Chronology

• 1714 The Kunstkammer is founded by Peter the Great.
• 1724 The Russian Academy of Sciences is established. The Kunstkammer becomes a part of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
• 1728 The Kunstkammer Museum is inaugurated.
• 1742 Publication of the first printed catalogue of the Kunstkammer collections, including the zoological, and an album of etchings of the building and plan of some of its parts.
• 1766 Academician (= Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences) P.S. Pallas is appointed Curator of zoological collections of the Kunstkammer.
• 1788 - 1823 Academicians N. Ozeretskovski and A.F. Sewastianow are Curators of the zoological collections.
• 1823 - 1826 Academician C.H. Pander is Curator of the zoological collections.
• 1828 The Academy elected Professor of the Koenigsberg University, K. Baer, Director of a newly organized Zoological Museum.
• 1832 - 1879 A young German zoologist, Academician F.F. Brandt, is elected director of the Zoological Museum.
• 1832 The Zoological Museum is formally established (Protocol of the session of the Academy Conference 4/16 July 1832).
• 1839 - 1849 Expedition of I.G. Voznesenski (Zoological Museum) to the Far East and to the Russian possessions in North America, from California up to Alaska.
• 1859 The Russian Entomological Society is founded; Academician K.M. Baer is the first president of the Society.
• 1864 Publication of the first guidebook of the Zoological Museum prepared by A.F. Brandt, son of the then director of the Museum.
• 1870 - 1886 Expeditions of N.M. Prjewalski and P.K. Kozlov that initiated the Central Asia collections of the Zoological Museum.
• 1879 - 1890 The Museum is headed by Academician A.A. Strauch.
• 1890 - 1896 The Museum is headed by Academician T.Pleske.
• 1896 Edition of "Annual of the Zoological Museum" (Ezhegodnik Zoologicheskogo Muzeya) is initiated.
• 1897 - 1901 Removal of the Museum to the former "Exhibition House" on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, the right building of the former Custom's Warehouse now occupied by the Zoological Institute, including the Museum and laboratories.
• 1897 - 1906 The Museum is headed by Academician V.V. Zalenski.
• 1901 Inauguration of the Zoological Museum.
• 1901 - 1903 Expedition to the Beryozovka River for excavating the remains of the Beryozovka mammoth. The expedition was headed by O.F. Herz. Preparation of the stuffed animal and mounting of the mammoth's skeleton w as by S.K. Prichodko, one of the first professional taxidermists educated in Germany.
• 1906 - 1917 Academician N.V. Nasonov is Director of the Museum.
• 1911 Publication of the first volume of The Fauna of Russia. (L.S. Berg. 1911. Marsipobranchii, Selachii Chondrostei. Marsipobranchii Pisces, v. 1).
• 1912 Completion of the third story of the Museum building where the major scientific collections, except ichthyological, herpetological, and osteological, were moved.
• 1914 - 1931 A.P. Semenov-Tjan-Shanskij is elected President of the Russian Entomological Society founded in St. Petersburg in 1859.
• 1917 Establishment of the Museum Council that participated with the Museum Director in the coordination of scientific activity and administration.
• 1917 - 1928 The Museum is headed by the Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.A. Bjalynickij-Birulja.
• 1922 Establishment of the Permanent Commission at the Zoological Institute for the study of the helminth fauna of the USSR, K.I. Skrjabin is the Chairman of the Commission. In the 1930's the Commission is reorganized into the group for the study of parasitic worms which became a part of the Parasitology Department.
• 1923 - 1926 Expeditions of P.K. Kozlov to Mongolia.
• 1924 The Museum receives the building of the former Department of Mines (now the administrative building of the Zoological Institute).
• 1924 Establishment of the Commission on the study of malaria mosquitos, Chairman of the Commission was E.N. Pavlovsky. In 1930 the Parasitology Department was established on the basis of the Commission.
• 1925 Publication of the series "Explorations of Russian Seas" is started; the first volume of the series is published.
