Exhibition Halls\Kazan University Museum of History - Kazan (Volga region) Federal University
Exhibition Halls

The major part of the "Science" section is devoted to the materials on Kazan School of Chemistry, which brought world fame to Kazan University. One pays attention to a photograph of chemical laboratory of the middle of the XIX century. The historians of science called the city "the cradle of Russian organic chemistry".

It was here when in 1842 N.N.Zinin, a talented alumnus of Kazan University, obtained synthetic aniline from nitrobenzol. This reaction marked the beginning of industrial organic synthesis and was a basis for building up and development of aniline-dye and pharmaceutical industry. Next to a nice portrait of N.N.Zinin by painter L.Zakharov there is a small retort full of aniline. 

It was also here, in Kazan city, where two years later professor Karl Fuks, when researching platinum ore, discovered a new element ruthenium, named after his Motherland (ruthenium is the Latin for "Russian"). 

The development of Chemistry in Kazan University is connected with Aleksandr M. Butlerov, a student of N.N.Zinin and K.K.Klauss. 

Among the exhibits there is the first page of the scientist's report prepared for the meeting of German physicians and specialists in Natural Science in Schreyer in 1861, in which he explained his theory of chemical structure of organic compounds.

A.M.Butlerov was not only a theorist, but also a remarkable experimenter. The exhibitions shows dioximethylene, a new substance, obtained by him, and methylenitan, sugary substance produced synthetically.

All the substances of Zinin, Klauss and Butlerov were presented by the Museum of Kazan School of Chemistry. Samples of butterflies from A.M.Butlerov's collection were gifted by E.A.Eversman's Zoological Museum.

As we know, having entered the Department of Natural Sciences at Physics and Math Faculty of Kazan University, the future famous chemist at first took great interest in Botany, Zoology and Entomology. He often went on excursions to the suburbs of Kazan, where he gathered material for his collections, and as graduate student of the University he wrote a thesis "Daytime Butterflies of the Volga Region and the Urals". He retained his passion for butterflies through all his life. Being a professor of St. Petersburg University, he gave his richest collection to Kazan University. The Dissertation by Aleksandr Mikhailovich and the Catalogue of his collection are displayed at the Museum exhibition.