The choice of attractions in Moscow is incredibly large. If you need to visit an interesting place with children, most often they choose the Great Planetarium of Moscow. In our country, such establishments are available only in 16 cities. The opportunity to admire the planets and stars is so attractive that many visitors gather here on weekends. In our article, we want to talk about what you can see at the Moscow Planetarium.
A bit of history…
The Grand Planetarium of Moscow was built with funds allocated by the Moscow City Council. The first guests visited it in 1929. The Moscow Planetarium became the first in the whole country. The new educational institution was greeted with great enthusiasm, especially by scientists who understood its scientific value. The constructed building had the shape of an egg, inside it there was a spacious hall for 1400 people. To obtain the projection of the sky, the best at that time was usedGerman apparatus, which was developed by the famous company Carl Zeiss. In the 1930s, demonstration sessions were held daily in the planetarium, and an astronomical circle for schoolchildren also functioned. In addition, pilots were trained at the Moscow Big Planetarium, who were later sent to work in the Arctic.
Feedback
During the construction of the Grand Planetarium of Moscow, active work was carried out on the selection of materials for demonstration to guests. Specialists carefully thought over the main topics, selected materials of strictly scientific content. Several directions were developed that satisfied the mass audience and schoolchildren. The plans included the opening of a library and an astronomical observatory for research.
One of the main tasks was to create a real astronomical museum, and it was supposed to be big. The planetarium itself was supposed to be the final part after everything seen in the museum. However, the conceived plans were not realized then.
Grand opening
The planetarium was opened on November 5, 1929. This date is considered the institution's birthday. The planetarium began its activities with a modest series of lectures. Gradually, the subject expanded. By 1930, up to 40 lectures were read within its walls. The development of the solar system, the moon and its movement, the structure of the sun, meteorites and comets, eclipses are the topics covered in the planetarium. The technical base of the institution was gradually updated with new devices and devices. Immediately after the start of the work of the planetarium in itbegan to create a "living sky". In 1934, stars were already burning on the dome, clouds were running and the aurora borealis was blazing. Gradually, the planetarium became a domed theater.
Astronomy Circle
In 1934, an astronomical circle for schoolchildren began to work at the planetarium. In those distant times, classes were most often held in the Great Starry Hall. Such leading astronomers as Nabokov and Belyaev worked with children. Many graduates of the circle later became well-known scientists of domestic science.
Star Theater
In the pre-war years, the institution literally turned into a real "Star Theater". Plays were staged within its walls, in which real actors took part. Performances of Copernicus, Giordano Bruno and Galileo were held in the domed hall. The starry sky was used for performances.
Planetarium and school
Thanks to the technical equipment, the planetarium has become the only complex with high-level visual aids. For schoolchildren, not only excursions were organized - practical classes in geography and astronomy were held in the planetarium. Students had the opportunity to get visual confirmation of many scientific facts. The cycles of lectures for students were coordinated with the school curriculum and were a good addition to the knowledge gained at school.
For the contemplation of celestial bodies wanted to create an astronomical observatory. The start of construction was planned for 1941. However, the outbreak of war ruined all plans. Astronomical siteappeared only in 1947, it was opened for the 800th anniversary of Moscow.
During the war, the planetarium did not stop its activities. Visiting lectures were held.
A new stage in the life of the institution
Since 1947, the planetarium began to work in an expanded form. In its complex were: the Astronomical platform, the Star Hall, the Observatory and the Astronomical platform. The institution is turning into the largest center for the promotion of natural science knowledge. Every year lectures on many subjects are given within its walls. In its work, the Moscow Planetarium provided significant support to similar institutions in other cities. Employees regularly replenished their funds with new instruments and teaching aids. On the basis of the planetarium, internships were held for polar navigators.
Planetarium and space
The planetarium has played a significant role in the development of astronautics. Beginning in 1960, astronavigation classes were held within its walls for future cosmonauts. In the seventies, Soviet cosmonautics was actively developing. All the most interesting events in this area were covered within the walls of the planetarium. During these years, the institution becomes incredibly popular and visited. The planetarium was well equipped, so its employees had the opportunity to exchange data with foreign colleagues on an equal footing. The unusual building is currently a monument to the era of constructivism.
Replacement equipment
In 1977 they replaced the old apparatus installed back in 1929. The new one had automatic control and more advanced features, thanks to whichplanetariums have created a new product - an audiovisual program. There are many interesting and dramatic pages in the history of the institution. The shadow of universal oblivion touched the planetarium. In 1994 it was closed for major renovations. And only many years later it was revived using the most modern technologies.
Great Moscow Planetarium: how to get there?
The planetarium is located in the very center of Moscow, so you can get to it from any part of the city. Five minutes from the building there is a metro station "Barrikadnaya". The Big Planetarium of Moscow is located at the address: Sadovo-Kudrinskaya street, 5, p. 1.
The most convenient way to get there is by subway. Leaving the station, you need to turn left, at the first intersection you should turn left again. Just a couple of minutes walk will be the entrance to the building.
Opening hours of the Grand Planetarium of Moscow: from Wednesday to Monday from 10:00 to 21:00, Tuesday is a day off. Thanks to a convenient schedule, you can visit the institution not only on weekends, but also on weekdays.
Cost of visit
Tickets to the Moscow Grand Planetarium can be purchased not only at the box office, but also via the Internet. The territory of the institution is divided into different zones, the cost of visiting which is different. A separate ticket must be purchased for each excursion in the planetarium.
We give examples of the cost of visiting individual zones:
- "Lunarium" - 150-300 rubles, on weekends - 500 rubles.