• 1925 - 1937 Twenty five volumes of the series "Explorations of "Russian Seas" are published.1927 Publication of the first volume of the Keys to the USSR Fauna (A.A. Stackelberg "Blood-sucking mosquitos of the family Culicidae of the USSR and adjacent countries.").
• 1928 - 1934 Parasitological expeditions of Professor E.N. Pavlovsky to the Far East and Middle Asia.
• 1929 Publication of the first volume of The USSR Fauna (Kuznetsov, N.Ya. Introduction to Asciidae [Danaidae]. Issue 2. Insecta Lepidoptera).
• 1930 The Zoological Museum is reorganized into the Zoological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences (owing to the reorganization of the Academy of Sciences and its institutions).
• 1930 Establishment of 13 sections within the Zoological Institute conducting taxonomic studies. The Museum became one of its sections. Later the sections were joined in four departments - vertebrates, marine and freshwater biology, terrestrial invertebrates, and parasitology.
• 1930 - 1942 Academician S.A. Zernov is Director of the Institute.
• 1930 The Zoological Institute includes: The Murmansk Biological Station (since 1958 the Murmansk Biologic al Institute of the Kola Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences) ; The Baikal Biological Station (since 1961 the Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences); The Sevastopol Biological Station (since 1963 the Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences); The Laboratory of Zoogeography; and The laboratory of Experimental Zoology and Animal Morphology.
• 1930 Collection of parasitological papers (Parazitologicheskii sbornik) edited by E.N. Pavlovsky is initiated.
• 1931 - 1965 E.N. Pavlovsky is elected President of the All-Union Entomological Society.
• 1932 The first faunistic conference; 136 institutions of the USSR studying zoological problems participated.
• 1932 First sessions of the newly founded "Scientific Meetings of the Zoological Institute" established by N.J. Kuznetsov and aimed at discussion of concrete zoological problems.
• 1934 Limnological conference that outlined ways of study of the biology of bodies of water.
• 1936 The first conference on theoretical problems of zoology, focusing on species and speciation.
• 1937 Publication of the first volume of the series "Animal World of the USSR."
• 1939 Publication of the first volume of the series "Life in Fresh Waters of the USSR."
• 1939 E.N. Pavlovsky is elected Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1941 Moving collections and scientific equipment to the basement of the Institute and beginning of evacuation of the Institute's staff to Dyushambe (Tajikistan) in connection with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Deputy Director N.T. Ukhin had an important role in this work.
• 1941 - 1944 Studies of the Tajikistan fauna.
• 1942 -1962 Academician E.N. Pavlovsky is Director of the Institute.
• 1945 The Zoological Institute returns to Leningrad. The Zoological Museum is opened.
• 1945 V.A. Dogiel, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, begins work at the Institute as the head of the Protistology Laboratory.
• 1946 The taxidermist M.A. Zaslavsky begins work at the Institute.
• 1947 - 1954 Prof. V.B. Dubinin is the head of the Zoological Museum.
• 1947 -1949 Marine biological research is conducted in Kurile Sakhalin Region under the guidance of Professors G.U. Lindberg and E.F. Gurjanova.
• 1948 Establishment of the Leningrad Branch of the All-Union Hydrobiological Society. V.I. Zhadin is the Chairman.
• 1948 The Mammoth Committee for the Study of Mammoth and the Mammoth Fauna is established at the Zoological Institute; the Committee is headed by Academician E.N. Pavlovsky.
• 1948 Academician I.I. Schmalhausen begins work at the Institute; the Institute's Laboratory of Embryology established for his research in 1955 was located in Moscow. Later the Laboratory of Evolutionary Morphology was established on its basis; the laboratory was headed by Academician A.V. Ivanov.
• 1949 Academician E.N. Pavlovsky is awarded the Mechnikov Gold Medal for his work substantiating the theory of natural nidality of transmissive diseases.
• 1949 E.N. Pavlovsky is awarded the Gold Medal of the Geographic Society for his work substantiating the theory of the natural nidality of transmissive diseases.
• 1949 - 1957 Expedition study of regions for development of new lands under the guidance of Prof. D.M. Steinberg.
