Zoology

Chair of Zoology of the KemSU was established in 1975. Professor V. N. Skalon and Professor T. N. Gaguina played an important role in its formation. Visual aids were needed for the preparation of biology specialists. The first exhibits, collected by V. N. Skalon, were representatives of the world fauna and served as a base of foundation of the future museum. It was necessary to present the Kuzbass fauna. There were organized expeditions to Kuzbass, including reserved zone Kuznetsky Alatau. Elks, roes, some small martin family animals, birds – wood-grouses, heath-cocks, hazel-grouses partridges, etc. appeared in the museum. The first head of the zoology museum was a biologist, hunter, taxidermist N. I. Belousov. From 1981 to 1986 he guided yearly expeditions to Kuznetsky Alatau in which the zoology museum participated. The results of the common work with the Chair of Zoology allowed to present an idea to create a biosphere reserved zone “Kuznetsky Alatau” to add the expositions by new materials. At that period the museums participate  exhibitions of achievements of Kuznass and in the Exhibition of National Economic Achievement of the Soviet Union.

In 1979 several expeditions in different regions of the country were organized for adding the exposition. The expedition to the Far East, Japanese Sea and Popov island, headed by chief lecturer Zoya Philippovna Pavlova, collected and brought valuable exhibits of sea fauna – starfish, giant crabs, different types of mollusks, fish, etc. N.V. Skalon brought sea birds’ skins donated by Far East huntsmen and used for making a very good exposition. Unfortunately this exposition was disassembled during the moving of the museum to another building.

Since 1982 till 1986 there were organized expeditions to Kazakhstan (to the mouth of the Ilya river), Dzhungaria (region of the Alakol lake, Sassykkol and on the Ten-Tek river), Uzbekistan (Aydar-Kul lake). This expeditions were guided by the head of the museum N. I. Belousova and participated by N. A. Belousova, N. V. Skalon, S. F. Kakotkina, I. Yu. Kuzicheva, O. V. Shishko. As a result the museum received denizens of deserts and sands: giant lizard, geckoes, tortoises, pheasants, steppe eagles, some kinds of sandpiper,  waterfowls. In 1990 the expedition headed by senior lecturer N. I. Eremeeva provided new exhibits to the museum.

The students of the zoology department participated in the development of the museum. They went for practice to different regions of the country including Chukotski Peninsula where interesting materials were collected. Practice for students is organized in the Sokhondinsky reserved zone, Altay, Baykal, Podjakovo village, on biological station in Azhendarovo village in Kemerovo region. As a result a big collection of insects of Kuznetsky steppe, Kuznetsky Alatau, Gornaya Shoriya was collected. Students’ practicing provides interesting material about the collection of rodents and insectivorous animals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and ecto-parasits - ticks. The museum has a special room for treatment and storing of the entomological collections organized by post-graduate student A. V. Polevod. This material is exposed in the University museum as well as in other museums of the region. The Russian Entomological society works in the museum.

In 1987 the museum workers N. I. Belousov, G. N. Alyabyeva, L. A. Kakotkina, V. N. Smolentsev, O. V. Shishko, S. F. Kakotkin, I. Yu. Kuzichev, painters V. N. Ussoltsev, O. N. Kisileva, etc. started to create a diorama exposition  guided by professors T. N. Gaguina, V. E. Sergeev (Zoology Chair).

The taxidermy workshop is hands and heart of the museum. Here stuffed animals are done using brought fell. At present moment the workshop is guided by N. I. Belousov.