History of Polytehcnical Museum

The Polytechnical  Museum  is a major historic  institution  оf science and  technolo­gy, scientific, educational, cultural and leisure center of Russia.

What the Polytechnical started with? What were the plans of its organizers, what they put into that concept? Could they know, that many years after, their off-spring would be one of the key institutes for the rising generation?' The idea of establishment of the Polytechnical Museum formed in the sixties of the 19^th cen­tury during (the very significant time for Russia.

The country has boon going through the reforming epoch of Alexander II. The founda­tion of the national capitalism has also been forming, thus, new knowledge and technolog­ical ideas were greatly required. In 1864  the Emperor Society of amateurs for natural sciences, anthropology and ethnogra­phy (ESANSAE) had emerged. The main task, undertaken by the scientists, who have entered the society, was their assistance to scientific progress and dissemination of natu­ral and scientific knowledge.

As an educational complex, the Members of the Emperor Society founded the first Public library, subsequently, — the Central Polytechnical, and later, in 1872 - the general educational museum of applied sciences, known to us as the Polytechnical Museum. The idea of organization the scientific, educa­tional and enlightening center, popularizing knowledge, experience, giving the possibility to discuss publicly the new ideas and form public, opinion, was supported by the scientif­ic intelligentsia, Russian government, Moscow Municipal Duma (town council), Members of the Emperor family, the representatives of business community of the country. On September 23, 1872 His Highness Alexander II enjoined upon founding a Committee for set-up in Moscow a museum of applied sciences and its management there­after,  Crand Duke Konstantin became the honorary Chairman of the Committee. The Members of the Committee were: Moscow governor-general V. A. Dolgorukov, Moscow Mayor I. A. Lyamin, Vice-president of the Emperor Society A. Yu. Davidov, Professor A. P. Bogdanov, Director of the Emperor Technical School V. K. Della-Voss. The base for future museum became some of the exhibits of All-Russian Polytechnical Exhibition of 1872, devoted to bicentennial of Peter the Great. After closing the Exhibition, some of the exhibits were moved to Prechistenka (Street) premises and, thus, the Polytechnical .Museumopened its doors to visitors for the first time on December 12, 1872 (new style).

In two years in the New Square begun the construction of one of the first museum buildings in Moscow. By the project of architect I. A. Monigetti was erected the central part of the Museum in Russian-Byzantine style. In the same 1877 the collections were removed to their permanent place. The building for the Polytechnical Museum was built during 'jo years. Its facade have been designed by architects N. A. Shokhin. A. Yu. Veber, Prince G. I. Makayev. In 1896 the right wing of the building was erected, in 1907 - the left one, where was also built the Big Lecture Hall, that became popular very soon.

The profile of a new museum was specified as technical and industrial. The goals were - to contribute to «dissemination of knowledge among inadequately educated classes» and «development of technical knowledge in gen­eral». The founders of the Museum intended to solve the raised tasks, forming collections with the efforts of the Emperor Society Members, as well as applying materials and objects, reflecting the achievements of natural, scientific and technical knowledge, holding displays, giving talks, explanations, holding various public courses. These challenges became determinative to the Polytechnics! Museum for a long time. Owing to clear understanding of what it should become for Russians, the Polytechnical Museum turned to be very popular soon, and above all, accessible practically to everyone. The sizable role in this matter played the direct participation of scientists and engineers: P. N. Lebedev, K. A. Timiryazev, N. Ye. Zhukovsky, A. G. Stoletov. In the walls of the Museum thelectures read N. A. Umov, P. P. Lazarev. Th. A. Bredikhin, S. A. Tchaplygin, I. A, Kablukov, D. N. Pryanishnikov. Here were the discussions and approbation of many technological ideas: telephony, radio commu­nication, electricity. In 1925 the first All-Union exhibition on radio engineering was held in the Polytechnical Museum. Especially successfully the educational activity developed after the completion of the Big Lecture Hall in 1907, that later turned into the Main Lecture Hall of Moscow. An opportunity appeared for public scientific experiments, lec­tures, conferences and literary evenings. That brought to the Museum a fairly good public and in the end of the 19th century - the first decade of the зо^th century the Polytechnical Museum turned to be the main scientific, cultural and educational center of Russia.

The activity of the Scientific Library of the Museum played a considerable role. Nowadays the Scientific Library possesses thelargest collection of scientific and technical literature in the country. It is inconceivable, that the collection started with the only 9 books and today here are about - 3,5 million copies of books and periodical editions in Russian and foreign languages, including the very rare books. In custody of the Library there are the works of classics of the world and national science.

During its 130-years' history the Museum, first and foremost, informed its visitors about the achievements of human intellect. That idea was laid in the base of the activity by its founders and remained as the main factor even in the most hard times. The Museum illustrated all the processes, that look place in the-Russian society, as together with technical achievements changed the philosophy and mentality of the population. All that had influ­enced the social processes: people, who could­n't read and write, learnt here, what was new to them. - about great discoveries. In the revolutionary years the Polytechnical Museum joined the political life of the coun­try. The new traditions were laid down: the required political activity, propaganda of ideas of socialist industrialization and collec­tivization. In 1934 the Museum underwent considerable changes: out of the scientific center it turned to the exhibition «Our Achievements», telling about successes of technical creative work in the new country –t he USSR, and the existing displays were essentially cut out again. At that same time many exhibits were lost; the Museum funds were replenished due to specimen from the exhibitions. In 1947 the Polytechnical Museum was turned over to the All-Union Society «Znanie» (Knowledge}.

In the seventies the Museum collection was formed with due regard for new views. Illustration of the historic process of technology development is becoming the main direction on the way to classical museum collection. At   that  time  the  Museum joined  the International Council of Museums (ICOM). The eighties and nineties were a .severe test for the Polytechnical Museum. It endured its second birth, if one may put it that way. In 1987 the new scientific concept has been adopted, directed on development of all forms of museum activity, and four years later, in 1991 by the Decree of the RF President B. Yeltsyn, the Polytechnical Museum was declared «particularly valuable object of the national heritage of peoples of Russian Federation», Nowadays the Museum is going through one of the most interesting pages in its history. The 130-years' position, that the Museum had reached is a considerable landmark. Polytechnical Museum is a huge complex. At visitors` disposal are the great funds, introducing to people the history of the national and global science and technology, as well as the unique editions, publications of the con­temporary outstanding scientists, works of the Academies and scientific societies. But. first of all, the Polytechnical - it is a long-term prac­tice of collecting and custody of human intellectual achievements. And the most important attainment, worked out by the Museum for more than a centennial period, - the ability to pass on skills, habits, desires, the mysteries of science from generation to generation.