• 1950 E.N. Pavlovsky is awarded the State Prize for his work "Guide on parasitology of man and theory of vectors of transmissive diseases" published in 1948.
• 1950 L.S. Berg is awarded the State Prize for his work "Fishes of Freshwaters of the USSR and Adjacent Regions."
• 1951 Prof. I.A. Kiselev is awarded the State Prize for the work "Diatomous analysis" published in 1950.
• 1951 Laboratory of General Cell Physiology headed by Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences D.N. Nasonov is established. In 1957 the Laboratory was reorganized into the Institute of Cytology of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1951 Dr. of Biological Sciences K.A. Yudin is awarded the Sushkin Prize for his scientific work "Ecological-morphological review of falcons."
• 1951 Prof. I.A. Kiselev is awarded the Komarovsky Prize for a series of scientific works on diatoms and the pyrophitic algae.
• 1952 Prof. G.J. Bey-Bienko and Dr. L.L. Mishchenko are awarded the State Prize for their work "Acridids of the fauna of the USSR and adjacent countries" published in 1951.
• 1953 G.J. Bey-Bienko, V.V. Popov, and A.N. Svetovidov are elected corresponding Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1954 - 1962 The Zoological Museum is headed by Prof. A.I. Ivanov.
• 1955 - 1959 Studies in China under the guidance of Prof. N.S. Borchsenius and A.S. Monchadsky and in Chinese seas under the guidance of Prof. E.F. Gurjanova.
• 1956 Studies in the Antarctic under the guidance of Dr. A.P. Andriashev.
• 1956 Ornithological Station on the Courish Spit, Kaliningrad Region, that was established on the basis of the former Vogelwarte Rossitten Station becomes a part of the Zoological Institute; Dr. L.O. Belopolsky is the first director of the station.
• 1956 First marine biological expeditions to the Far East under the guidance of O.A. Scarlato and A.N. Golikov.
• 1957 The White Sea Biological Station on the Kartesh Cape of Chupa Inlet in the White Sea is organized under the guidance of Dr. V.V. Kuznetsov.
• 1958 Prof. V.A. Dogiel is awarded the Lenin Prize for the work "General Protistology" published in 1951.
• 1958 Prof. P.V. Ushakov is awarded the P.P. Semenov Gold Medal for outstanding achievements in the field of geographic sciences.
• 1958 Prof. A.V. Ivanov is awarded the I.I. Mechnikov Prize for a series of works on invertebrate morphology.
• 1959 - 1994 Publication of the seven volume Guide for the Identification "Fishes of the Japan Sea and adjacent areas of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Yellow Sea" in the series "Guides for the Identification of the Fauna of the USSR."
• 1960 B.E. Bychowsky is elected Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1961 Prof. A.V. Ivanov is awarded the Lenin Prize for his work "Pogonophora" published in 1960.
• 1961 Dr. O.A. Scarlato is awarded a medal "For Help to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam" for consultations on projects of the Scientific Research Institute in Hanoi.
• 1962 - 1974 B.E. Bychowsky is Director of the Zoological Institute.
• 1963 Prof. V.I. Zhadin is awarded the title "Honored Scientist of the RSFSR" for achievements in the field of biology and many-year scientific activity.
• 1963 Prof. A.A. Stackelberg is awarded the title "Honored Scientist of the RSFSR" for achievements in the field of biology and many-year scientific activity.
• 1963 Academician I.I. Schmalhausen is awarded the I.I. Mechnikov Gold Medal for a series of works on the origin of terrestrial vertebrates.
• 1964 B.E. Bychowsky is elected Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1964 Prof. E.N. Pavlovsky is awarded the title "Hero of Socialist Labor" and receives the "Hammer and Sickle" Gold Medal for outstanding achievements in the field of protection of health and development of biology.
• 1964 Academician I.I. Schmalhausen, and Kandidats of Biological Sciences E.D. Regel, N.S. Lebedkina, and I.M. Medvedeva are awarded the A.O. Kovalaevsky Prize for a series of works on the origin of terrestrial vertebrates published in 1959 - 1964.
