
Mayakovsky dedicated the poem “Proletarian, proletarian, come to the planetarium” to the opening of the planetarium, which ended with the words: “Every proletarian should look at the planetarium.”
Evolution of scientific and educational programs
The planetarium began its activities with a small series of lectures. However, its subject matter grew from year to year. If in 1929-1930. There were only three themes in the repertoire, then already in 1939. their number reached 40. The structure of the Universe, the origin and development of the Solar system, the structure of the Sun, the Moon and its movement, comets and meteors, eclipses - this is the range of topics covered in the Planetarium.
With the expansion of work, it became necessary to supplement the technical base of the Planetarium with new instruments and apparatus.
The device “Twinkle of Stars”, mechanic Lebedev in the photo. One of the first Soviet inventions complementing the Planetarium apparatus, author - K. N. Shistovsky
The great merit of the Moscow Star House is that it was here, almost immediately after its opening, with the blessing of K.G. Paustovsky, that the first design and production work began to create a “living sky” and enhance the effect of presence. The group of experimenters was led by the talented designer, first director and lecturer of the planetarium for 45 years, Konstantin Nikolaevich Shistovsky.
By 1934, stars were already twinkling on the dome of the Moscow Planetarium, clouds were floating, a comet was walking across the sky, auroras were swaying, the August starfall was in progress, solar eclipses were occurring, and Tsiolkovsky’s rocket was flying with a fiery tail. At the end of the session, a scarlet dawn broke in the hall, and a large, bright “Soviet Sun” rose to the music of R.M. Gliere, specially arranged by him for the Planetarium. None of this existed in any planetarium in the world until the end of the 50s. So the planetarium ceased to be just an optical instrument, but became a domed theater, where the sky is reproduced in all its diversity by all means available to modern technology.
Start of work of the astronomical circle
The year 1934 is also significant because the first astronomical circle began its work at the Moscow Planetarium. Then, on the initiative of the newspaper “Pionerskaya Pravda,” two dozen children gathered within the walls of the Planetarium for their organizational meeting. The first leader of the circle was the famous popularizer of astronomy Vitaly Alekseevich Shishakov. In those years, professors and prominent astronomers K.L. Baev, M.E. Nabokov and others spoke at the classes of the circle members, which usually took place in the Star Hall. Up to 500 schoolchildren a year attended astronomical clubs at the Planetarium.
The leaders over the years were I.F. Shevlyakov, F.Yu. Zigel, R.I. Tsvetov, V.A. Bronshten, K.A. Portsevsky, S.V. Shirokov, A.V. Bolt. There was no such youth astronomy school, and no, nowhere in the world. Many graduates of the astronomical circles of the Moscow Planetarium today constitute the color and pride of Russian star science.
In the same year, one of the world's first amateur groups for observing variable stars was created at the Planetarium, under the leadership of Professor P.P. Parenago.
Planetarium and rocket and space technology
In 1934-1938 The Stratospheric Committee worked and met on the basis of the Moscow Planetarium. Its employees studied the upper layers of the atmosphere and dealt with problems of jet propulsion. During the meeting of the Presidium of the Stratospheric Committee, one could see S.P. Korolev, V.P. Glushko, V.P. Vetchinkin, M.K. Tikhonravov, Yu.A. Pobedonostsev, G.E. Langemak here in the Small Hall.
At the Planetarium there were engineering and design courses, inherited by the Stratospheric Committee from the famous GIRD (jet propulsion research group). Lectures were given by V. P. Glushko, G. E. Langemak, M. K. Tikhonravov. Astronomical and geophysical issues were advised by Professors B. A. Vorontsov-Velyamov and P. P. Parenago. It was at the Moscow Planetarium that, for the first time in the world, a method was developed and implemented to study the dynamics of the stratosphere using stratospheric probes with smoke bombs. In the basement of the Planetarium, the first liquid rockets of designers A. I. Polyarny, L. K. Korneev, D. S. Dushkin were designed and manufactured. The first Soviet two-stage rocket designed by I. A. Merkulov was built and tested here in Ostankino. From a group of rocket scientists in the basement of the Moscow Planetarium, a world-famous design bureau (KB-7) for the development of liquid-propellant rockets grew.
