The Moscow Zoo is the oldest and largest zoo in Russia, founded more than 150 years ago. Located in the center of Moscow, close to all major attractions of the city and is a great entertainment center for children and adults.
Zoo history
The history of the Moscow Zoo begins in 1864, in which the Russian Imperial Society for the Acclimatization of Animals and Plants announced the creation of an open-air zoo. The idea itself belonged to the famous scientist Karl Rulje, and his students were engaged in the implementation. The first director who organized the transportation of unique species of animals and plants, as well as who chose a place and started the construction of enclosures, was the zoologist A. P. Bogdanov. The new zoo was financed by members of the Moscow Academy of Sciences; the construction was also supported by the royal family and its entourage: the families of the Yusupovs, Sumarokovs, Ferreins.
The oldest buildings of the Moscow Zoo, which are still intact, were built in the early 90s of the 19th century. The most well-preserved building is the Antelopnik, which is still in operation. But, unfortunately, the location of the zoo on the then outskirts of Moscow (now, by the way, these areas are considered central), became the reason for the destruction of the structures of the zoo during both revolutions (in 1905, the main entrance to the zoo and the nearest enclosures was destroyed by an artillery shell, in 1917 there were also several major destructions).
As a result of social changes, funding for the zoo virtually ceased in 1917. Members of the Imperial Society were either killed or emigrated to Europe, and the new government could not allocate large sums of money for feeding and caring for the animals. The staff at the zoo at the time converted most of the area into vegetable gardens to grow food for the animals. Almost all of the predators kept in the zoo at that time were threatened with starvation. In 1919, the zoo began to be financed from the city budget, under which it is still protected.
Another difficult moment for the Moscow Zoo was the Second World War, when some of the employees and animals were evacuated to Siberia. In 1942, the elephant was virtually destroyed, the livestock specialists miraculously left the surviving Indian giants. Throughout the war, the zoo worked to receive visitors.
Features of the zoo
At the moment, the Moscow Zoo is not just a place for entertainment, but also a kind of historical landmark of the capital, built in the century before last. Here you can see 1150 species of animals, many of which are included in the Red Book of Russia and the Red Book of the World. The zoo has a large serpentarium. There is a small dolphinarium with Black Sea dolphins (bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins) and the only snow-white narwhal from the Arctic Ocean. And, of course, the "poultry houses" in the open air make a special impression.