• 1964 - 1984 Dr. D.V. Naumov is the head of the Zoological Museum.
• 1965 E.N. Pavlovsky is awarded the Lenin Prize for the work "Natural nidality of transmissive diseases" published in 1964.
• 1965 - 1971 G.J. Bey-Bienko is President of the All-Union Entomological Society.
• 1966 A.P. Andriashev is elected Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1966 G.U. Lindberg is awarded the title "Honored Scientist of the RSFSR" for achievements in the field of biological sciences (ichthyology).
• 1967 Investigations in Mongolia are initiated by scientists from the laboratories of Herpetology, Hydrobiology, and Insect Taxonomy.
• 1967 Publication of the journal Parazitologiya [Parasitology] is started; editor's office is located at the Zoological Institute.
• 1970 - 1982 G.G. Winberg is elected President of the All-Union Hydrobiological Society.
• 1971 Organization of the group of electron microscopy headed by Dr. Yu.S. Balashov.
• 1971 A.P. Andriashev is awarded the State Prize for participation in the creation of the "Atlas of the Antarctic" published in 1966 and 1969 (two volumes).
• 1972 Prof. A.S. Monchadsky is awarded the E.N. Pavlovsky Gold Medal for works in the field of study of parasitic insects.
• 1972 Publication of the series "Insects of Mongolia" is started. The first volume is published.
• 1972 Prof. P.V. Ushakov is awarded the Medal of Prince Albert I of Monaco (France).
• 1972 A.S. Sokolov is awarded the Diploma of the Committee on Inventions and Discoveries at the Council of Ministers of the USSR for the discovery of the earlier unknown phenomenon of self-regulation of resilience of fins in Cetacea. Registered on 23.12.1968.
• 1974-1994 O.A. Scarlato becomes Director of the Zoological Institute.
• 1974 Marine biological studies are started in the Arctic under the guidance of A.N. Golikov.
• 1974 I.S. Darevsky is elected an Honorary Foreign Member of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.
• 1975 Prof. A.V. Ivanov is awarded the I.I. Mechnikov Gold Medal for a series of works on the origin of multicellular animals.
• 1976 Prof. G.G. Winberg is awarded the title "Honored Scientist of the RSFSR" for the achievements in the field of science and training of scientific personnel.
• 1977 Dr. I.E. Bychowskaya is awarded the "Cyrill and Methodius" Medal (Bulgaria).
• 1980 N.G. Bregetova, V.I. Volgin, and L.G. Sitnikova are awarded the State Prize for the monograph "Key to the ticks inhabiting the soil" published in 1975 - 1978 (three volumes).
• 1981 Prof. A.V. Ivanov is elected Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1981 Dr. O.A. Scarlato is elected Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1981 Dr. Yu.S. Balashov is awarded the E.N. Pavlovsky Gold Medal for a series of works on the topic "Blood-sucking ticks - vectors of diseases of man and animals."
• 1981 P.P. Gambaryan is awarded the A.N. Severtsov Prize for a series of works on "Evolution of Locomotion of Mammals."
• 1981 K.Ya. Grunin and K.A. Breev are awarded the Prize of the USSR Council of Ministers for the elaboration and implementation of results of scientific technical investigations important for agriculture.
• 1982 150th anniversary of the Zoological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The Institute is awarded by the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, 30 June 1982). The Institute is awarded challenge banner "To the Winner in the Socialist Competition" of the USSR Academy of Sciences and Trade Union of Workers in education, higher school, and scientific institutions.
• 1983 Prof. P.V. Ushakov is awarded the E.N. Pavlovsky Gold Medal for a series of works on polychaetes.
• 1984 R.L. Potapov is the head of the Zoological Museum.
• 1985 I.S. Darevsky is awarded the title "Honored Scientist of the RSFSR" for service to science and to the training of scientific personnel.
• 1985 Prof. O.L. Kryzhanovsky is awarded the title "Honored Scientist of the RSFSR" for service to science and to the training of scientific personnel.
• 1985 Prof. L.O. Beloposky is awarded the Goethe European People's Prize for the protection and study of nature.
