The Geological and Mineralogical Museum of the I.G. Volkodav Adyghe State University has been opened after the reconstruction

The opening was timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the museum. The ceremony was attended by the Director of the Research Institute of Complex Problems of the University Rashid Hounagov, the director of the Department of Research Initiatives of ASU Elena Koukva, the head of the Museum Yanina Volkoduv, teachers and students. 

Rashid Hounagov said: "Congratulations to everyone on this event. Universities are the keepers of information, knowledge and traditions. Igor Georgievich Volkodav has moved to Maykop and it is very important for us. He was obsessed with his favorite thing and collected a rich collection of minerals. Each university dreams of such a collection. I hope the Museum will be included in the region tourist routes. I believe the collection will be of interest to scientists, students and also to the widest audience as well”

The Museum has a unique collection of minerals. There are about eight thousand exhibits throughout Russia in its storerooms. The Museum can boast the richest collection of minerals in Adygheya. You can see adygeyit, a stone named after Adygheya exposition. Adygeyit has been discovered on the territory of Adygheya. At first it was considered serpentine, but later it turned out that adygeyit is more durable, so they used to make ancient axes from it.

Igor Georgievich Volkoduv began collecting stones when he worked as a geologist in Yakutia in the 50s. In 1993, he moved to Adygheya and began teaching at the University. The Professor, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences I.G. Volkoduv has collected the part of the collection with students during field practices. Also, a lot of minerals he bought with his own money. Some of the exhibits have been presented by Professor’s colleagues from the Urals and Karelia and by Maxim Bogatyrev, a famous traveler from our Republic. The collection continues to be replenished today. For example, this year the Museum was presented with several copies of charoite from Yakutia. This stone is considered a symbol of Russia, since its deposit is only in our country.

They have been dreaming about moving the Museum since 1997. The minerals have been located in the University basement. Instead of shelves, the furniture of the military department was used.

A few years ago, ASU allocated a new, more spacious room, funds for the repair and renovation of furniture. New cabinets, showcases and shelving were designed according to an individual project. All requirements were taken into account, first of all, reliability because many exhibits have a heavy weight, some reach 37-40 kilograms.

The museum is designed for visitors of all ages. It was necessary to arrange the exhibits in such a way that the elementary schoolchildren could have a good look at the natural geological riches. Much attention was paid to lighting so that it was possible to evaluate the transparency and the play of light of minerals. Students of several faculties helped with the relocation, since the total weight of the minerals is calculated in tons.

According to Yanina Volkoduv, the Museum will have photos about the history of the museum and its creators. Media support is also planned so that films about geology can be shown. There are ideas about the development of field classes, virtual expositions and a mobile application for schoolchildren, where they can see the history of the Museum and its exhibits. That application is being developed by the students of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science of Adyghe State University.