Star Theater at the Planetarium
In the pre-war years, the Planetarium became literally a “Star Theater”. It staged plays starring professional actors. The performances “Galileo”, “Giordano Bruno” and “Copernicus” were staged with great success in the domed hall. Already in the first performance, the characteristic features of the Planetarium Theater clearly emerged: the ability to create fascinating performances, organically weaving scientific statements into the fabric of the dialogue, as well as the ability to illustrate what was said, making extensive use of the starry sky and other capabilities of the Planetarium apparatus.
Galileo at the Cardinal's. Galileo - artist A. I. Parkryshev, cardinal - Honored Artist of the RSFSR A. I. Bakhmetyev. Scene from the play "Galileo"
Planetarium and school
The Moscow Planetarium, thanks to the technical means at its disposal, becomes a one-of-a-kind complex of visual teaching aids. Under the starry sky of the Planetarium, students of Moscow schools conduct practical classes in astronomy and geography, making “travels around the world”, “travels to the North Pole”, receive visual evidence of the sphericity of the Earth, its daily and annual movement, etc. High school students study spherical astronomy. Lecture series for schoolchildren are coordinated with school programs and are an excellent addition to the knowledge that students receive at school.
As you know, astronomy is an observational science. An astronomical observatory is needed to observe celestial objects and phenomena. For these purposes, it was planned to create a special astronomical site at the Moscow Planetarium. The idea of creating it first appeared in 1939. The decision was made to build the site in the early summer of 1941. However, the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War destroyed these plans. The astronomical site of the Moscow Planetarium was opened in 1947 on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of Moscow.
During the war, in addition to conducting regular public lectures, the Moscow Planetarium provided practical assistance to soldiers and commanders of the Soviet Army in the form of special military lectures for intelligence officers and military pilots. In addition to the lectures held in the Star Hall, visiting lectures on astronomy were organized. These lectures were given in hospitals, sponsored military units, in the classrooms of the City Military Commissariat, and in air defense propaganda posts.
The Moscow Planetarium worked throughout the war and was only once closed for two months.
Astronomical Site and Observatory
At the astronomical site near Nabokov's globe
In 1946, construction of the Astronomical Site began. For the first time in the history of planetariums, this complex of cognitive tools, addressed to living stars, was conceived by the author of the first Soviet school astronomy textbook, Mikhail Evgenievich Nabokov. And it was built as a publicly accessible city of the sky, through the works of Moscow astronomers and Planetarium employees K. L. Baev, R. I. Tsvetov, A. B. Polyakov, E. Z. Gindin. The astronomical site recreated the tradition of ancient star abodes, such as the temple complex in Heliopolis, Stonehenge in England, the Observatory Museum in Alexandria, the Nuremberg town of Regiomontana, Uranienborg Tycho Brahe, the Beijing Observatory, the Gdansk Observatory of John Hevelius, the celestial complex Samrat Yantra in Jaipur.
Planetarium - a center for the popularization of natural science knowledge
Since 1947, the Moscow Planetarium has been operating in a complex - the Star Hall, foyer, Astronomical platform and Observatory. It becomes the country's largest center for propaganda and popularization of natural science knowledge. Every year thousands of lectures on astronomy and Earth sciences are given not only at the Planetarium itself, but also at enterprises and institutions in Moscow and the region.
The Moscow Planetarium provides great scientific and methodological assistance to other planetariums. Its employees develop new demonstration devices, create a series of transparencies and annotations for them, and various teaching aids. Seminars, lecture schools, and technical consultations are held at the Planetarium. All planetariums in the country began their activities with the direct assistance and participation of the Moscow Planetarium.
At the Moscow Planetarium, navigators of polar and long-range aviation undergo training; those who later laid air routes to Antarctica study the starry sky of the southern hemisphere.
Planetarium and astronautics
The Moscow Planetarium made a significant contribution to the development of domestic cosmonautics. It was here that, starting in 1960, for 15 years, classes in celestial navigation were conducted with future cosmonauts. Pilot-cosmonaut A.A. Leonov, once speaking in the Star Hall of the planetarium, said: “The path to Baikonur began here, in the Moscow Planetarium.”
In the seventies, in connection with the development and triumph of Soviet cosmonautics, extreme interest arose in everything related to space. The Moscow Planetarium covers all the most interesting events in this area, and quickly prepares new lectures telling about space flights and the results of space research. The planetarium is the only place where you can get objective and reliable information on space topics.
