Geology and Mineralogy have being studied at Kazan University since it was founded. We should mention the name of Karl Fuks once again as he gave lectures on Mineralogy there. The first researches on mineralogy, petrography and crystallography had been done by professors A.Ya.Kupfer, P.I.Wagner, F.F.Rosen and G.V.Woolf, whose portraits one can see in this part of exhibition. 

The Kazan School of Geology was established in the 1860s, headed by the first professor of geology N.A.Golovkinsky, the founder of facies studies. It is not occasional that special attention is paid to his follower A.A.Stukenberg, who had been working in Kazan for 30 years and was rightfully considered the founder of Kazan Geology School. 

Aleksandr Antonovich organized the first geological survey of the whole Kazan province, vast territories of the Urals and the Volga Region, the Pechora River Region and basin of the Upper Kama Region. Further development of Geology is connected with the names of his successors such as P.I.Krotov, M.E.Noinsky and M.E.Yanishevsky. The exhibition stands represent portraits of scientists, samples of rocks and geological maps. 

The displayed full-dress uniform of Professor P.I.Krotov is the greatest attraction, which was presented to the museum by his grandchildren. Pyotr I. Krotov was one of the first University geographers. "Only in Kazan and Moscow Geography was studied well from the very beginning. Anuchin and Krotov held high the banner of our science" - these words belong to B.F.Adler, the founder of the Geography and Ethnography Department.

The visitors can see B.F.Adler's photo-portrait, his book "From Nakedness to Rich Clothes" published in Berlin in 1923, and his drawings on the pages of the 1912 Year Calendar (the so-called "cue sheets" of the Ethnography Museum created by him). One of the photographs depicts B.F.Adler with his students, among them there is future KSU professor N.I.Vorobyov. 

During the Soviet period geologists and geographers of the University took part in solving the most important problems of national economy. The important role in it was played by Professor M.E.Noinsky, who headed the Geology Department from 1932 and his disciples V.A.Cherdyntsev and Ye.I.Tikhvinskaya. The geologists made a great contribution to oil and gas reconnaissance, prospecting and development in Russia and Tatarstan. 

"Let's pay attention to this small retort - says the guide to the visitors, - there is the first oil, produced in Tatar Republic near Shugurovo village in 1943". University geologists played important role in reconnaissance and discovery of oil deposits in the East of the republic. It was not occasional that next to the portrait of Yevgeniya I. Tikhvinskaya, the first KSU woman-professor, there is her Diploma of Honorable Oil Industry Worker. 

Documents and photographs, published works and personal things of L.M.Miropolsky and V.A.Polyanin tell us about the trends of scientific research and practical tasks carried out by the staff of Mineralogy Department. 

Works by university geographers N.-B.Z.Vekslin, the first professor and head of Economical Geography Department, V.N.Sementovsky and others also played a great role in national economy.