• 1985 Prof. G.S. Medvedev is elected President of the All-Union Entomological Society.
• 1986 Prof. M.V. Krylov is awarded the Prize of the USSR Council of Ministers for the development and implementation of new means and methods of bird coccidioses prophylaxis and therapy.
• 1987 Prof. I.S. Darevsky is elected Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1987 I.S. Darevsky is awarded the I.I. Mechnikov Prize for a series of works "The origin and role of natural parthenogenesis in higher vertebrates."
• 1988 Dr. V.M. Koltun is elected Member of the Linnean Society (Great Britain) for his long-term contribution in the study of the ecology and systematics of sponges.
• 1988 I.S. Darevsky is elected the International Herpetologist's League "Distinguished Herpetologist."
• 1989 I.S. Darevsky is elected Honorary Member of the American Society of Zoologists.
• 1989 The Laboratory of Parasitic Worms, headed by Dr. O.N. Pugachev is organized.
• 1989 The Laboratory of Brackish Water Biology and Nature Studies of the Aral Sea, headed by Dr. N.V. Aladin, is established.
• 1989 The Information Group is organized.
• 1990 The group "Biosystematic Bases of Beneficial Insect Introduction," headed by V.F. Zaitzev, is organized.
• 1990 Prof. A.F. Alimov is elected Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1991 Prof. G.S. Medvedev is awarded the title "Honored Scientist of RSFSR" for services in research and teaching activity.
• 1991 Beginning of transportation of the Institute's collections preserved in alcohol to the special repository in Shuvalovo.
• 1991 A number of the Institute's laboratories moved to the building located at Angliiskii Prospekt 32.
• 1991 The establishment of the All-Union Malacological Society and the election of Prof. Ya.I. Starobogatov as its first President.
• 1991 Prof. G.S. Medvedev is awarded the title "Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation" for meritorious scientific and teaching activities.
• 1991 A.F. Alimov is elected President of the All-Union Hydrobiological Society.
• 1992 On March 5 Prof. M.A. Kozlov is elected Academician of the Chuvash Republic Academy of Sciences.
• 1992 On June 11 Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences O.A. Scarlato is elected Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
• 1992 Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.P. Andriashev is awarded the L.S. Berg Prize for a series of works "Ichthyofauna of the Arctic and Antarctic (Taxonomy, biogeography, and origin)."
• 1993 Work on the study of biodiversity of invertebrates is initiated. The First International Conference on the Study of Biological Diversity of Terrestrial and Aquatic Invertebrates is held.
• 1993 Dr. N.A. Filippova is awarded the E.N. Pavlovsky Gold Medal for a series of works on bloodsucking ticks.
• 1993 The establishment of the Parasitological Society at the Russian Academy of Sciences; election of Prof. A.N. Alexeev as its first president.
• 1993 Publication of the journal "Zoosystematica Rossica" in English is begun; the first volume of the journal is published.
• 1994 Yu.S. Balashov is elected Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
• 1994 Dr. A.V. Gusev is awarded the title of Honored Professor by the Soros Foundation (ISF).
• 1994 The Laboratory "Biosystematic Bases of Beneficial Insect Introduction" is formed on the basis of its precursor, the group "Biosystematic Bases of Beneficial Insect Introduction."
• 1994 A.P. Andriashev, G.S. Medvedev, Ya.I. Starobogatov, V.R. Dolnik, O.L. Kryzhanovsky, O.M. Ivanova-Kazas, and V.I. Tobias are elected members of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.
• 1994 A.P. Andriashev, N.G. Bregetova, I.M. Gromov, O.M. Ivanova-Kazas, V.M. Korovina, and E.F. Sosnina are awarded the title of Honored Professor by the Soros Foundation (ISF).
• 1994 Academician and Institute Director O.A. Scarlato dies unexpectedly; A.F. Alimov is appointed Acting Director of the Zoological Institute.
• 1995 A.F. Alimov is appointed Director of the Zoological Institute.
• 1995 I.S. Darevsky is elected Honorary Member of the European Herpetological Society.