During these years, the popularity of the Moscow Planetarium has increased unusually. It becomes the most consistently visited in the world - from 800 thousand to a million visitors per year. Always well equipped, it exchanges experience on equal terms with the capital planetariums of other countries. The history of the Planetarium reminds us that in many endeavors it was and remained the first.
The unique building of the Moscow Planetarium - a monument to the era of constructivism, the pride of Soviet architecture - becomes an integral part of the architectural appearance of the capital - its silvery elongated dome gives it a resemblance to a fantastic interplanetary rocket heading into the sky.
Replacing the Planetarium apparatus
In 1977, the old Planetarium apparatus (serial number 13), installed in 1929, replaced the new Planetarium apparatus (serial number 313) with an automated control system. The new capabilities of the device made it possible to create a fundamentally new product for the Planetarium - an automated audiovisual program. The most interesting popular science programs, such as “About Heaven and Earth” for children, “Myths about the Great Hellenes” and “Sky of Beautiful Hellas” based on ancient Greek myths, “Under the Planetarium Sky”, “Newtoniana” were created by the honored cultural worker Russian Federation Stanislav Vasilievich Shirokov. He is rightfully considered an innovator in the development of a whole area of scientific and methodological technologies in the planetariums of our country.
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Moscow Planetarium was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
In 1987, the 1st International Congress of Planetarium Directors was held at the Moscow Planetarium, in which 139 delegates participated.
Planetarium apparatus No. 313
The history of the Moscow Planetarium contains many glorious pages, but it also contains truly dramatic moments and long years of oblivion.
Unfortunately, a general shadow of stagnation has fallen on the activities of the Moscow Planetarium. The installation of the new device was, perhaps, the last tangible action aimed at its development.
In 1994, the Moscow Planetarium was closed for major renovations.
After many years, the idea of creating a full-fledged astronomical museum of the Planetarium was finally realized using the most modern museum technologies.
In preparing the material, articles by K.N. Shistovsky, V.A. Shishakov, K.A. Portsevsky, V.N. Komarov, S.V. Shirokov were used.
Next to m Oskov Zoo, closer to the Garden Ring, a shiny dome of an unusual parabolic shape peeks out from behind ordinary Moscow houses - this is the Moscow Planetarium.
The building was built in 1927–1928 according to the design of architects M.O. Barshcha and M.I. Sinyavsky, designers A.K. Govve and P.Ya. Smirnova. This was the first building of this kind in the USSR; during the interwar period, similar buildings were built in many countries in Europe and America. The Germans became the pioneers here; it was their projector of the famous “Carl Zeiss” shape that was specially made for Moscow.
Young architects, graduates of VKHUTEMAS, designed a spectacular building covered with a parabolic dome with a diameter of 28 meters. An outstanding example of engineering is the thinnest mesh reinforced concrete shell, only 12 cm thick at the bottom and 6 cm at the top. Beneath the unique shell is a second, inner layer of metal frame that holds the surface to display the projection of the starry sky. The dome covers a round auditorium for 1,440 people, under which there is a foyer, a vestibule with ticket offices and a cloakroom.
From the outside, the constructivist building looks quite pragmatic: the blank surfaces of the dome, rounded staircase towers are combined with strip glazing, metal parapets of the terraces and a spectacular curved cornice above the entrance.
Back in 1923, art theorist Alexei Gan, author of the book “Constructivism,” wrote: “The theater is still nothing more than a building in which worship takes place... Our theater must be different. It should instill in the viewer a love of science. The planetarium is an optical scientific theater and is one of the types of our theater. People don’t play in it, but control the most technically complex apparatus in the world!”
The magazine “Modern Architecture”, the mouthpiece of modernist architecture, welcomed the work of young constructivists: “The planetarium is one of the most complex and amazing devices of our time. Roughly speaking, this is a system of a large number (119) projection lanterns, each of which is in independent motion and projects a separate planet or group of stars onto a white hemispherical screen covering the auditorium, which, in complete darkness, gives the perfect impression of a firmament with those moving across it. planets, sun, moon and other luminaries." Next to these words, a project of the Moscow Planetarium, developed at the suggestion of the Main Science of the People's Commissariat for Education, and photographs of the almost completed building - a symbol of the victory of the scientific way of thinking - were published. It was noted that “only part of the entire structure has been completed. In the near future, it is planned to complete the construction of an astronomical museum, an auditorium library and an observatory.” Not the entire project was eventually implemented, but instruments for observing nature were placed in the area around the planetarium, and an observatory was located in separate wings of the building.
