Geological collections of Kazakhstan.

"And, seeing that the fiery evening horizon is covered with a border of purple-gray showers,
Having raised its two-paired spreading tusks,
So the lagging mastodon roared piteously.

The ground hummed and bent under the running carcass,
And in the scramble of division, like the teeth of saws, fangs,
Crunching and squelching in the bloody-fat thick,
Gnawed cartilage and vertebrae with ribs"

"Machairoduses". 1911. Mikhail Zenkevich.

Geological exhibitions in Almaty.

Geological Museum is located at an altitude of 871 meters above sea level, at address: Dostyk Avenue, 85, on corner of Dostyk and Abay streets, in square of Pushkin, Abay and Kurmangazy streets, 128 meters southwest of Kazakhstan Hotel, in Medeu district of Almaty.
The museum was founded in 1940. The small collection at first was replenished with minerals, rocks and ores from different regions and deposits of the republic, and by 1945 the museum was located on an area of ​​about 300 square meters.
Collection and exhibition materials (about 4,000 samples) occupied 60 display cases. In 1955, the museum was located in a specially designated building consisting of 5 halls with an area of ​​over 1,000 square meters. Exhibition materials are displayed in 232 display cases; the total number of exhibits reaches 46,000.
In 1969, on the basis of geological collections, a permanent scientific and technical Exhibition of the Ministry of Geology was created. Subsequently, in 1997, the Minister of Geology S.Zh.Daukeyev came up with an initiative to give the Exhibition the status of a full-fledged museum, which was done after a large-scale reconstruction.
The new Geological Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan received its first visitors on August 26, 1997. The Geological Museum has a scientific research profile, is a center for visual information, and has reference and standard collections.
The exhibits are located in 5 departments: introductory - introduces visitors to the general features of geography and geology, the structure of the territory of Kazakhstan, and some geological and economic regions; minerals - contains unique collections of ores and rocks, presented by samples of ores of non-ferrous, ferrous, rare metals, combustible minerals (coal, oil), phosphorites, sulfur salts and many other types of mineral raw materials; mineralogy - tells about the wealth and diversity of the mineral world of the republic.
Almost all mineral species found in Kazakhstan are exhibited here, as well as rare and extremely rare minerals first discovered in the Soviet Union and on the territory of Kazakhstan; geology, structures of Kazakhstan reflects stratigraphy, magmatism and regional tectonics; paleontology - introduces the flora, fauna of invertebrates from early eras to the present day.
The paleontological section shows some very interesting exhibits with skeletons of animals and petrified wood found on the territory of Kazakhstan, dating back to early geological eras. The collection includes original dinosaur skeletons, giant rhinoceroses, ancient giant pigs; turtle fossils and much more will make the visitor feel as if he came to Jurassic Park.
The zoology display includes a wide variety of birds, mammals, butterflies and other insects, snakes and reptiles that inhabit the Kazakh land. This unique museum is a kind of basement of semi-precious stones, to which visitors can go down by elevator.
Its main exhibition presents collections of minerals and stones that are provided by the subsoil of Kazakhstan. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the interactive computer display demonstrating various geological processes. The museum also has a salon selling jewelry, fragments of ancient rocks and precious stones.
This is a good place to buy gifts, jewelry of both ancient Kazakh culture and modern art. The Geological Museum was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor in Soviet times.
Address: Almaty, Dostyk str., 85, corner. Abay Ave., tel.: 63-52-83, 63-54-16, open: 10:00 - 17:00, Tue - Fri, 10:00 - 15:00, Sat.
Geographic coordinates of geological museum: N43°14'38 E76°57'23

Authority:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%

Photos by:
Alexander Petrov.