Museum of the Kyiv Astronomical Observatory. Kyiv Observatory A few words about the history of the observatory

Increasingly due to developments and 24-hour lighting Kyiv loses the opportunity to admire the stars, not to mention the planets. But, fortunately, there are still places in our capital where you can look at the stars and other space objects, conduct amateur astronomical research, and listen to lectures on astronomy almost free of charge. Yes, yes, you understood correctly - this is Kyiv observatories.

True, we have few observatories in Kyiv - only two. The first is the main astronomical observatory NASU. It is considered the oldest in Ukraine, as it is more than 150 years old. The starry sky is studied here using the best telescopes, such as, for example. It also operates on its territory Observatory History Museum, where various exhibits and materials are collected that naturally relate to the past of this institution.

Everyone can learn about the structure of the Solar System, the life of planets or the gravitational force of black holes, and have the opportunity to attend popular science lectures by staff observatory. Using a telescope, you can make simple astronomical observations of the Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn at any time of the year. For convenience, there is an astronomical calendar for the entire year.

The Kiev Observatory is one of the oldest university observatories in Ukraine - it is more than 150 years old. A museum has been created at the observatory, which you can visit to look at the collection of ancient astronomical instruments, as well as to admire the starry sky through a telescope.

History of the Kyiv Observatory

The decision to create the Kyiv Observatory was made during the organization of St. Vladimir University (now Taras Shevchenko University). The area chosen for construction was at that time a suburb of Kyiv, and the mountain on which the observatory was located was only 15 meters lower than the highest point in Kyiv. Construction of the observatory, designed by Vincent Beretti, was completed in the winter of 1845. The 3-hectare site was lined with trees around the perimeter, which served as an additional barrier from city dust and lighting, which interfered with astronomical observations.

During the construction of the additional telescope tower in 1860, the remains of the burial of a certain nobleman were found; there is a version that it was the grave of the famous Prince Oleg, therefore the area where the observatory is located is sometimes called Oleg’s Mountain.

With the advent of the observatory in Kyiv, an accurate time service was created. Once a week, every Tuesday, Kyiv watchmakers came to the observatory to check their clocks with astronomical ones, the correction for which was determined previously at night using special temporary stars. Only in

In the 1920s, the observatory was equipped with a radio receiver, after which time began to be clarified not with the help of astronomical measurements, but by receiving radio signals that were transmitted by precise time services.

Astronomical equipment for the Kyiv observatory was ordered from St. Petersburg and Europe. The meridian circle (a device designed to determine the coordinates of stars) brought from Germany in 1873 turned out to be of such high quality that the measurements started on it in those distant times continued (with periodic modernization) until 1996. Now this device is in working order and is a decoration of the observatory museum. The first mechanical device, the Hipp chronograph, which recorded moments of time on a paper tape, appeared at the observatory in 1897.

In 1897, the publication of the “Annals of the Kyiv Observatory” began in French, which helped strengthen the prestige of the observatory.

In Soviet times, the observatory was not spared the terror of Stalin's repressions - the head of its geophysical department was accused of espionage in 1937 and shot. The director of the observatory had to resign and leave Kyiv to avoid the same terrible fate.

In the first days of the Second World War, specialists were still trying to conduct scientific work - the observation log preserved records for June 25 and 29, 1941, on these days Kyiv was already bombed. Soon the decision was made to evacuate the observatory - the most valuable equipment was sent by barge to Dnepropetrovsk, and from there by train to Ufa. The observatory returned to liberated Kyiv in the spring of 1944. Fortunately, the explosions and shelling did not damage the buildings, although according to the stories of the inhabitants, shells, cartridges and mines were found on the territory of the observatory long after the war.

Nowadays, with the development of information technology, many instruments have ceased to be used and have become exhibits of the observatory museum. The observatory gives lectures and conducts night excursions - anyone can look through a telescope at the Moon, Mars and even comets.

More low for 160 rub. The construction of the observatory within its walls had a lot of unusual features. Until the 30s of the 20th century. The staff of the observatory consists of only 2-4 units, as well as a professor of astronomy and an astronomer-monitor of little importance to the European world, the scientific stage and the great evidence of scientific and careful work. So the first director of the observatory, Vasil Fedorovich Fedorov, before it was confirmed in 1838. to land the first...

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The decision to create the observatory was made during the period of organization of the University of St. Volodymyr and was transferred to the first plan of development. Even before the official opening of the university, in 1833. A competition was announced “for the creation of plans and facades of a building proposed for construction in Kyiv for the University of St. Vladimir.” A number of famous architects took part in the competition, including Oleksandr Bryullov and Vikenty Beretti. ...

