Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

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ZOOLOGICAL INSTITUTE of the Russian Academy of Sciences, situated at 1 Universitetskaya Embankment, the leading research institution specialised in zoology and the centre of comprehensive study of Russia's fauna. It was founded in 1931 on the basis of the Zoological Museum. Its major research areas include taxonomy, faunistics, and related morphology, phylogeny, ecology, and zoogeography, as well as embryology and animal genetics. The institute also participates in making and keeping the Endangered Species List of Russia and managing preserves, sanctuaries, etc. The institute holds the largest collections of Russian and Palearctic fauna. The library contains over 500,000 volumes, with over two thousand items published between 1537 and 1825 kept in special holding. The institute was partly evacuated to Dushanbe during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45. The employees who remained in Leningrad took part in defending the city and involved in the production of military medicine. The institute arranges many expeditions. It has been publishing Proceedings since 1932, series of reports and monographs such as Fauna of Russia and Contiguous Countries and Exploration of Sea Fauna since 1911 and 1927, respectively, as well as journals in English including Avian Ecology and Behaviour and Zoosystematica Rossica since 1998 and 1995, respectively. The institute is situated in the former South Warehouse of the Exchange built by architect I. F. Luchini in 1826-32.

Reference: Зоологический институт: 150 лет. Л., 1982; Роль Зоологического института РАН в изучении биологического разнообразия России / А. Ф. Алимов и др. // Успехи соврем. биологии. 2002. № 1. С. 6-15.

O. N. Ansberg. Luchini Giovanni (Ivan Franzevich)
Universitetskaya Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 1
Зоологический институт. 150 лет. Л., 1982
Роль Зоологического института РАН в изучении биологического разнообразия России / А. Ф. Алимов и др. // Успехи соврем. биологии, 2002 Museum of Zoology