- Big Starry Hall – 450-500 rubles.
Discounts are provided for schoolchildren and pensioners.
Museums
Several museums work within the walls of the planetarium. Foucault's pendulum runs through the entire building. Thanks to this device, everyone can make sure that our planet really rotates around its axis. It is worth saying that this device is the largest pendulum in Russia. Its length is 16 meters, and the weight of the ball reaches 50 kg.
In the Urania Museum, the exposition is dedicated to the history of the planetarium, which we briefly outlined earlier. Here are interesting exhibits that help to imagine how the institution developed. Guests can see models of spaceships, telescopes, projectors and much more. The attention of visitors is invariably attracted by the globes of various planets and a large model of the solar system. The museum houses a solid collection of meteorites.
Lunarium
The Lunarium Museum, which consists of two halls, has become widely known. Each of them is equipped with exhibits and instruments that demonstrate various natural phenomena and the laws of physics. In order to see the devices in action, you need to make a serious effort, which causes even more interest in children. Stunning exhibits are not only possible, but also necessary to be touched, pumped, inflated, etc. The museum immediately recalls the distant school years, when some experiments were shown to us in the lessons. But a lot of time has passed since then. We have lost a lot of knowledge. What you see in the Lunarium will not only refresh long-forgotten experiments, but will also allowlearn a lot of new things. The interactive museum was created so that children can learn the basic laws of nature, astronomical and physical phenomena while playing. The kids are usually delighted with the tour. Where else can you touch all the exhibits?
The museum has a lot of funny mechanisms and sculptures, each of which demonstrates something. To be honest, very often children deal with the nuances much faster than adults. The latter remain enthusiastic about the research as well.
Several guides work in the Lunarium to help explain the operation of some phenomena and devices. If you don't understand something, you can always contact them. Tour guides are students of specialized universities. The hall of the museum is filled with amazingly interesting devices, each of which is worth paying attention to. Therefore, to visit the Lunarium, it is necessary to allocate enough time, which flies here unnoticed.
The lower hall is no less interesting than the upper one. It contains a screen with a webcam that takes pictures of your face. After the image can be inserted into the astronaut's body (something like Photoshop), after which you can send the finished picture to your mail.
Great Starry Hall
This is an incredibly interesting place. You will be asked to take a seat, followed by a screening of films. The first tape is general in nature. It tells about the planets, stars and constellations. But the second film has a certain theme. Different tapes are shown at different times. Schedule of screenings and filmsavailable in booklets available from the box office.
In addition, the schedule of all events in the planetarium is indicated on the official website of the institution. On holidays and weekends, the planetarium is always crowded. If you do not want to stand in line or be left without a ticket, purchase them in advance. According to visitors, the films are very interesting even for adults. Therefore, you will not be bored with children.
Interesting facts
The Great Star Hall is considered the main one in the planetarium. By the way, it is the largest in Europe. It is hard to imagine, but the diameter of its dome reaches 25 meters. All the most interesting astronomical films are shown here. The stunning dome screen creates the effect of a real deep sky covered with millions of stars.
One hour before the film show, all visitors are invited to visit the Urania Museum. It is better not to be late here, as the guide tells very interesting things. The museum consists of two levels, the first is dedicated to space exploration, and the second is dedicated to planets and meteorites.
On the roof of the building there is a sky park, which operates only in the warm season (May-September). Visitors note that after the Star Hall, this is the second most important object of the planetarium. It can definitely be called a landmark of the institution. The park is a collection of astronomical instruments that are exposed in the open air.
There is also a Small Star Hall in the planetarium, which also shows science films. He is lesslarge-scale, but interesting in its own way.
Programs for kids
Most of the visitors to the planetarium are children of different ages. Most often, schoolchildren and preschoolers are brought here in classes for specialized programs. Planetarium workers have developed special excursions with demonstrations of films in accordance with certain topics. For example, children aged 5-8 are invited to visit the theater "Visiting the Astrologer". During the game, kids get acquainted with the planets of the solar system. They are told a lot of interesting things about the Moon, constellations and the water cycle in nature. Older students are offered lectures "Star Lessons" and thematic tours of the institution. Such activities can captivate children with space and everything connected with it.
In the planetarium, to this day, there is an astronomical circle, classes in which are conducted by famous astronauts and astronomers.
There are a lot of options for programs for children. Therefore, one visit to the planetarium is clearly not enough.
Visitor reviews
Given the positive feedback about the Big Planetarium of Moscow, I would like to recommend it for a visit. According to tourists, the institution requires close attention from the guests of the city. It can be safely added to the must-see list if you come to the capital with children. The institution of a modern level with the latest equipment impresses not only children, but also adults. Parents don't have to worry: they won't be bored in the planetarium.
If you want to see more, you need to allocate a whole day for visiting. In a couple of hours younothing to consider, especially if this is your first visit.
Many tourists are wondering: "What to see in the planetarium?" It is very difficult to advise something, since all the museums and halls of the institution are very interesting. You can’t do without a visit to the Urania and Lunarium Museum, and you also need to visit the Great Starry Hall.
If you want to walk around the planetarium without haste and crowds, it is better to choose a weekday to visit. There are always a lot of people on weekends, and queues at the box office are also possible.
According to the guests, the prices for visiting different parts of the planetarium are high, especially if you go on an excursion with the whole family. But the sea of positive emotions and impressions is definitely guaranteed to you. The planetarium is a great place for family entertainment. If you don't know where to go with your kids, it will be a good option. Moreover, its exposition and scientific films are interesting for people of all ages.