Back in 1996, a group of specialists from the Mosproekt-4 architectural bureau under the leadership of A.V. Anisimov was proposed a restoration project, which was based on the idea of restoring an old building, rather than building a new one. To achieve this goal, the architects proposed raising the entire building without dismantling 6 m above ground level and connecting it to the sidewalk of Sadovo-Kudrinskaya Street using a gentle ramp. At the Zodchestvo-1996 festival the project received a first degree diploma. However, this project was carried out from 2000 to 2005. After a five-year break, reconstruction resumed in 2010. The work was carried out under the guidance of N.V. Shemshurina. Due to the construction of a new stylobate part, the total area of the planetarium was increased from 3,000 to 15,000 sq.m. The side extensions of the planetarium were recreated. This made it possible to place an exhibition hall, a museum, a scientific department, underground parking, and maintenance rooms in the building. The concrete dome of the planetarium was also restored with the replacement of wooden cranes and the installation of a roof made of Rhinezinc. Restorers also strengthened the building's brickwork. By 2010, when work was resumed, the design of the adaptation was adjusted in order to preserve the existing historical elements of the monument as much as possible. In 2010, the hall was re-plastered and painted, and the floor coverings were re-laid. In 2011, the Moscow Planetarium was opened to visitors.
The starry sky is perhaps one of the most exciting and mysterious sights in the world. The mysteries of space attract the attention of not only astronomers, but also people far from science. The world of planets and celestial bodies is not only a beautiful picture, but also a big mystery. To get to know it better, you don’t have to go out of town with a telescope - you can visit the planetarium located in Moscow.
History of the Moscow Planetarium: the road to the stars
The decision to build a planetarium in Moscow was made in 1927, which is considered to be the starting point in its history.
Since then it has been constantly improved. Astronomy clubs were held here, work was carried out with cosmonauts, the Star Theater operated, and new modern equipment was installed for observing celestial objects. In 1995, the planetarium was closed for major renovations, after which the idea of creating a grandiose astronomical museum finally came to fruition.
What awaits visitors to the planetarium?
As already mentioned, the planetarium is a whole scientific complex, an acquaintance with which will be interesting and useful for both children and adults.
Great Star Hall
The largest dome with stars in Europe is installed here, the area of which exceeds 1 km 2. Using modern projection technology, it is possible to show viewers more than 9,000 stars, recreating a map of the sky that has changed over 10 thousand years. This is a truly grandiose and exciting spectacle that helps you realize the scale and beauty of space. The Big Star Hall also has a long history - for example, aviation employees underwent training here, and before the Great Patriotic War it became the stage for theatrical performances.
Small Star Hall
The Small Star Hall harmoniously adds to the Large Hall. Its purpose is to show popular science and educational films. There are also lectures using a program that creates three-dimensional images. Like the Bolshoi, this hall is equipped with the latest technology: a dome screen, moving chairs and a stereo projection system are installed.
Sky Park and Observatory
This is a unique collection of astronomical instruments for space exploration from ancient times to the present. Sky Park was founded in 1947 for the 800th anniversary of the capital. The uniqueness of this place is that it successfully combines an open-air exhibition of scientific instruments and an observatory.
Among the exhibits you can see a variety of models of sundials, arcs of the celestial spheres and even a model of the Cheops pyramid. Various other instruments for observing the movement of celestial bodies are also presented here. The planetarium staff conducts excursions for visitors, introducing them to the world of ancient astronomy and teaching them how to navigate by the sun.
In addition to ancient instruments, there are two observatory towers: large and small. Both are equipped with powerful telescopes that allow visitors to observe the sky for themselves. Of course, this only works if there are no clouds in the sky.
The Sky Park is a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the development of astronomical technology, fully imagine the difficulties that ancient scientists faced, and also acquire unique skills, knowledge and abilities.
Lunarium Museum
“Lunarium” does not at all look like a traditional museum. Its peculiarity is that it is impossible to find exhibits here, standing behind glass on shelves. Multimedia interactive systems allow you to visit a space station, where you can learn a lot of interesting information about man’s stay in space. The second department of the museum, “Astronomy and Physics,” will tell you about the laws of the universe in a fascinating way. It's never boring here! In addition to entertainment, visiting the Lunarium provides a whole store of knowledge, arouses interest in astronomy and contributes to the development of thinking and cognitive abilities.
