There are very few Museums of Biology across the globe, which is why Russia's State Darwin Museum is so special. The founder and first Director of the Museum was Alexander Fedorovich Kots, Doctor of Biological Sciences and Professor.
The concept and amazing birth of the State Darwin Museum commenced at the turn of the century with a private collection, nearly a century later and having relocated to a newer and more prestigious building the museum is undergoing its second birth.
Alexander Kots came to biology during the symbolic time when Darwinism was becoming popular in Russia. After visiting the largest European museums including the British Natural History Museum and its famous Darwin Centre he hit upon the idea of establishing the first museum of evolution in Russia.
The crucial event and realisation of Kots's plans was the initiation of a Department of Evolution and Darwinism in the Moscow Higher Women's Courses in 1907. Kots headed the new Department following the recommendation of the professors N. K. Koltsov and P. L. Sushkin of the Moscow University. As a teaching aid the young lecturer Kots used a collection assembled at his own expense, which he in turn presented to the Zoological Laboratory of the Courses in 1907, marking the foundation of the museum.
Kots found a number of willing volunteers who were equally enthusiastic about the work he was doing and who gave their many talents freely for the creation of the museums exhibitions and in recognition of their efforts Kots graciously regarded them as "Co-founders" allowing them to share in the honour and prestige that the newly formed State Museum afforded.
Kots wife and associate Nadezhda Nikolaevna Ladygina-Kots, gave thirty years of her life for the museum. "She was my right hand on the command bridge of the "Museum Ship", helping me through dangerous oceans and shattering storms. It is she, my faithful and dedicated assistant that I honour in the establishment of the museum and with whom I will share all favours", Kots said kindly.
Kots intention was to make the museum exhibitions not just scientific but also entertaining and today you will find artworks from many of Russia's most talented wildlife painters such as V. A. Vatagin, K. H. Flerov, A. N. Komarov, N. N. Kondakov, V. Y. Trofimov to name but a few. It is this combination of scientific exhibits and works of art that have given our museum its unique style.
According to Kots taxidermy played a crucial part in the creation of the museum and with the help of his friend Philipp Yevtikhievich Fedulov, a renowned Taxidermist, they together worked tirelessly to acquire collections from the best taxidermy workshops in Russia and across Europe. Kots said "if it were not for Fedulov, there wouldn't be the museum". The result of their combined efforts lead to the situation where the rooms assigned for the museum became too small.
As early as 1940, Kots said: "We could work in the old building for two more years if at a push, but then we risk having to minimize the exhibitions and place many of our artworks into storage", regrettably however, it took very long time for new larger building to house the museum.
Regrettably Kots died in 1964, but the museum was kept alive by Vera Nikolaevna Ignatieva who lobbied for the construction of a new building, which finally came to fruition twenty years later.
On the 2nd of September, 1995, the State Darwin Museum was finally re-opened in the new building for it inauguration; this realisation of founder Kots dream, finally came true. Kots had said for many years leading up to his death, that "years will go by and our new Darwin Museum will wait until the walls worthy of it… our unique museum collections are mostly hidden from view due to a deficit of space, but when we can exhibit all our works, then it will be to the astonishment of millions of people".
The founder and first manager of the Darwin Museum called it "Biological Tretyakov Gallery".
The new State Darwin Museum now hosts a unique combination of paintings, graphic arts, sculptures and scientific exhibits, which makes it different from many other biological museums. In the early 20th century the idea to use works of art in scientific museums was absolutely innovative, but Kots recognised that a special museum of evolution theory required revolutionary design. Kots wrote: "this coherence of emotions and mind, deep inside human nature has defined a new trend in arranging the intended museum: combination of Science and Art".
One of the first artists engaged for the museum was Vasiliy Alexeevich Vatagin who worked there from 1908 to 1949. Kots and his wife along with taxidermists Philipp Yevtikhievich Fedulov called Vatagin a co-founder of the museum.
Vatagin graduated from the Department of Mathematical and Natural Sciences at Moscow University and at the same time attended the art studios of N. A. Martinov and K. F. Yuon in order to fulfil his personal desires to become an artist. Vatagin's personal interest in zoology and drawing lead him to become an active member of the Academy of Arts in the USSR, gaining him widespread recognition and state prizes in the USSR and in the RSFSR. He was acknowledged as a "patriarch" of domestic animal painting and one of the founders of the Moscow Wildlife School, which was also formed within the walls of the State Darwin Museum.
Vatagin was interested in using all types of media to create his wildlife artwork, these included chalk, oil, pencil, ink, and watercolour and he worked tirelessly in the production of these producing hundreds of artworks, most of which you will find in the walls of the new museum. Kots spoke very highly of Vatagin, and said "for 40 years of work Vasiliy Alexeevich Vatagin has managed to make a real pantheon for his art, as sculptor, graphic artist, and painter astounding many visitors with his great range and many subjects: from mammoths to moths, from monumental statues and portrait busts of scientists to the grin and smile of a baboon".
Following Vatagin other great wildlife artists came to the Darwin Museum, including A. N. Komarov, K. K. Flerov, N. N. Kondakov, V. V. Trofimov, A. N. Formozov and many others. The State Darwin Museum retains all their artworks with great care, and according to Kots "these are whom the Museum owes its gratitude, for everything that is elusive behind the window is painted by craftsmen and experts, represented with hundreds of paintings that bring to the exhibition at the Darwin Museum the seductive, warm-hearted reflection of life that is impossible to reproduce with the most elaborate stuffed animal".
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