The Ural Mineralogical Museum

Vladimir Andreevich is a technical person (electrical engineer); only at 40 he learned that there are such formations as minerals in nature. He was presented a small sample of polished Orsk jasper, and the accidental find of a small emerald crystal redirected all further fate. Trips began to all the republics of the USSR for minerals, the collection grew, and the desire to show the beauty of our Earth’s bowels to people grew. Numerous exhibitions were held in Nizhny Tagil, Moscow, Yalta, Tyumen, Kazan, Polevskoy, and Pervouralsk, as well as abroad: in Germany, Austria, Greece, Great Britain, and the USA.

It so happened that the museum, opened by our then Governor E. E. Rossel, was forced to vacate its premises in 2016, and today its work has narrowed and is limited to exhibition activities. We participate in the publishing of printed materials (books, booklets, postcards, and calendars) on “stone” topics. Two of our children’s clubs, Crystal and Orletz, are still working.

There are about 18,000 objects in the museum funds: collections of mineralogical samples from Russia and countries abroad both near and far; stone-cut products – tables, vases, balls, mosaic panels and paintings, chess, jewel boxes, caskets; art objects – author’s carved figures of small plastic art, compositions, flowers, and jewelry; bone carvings, a collection of paleontological specimens, and a collection of antique bronze Chinese castings.