Urania Museum
The name of the museum comes from ancient Greek mythology: Urania is the muse of astronomy. The exhibition tells about the history of the creation of the Universe since the Big Bang and large-scale events in its life; as well as about the history of the creation of the Moscow Planetarium and the development of astronomy in general. There are many amazing exhibits collected here.
The planetarium also has a conference hall, a cafe, a 4D cinema, and various exhibitions are held. This is the place where you can come for the whole day and spend time usefully, getting pleasant emotions and learning more about the Universe. After visiting a planetarium, a person begins to look at the sky above his head differently.
Contacts and tickets
Ticket prices vary greatly. Prices start from 100 rubles per ticket and end at 2300 in the form of a gift ticket for 2 people. On average, a visit to the Palanitarium with a child will cost 1000 rubles, not counting the costs of transport, cafes and souvenirs.
It is worth noting that it is better to buy tickets in advance. The queues at the Palanitarium are huge; Muscovites and guests of the capital have gotten bored over the many years of reconstruction of this space attraction.
Official address: Moscow, st. Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya, 5, building 1. The nearest metro station is Barrikadnaya. From Krasnopresnenskaya and Mayakovskaya you will have to walk. There's a problem with parking, it's better to take the metro.
You can buy tickets on the official website (be careful, the website is very crooked and not well thought out)
Dmitry Semenov - about how to make money on educational services
Irkutsk has not had a planetarium since the late 1980s. But in February 2015, city residents again had the opportunity to admire the starry sky and the vastness of space with the help of special equipment. Without waiting for help from the state, the initiators of the revival of the Irkutsk planetarium managed to attract funds from a private investor. About what a private planetarium is and how its economy works, for the Five O’Clock project told executive director of the educational and entertainment complex “Noosphere” Dmitry Semyonov.
Dmitry Semenov, 41 years old, executive director of the educational and entertainment complex; amateur astronomer, traveler, telescope designer. Graduated from the philological department of Irkutsk State University. The Noosphere complex, located in a prestigious part of the city, includes the Irkutsk Planetarium with 45 seats, a multimedia museum, an astrospace observatory and two restaurants. The complex was built with funds from a private investor - the founder of the investment financial company Metropol, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Natural Resources, Mikhail Slipenchuk.
“People left, but the project remained an idea”
Initially, it was planned to build a new planetarium using funds from the regional or city budget. Why didn't it work? Yes, because in the last ten years the leadership in the Irkutsk region has changed too often. More than once we had agreements with specific governors and mayors, but people left, and the project remained an idea, although it seemed that things had moved forward. Once, for example, it came to allocating premises and discussing at the Irkutsk mayor’s office some sums for its arrangement. But it turned out that the building offered to us was the property of the Academy of Sciences and, therefore, the city had no reason to invest budget funds in it.
However, from time to time there was also interest from business. In 2008, one of the Irkutsk investors was ready to allocate space for a planetarium as part of its development project, but a crisis broke out and construction was curtailed. The project only got off the ground in the summer of 2010, when Mikhail Slipenchuk found out about it. He decided that he must definitely take part in the revival of the Irkutsk Planetarium.
By the time he became acquainted with the history of the planetarium, Mikhail Slipenchuk was already in full swing implementing the “Worlds” project on Lake Baikal and in fact showed that he was no stranger to asceticism associated with science and education. And in Irkutsk at that time he planned to create a small museum thematically related to Baikal and the results of the expedition.
When I told him about our long and painful history of restoring the planetarium, he decided that such an addition would be very appropriate to the project. The concept was formed quite quickly - Mikhail Shchadov, who was involved in organizational work with “Worlds” at that time, proposed the “Noosphere Museum” format, and he also became the head of the construction of the entire complex.
“The launch took longer than m you expected"
By mid-2011, design and estimate work was completed, in May of the same year they began to dig a foundation pit, and by the summer of 2012 the building was roofed and glazed. But the launch of the educational complex took a little longer than we expected. Firstly, we still had hope that the regional government would participate in the project, and the planetarium was still thought of as a public-private project for some time. Secondly, there was a search for the optimal technical content of the building.