Astronomical Observatory of Kyiv National University. Taras Shevchenko is located in the center of the capital. The hill on which it is located is called Oleg’s grave - according to legend, it was here that the prophetic Oleg found his death from his horse. Apparently, someone enterprising walked along the ancient hill with a tape measure and a calculator and realized that money was literally under their feet - the local space has deprived more than one developer of sleep. But for some reason...

It is curious that Oleg’s grave on ancient plans of the city was often indicated outside Shchekavitsa (where, according to Nestor the chronicler, the “prophetic” prince was buried). Maksimovich was indignant about this: “On the first two plans of ancient Kyiv, newly drawn by Zakrevsky, it is indicated: Shchekavitsa itself and, separately from it, Oleg’s grave. I admit, I see no reason for their separation and find it in vain.” Be that as it may, modern topographers...

Plan:

Introduction

• 1 Observatory Directors
• 2 History of the observatory
• 3 Observatory instruments
• 4 Structural divisions of the observatory
• 5 Research directions
• 6 Main achievements
• 7 Notable employees
• 8 Observatory address
• 9 Interesting Facts

Introduction

Astronomical Observatory of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University(JSC KNU) or Kyiv Observatory founded in 1845 in the center of Kyiv, Ukraine. He is the founder of the Ukrainian Astronomical Association.

1. Directors of the observatory

• since 1845 - Vasily Fedorovich Fedorov - first director
• until 1869 - A. P. Shidlovsky
• 1869-1901 - Mitrofan Fedorovich Khandrikov (1837-1915)
• 1901-1920 - Robert Filippovich Vogel (1859-1920)
• 1923-1939 - Sergei Danilovich Cherny
• 1939-1953 - Sergei Konstantinovich Vsekhsvyatsky
• 1953-1972 - Alexander Fedorovich Bogorodsky
• B. Hnatyk
• now - Efimenko, Vladimir Mikhailovich

2. History of the observatory

At first it was planned to place the university observatory in the main building of the university (as evidenced by the existing architectural designs of the building), but later they decided to build a separate building for it. This task was entrusted to Vincent Beretti, according to whose design it was built in 1841-1845 and officially opened on February 7, 1845. The main building of the observatory was built in a simplified late classicism style and has the shape of an octagonal tower. The main entrance to the observatory faces south. On the western side of the building there is a hall along the meridian with an open terrace on which portable astronomical instruments were displayed. Four false columns with relief ornaments, a staircase with railings made of cast iron, and a stove covered with tiles with moldings are preserved in the central hall of the observatory. The architectural complex of the observatory was partially rebuilt in 1860-1890. During the Great Patriotic War, the main equipment of the observatory was evacuated to Sverdlovsk, all astronomers of military age went to the front, many of them died in battles for their homeland. Laboratories, houses, pavilions for new telescopes were built in 1946-1960. Now, the observatory occupies about 2.6 hectares of territory in the historical part of Kyiv. The main building, a pavilion with a meridian circle, a pavilion with a horizontal solar telescope, three brick pavilions, laboratories, and living quarters are located on the territory of the university observatory. The Astronomical Museum deserves special attention. The museum has about 20 thousand exhibits related to science, technology and local history attractions. There are also old astronomical instruments here, such as:

• a portable telescope made by Ertel in 1838;
• astrograph made by Repsold in 1895;
• meridian circle made by Repsold in 1870.

In 1892, in Kyiv, for the first time, spectra of the Sun were obtained with a spectroscope on an astrograph. Since 1923, solar active formations began to be regularly monitored. Status of the University Observatory:

• On June 1, 1979, by Decree No. 442 of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR, the main building of the observatory was included in the National Register of Historical and Cultural Monuments as an architectural monument of national importance.
• On February 1, 2007, the Expert Council of the State Service for the Protection of Cultural Heritage recognized the university observatory as a monument of science and technology. In 2008 it was included in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. On February 7, 2009, the Kiev Meridian was inaugurated.