Technologies on the market have changed, and the equipment that we considered optimal just yesterday turned out to be expensive and impractical today. For example, we considered an installation of six projectors, but in fact we ended up with two. Moreover, the brightness and contrast of the picture on the dome turned out to be better than from the equipment that they wanted to install initially. The dual-projector system allows you to simulate the starry sky, planets, galaxies and nebulae. In terms of image quality, the Irkutsk Planetarium is one of the best not only in Russia, but also in the world.
We launched the planetarium on February 20, 2015. A multimedia museum was also opened at the same time. Since the end of April, the astronomical observatory began to receive visitors.
"Noosphere" is a full-fledged business project"
The construction and equipment of a four-story building with an area of just under 1,300 square meters was initially estimated at $3-5 million. The projection dome alone with a diameter of 9.14 meters cost almost 400 thousand euros. Most of the equipment and components had to be purchased abroad. This is a very precise hemispherical screen with a deviation from the sphere of no more than three millimeters. It is made of perforated aluminum, which creates excellent acoustics in the hall. Therefore, in addition to educational films and lectures, we also hold musical events in the planetarium.
The final cost of the project turned out to be twice as high as the investor's expectations - $10 million. As for the payback period and return on investment, I can say that the complex is multidisciplinary and its components, such as restaurants and a planetarium, live according to completely market rules.
“Noosphere” is, naturally, a commercial enterprise, a full-fledged business project. Tickets are sold, the company brings in some revenue and makes money. At the same time, this is a huge investment in the individual. Still, in organizing the work of the complex, the emphasis is on the educational part of the project, and not on the commercial component. This is a conscious position of the investor. After the destruction of the subject of astronomy in Russian schools, planetariums, in fact, have a monopoly in the field of accessible astronomical, and in some places, natural science knowledge in general.
Our observations are carried out using a unique telescope from the German company Carl Zeiss. The device was made back in 1909 by order and with the money of Irkutsk philanthropists specifically for the first observatory of Eastern Siberia. Now it belongs to the astronomical observatory of Irkutsk State University. The telescope is in excellent condition and is used to show the starry sky. The observatory is also equipped with a solar telescope, which allows you to observe the chromosphere of the star. Without lying, I can say that now we have the only public astronomical observatory that shows people the sky every day.
“There is a task - for all units
were profitable"
The territory on which the complex is built is prestigious, with high traffic. I would say that this is the best place to receive guests in Irkutsk. The result was an environment not limited to two courtyards, but a truly urban project. And our object took its rightful place in it.
The project is multi-format: a planetarium with 45 seats, a multimedia museum and an astronomical observatory work both as a complex and individually. In addition, the complex has two restaurants - the democratic “Airplane” and the more pretentious “Misha”.
In fact, all departments can work either independently of each other or jointly organize a unique event. For example, there are children's parties - a program in the planetarium, observations through a telescope and a festive matinee or dinner.
The “Airplane” restaurant is stylized exactly like an airplane; you will be served by flight attendants who wish you a pleasant flight. Original menu. Children really like it - it’s not every day that our children, even from wealthy families, fly on airplanes. Unusualness attracts. The Misha restaurant is for serious guests; the heyday of the Irkutsk merchants is recreated there. It was in those days that Irkutsk was famous for its philanthropic projects.
There is a task for all divisions to be profitable. If the “Noosphere” is considered as a single whole, then each of the directions has its own seasonality, which practically does not intersect. For example, in the summer, restaurants are in demand, people willingly spend time in summer houses, but the demand for group sessions for schoolchildren in the planetarium decreases. In winter, on the contrary, there is greater demand for the educational services of the planetarium and observatory. If something slows down in one season, it will pick up momentum in the next.
The cost of some services of the Noosphere complex: a session in the planetarium - from 200 (weekdays, morning) to 500 (weekend evenings) rubles; visit to the observatory – 200 rubles; visiting the exhibition “Witnesses of Space Disasters” - from 100 to 250 rubles.
We are actively promoting the planetarium. Yes, many people already know about us, but we need to tell people more about the knowledge that they and their children can get from us. We had an active advertising campaign in May last year, when we placed articles and layouts in newspapers and gave messages on the radio. The practice of working with promoters has proven to be good, when a person receives comprehensive information about why he should visit the planetarium. And, of course, working with schools. I’m not talking about social networks - that goes without saying. In all networks we