3. Observatory instruments

• portable telescope made by Ertel in 1838
• The Passage Circle was purchased in 1838
• 9-inch Fraunhofer refractor
• watches and chronometers
• Merz-Repsold refractor-astrograph (two lenses: Dphoto=24 cm and Dvisual=20 cm; F=4.5m) made by G. Merz and F. Mahler in 1842, installed in JSC KNU in 1845
• meridian circle, manufactured by Ertel (Munich, Germany) in 1841
• meridian circle made by Repsold in 1871 (D=122 mm, F=1.48m) - observations were carried out until October 1996
• spectroheliograph

Modern tools:

• Horizontal solar telescope (assembled in 1947-1954, coeval group of mirrors: 30, 52, 18 and 14 cm) - a spectral installation for tracking the magnetic field of the Sun
• AFR-2 - chromospheric-photospheric telescope (Chromosphere telescope: D=60 mm, F=5.34/2.14 m; Photoheliograph: D=130 mm, F=9.08 m)

4. Structural divisions of the observatory

• Astrometry sector
• Department of Solar Physics and Solar-Terrestrial Relations
• Department of Astrometry and Small Solar System Bodies
• Department of Astrophysics
• Observation station Lesniki (15 km south of Kyiv, in 1957)
• Observation station Pilipovichi (50 km north of Kyiv, in 1977)

5. Directions of research

• meridian observations to determine the exact positions of celestial bodies and compile star catalogs
• astronomical-geodetic definitions
• calculation of orbital elements of solar system bodies
• Sun service
• spectrophotometric studies of formations of the solar atmosphere
• optical and radar observations of meteor phenomena
• comet research
• satellite observations

6. Main achievements

The observatory staff discovered two comets (Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 1969 and Churyumov-Solodovnikov in 1986), discovered and studied about 600 new dwarf galaxies, studied the influence of gravitational lensing on the observational characteristics of space objects, created a series of catalogs of the positions of stars and extragalactic radio sources, developed the theory of the glow of prominences, the role of coronal holes in the generation of solar wind is revealed, the scientific concept of asteroid-meteor hazard is substantiated.

7. Notable collaborators

• Nechiporenko

8. Address of the observatory

Kiev, Shevchenkovsky district, st. Observatornaya, 3

9. Interesting facts

• The Mertz-Repsold refractor-astrograph is the first Kyiv stationary astronomical instrument.
• For more than half a century, the observatory had only two astronomers on its staff: the director and the observing astronomer. It was not until 1913 that the University Council established the position of supernumerary assistant.
• The hill on which the observatory is located is called Oleg’s grave - according to legend, it was here that the prophetic Oleg found his death from his horse.

There is a corner in Kyiv, lost among modern buildings, in which time seems to have stood still. Among the majestic chestnuts, maples and acacias one can see large and small domes that protect tireless workers - telescopes - from the weather. For more than 160 years now, the Kiev window into the vast, full of secrets and largely unknown Universe has been located here.

About the muse

The Astronomical Observatory of the Kyiv National University is actively working and is widely known in the scientific world. This amazing building can be considered both as a museum of specialized architecture, and as a memorial and local history museum, and as a scientific archive, but it is best known as the Museum of the Kyiv Astronomical Observatory. For many years, the observatory has served as a scientific and educational center: everyone who is interested in various astronomical events, who is attracted by the prospect of looking at the celestial bodies with the naked eye, who is worried about eternal space problems, or who simply wants to know the name of their favorite constellation, comes here ...

The main building of the observatory is an architectural monument of national scale; it was built according to the design of the architect Vicentiy Beretti. Work on the project lasted several years to take into account all the then European standards for premises of this type. The instrument pavilions were designed with special attention; the buildings were oriented in the plane of the meridians, deep 8-meter bases for stationary telescopes that were not connected to the main room, and a special rotating part of the dome. Construction lasted for five years, from 1840 to 1845. Much later, already during the years of Soviet power, other pavilion structures were installed, including a retractable roof.

Over the more than 160-year period of existence of the observatory, many famous and extraordinary personalities managed to work within its walls. Initially, the observatory staff was very small, usually only 2-4 people worked here, but these were highly qualified specialists. Both the professor of astronomy and the astronomer-observer had to have a European education, a scientific degree and extensive experience in scientific and observational practice. Many of the Kyiv astronomers subsequently founded scientific schools, and gave their names to many methods of calculation, formulas, comets, minor planets, and details of the surface of the Moon. Their destinies are closely intertwined with the history of the city and country.

The Museum of the Kyiv Astronomical Observatory did not begin its existence suddenly, but arose slowly and gradually, at first having neither a name nor a premises. It’s just that the employees of the observatory have always been distinguished by a very respectful attitude towards the materials and manuscripts of their predecessors; instruments and instruments were kept safe and sound for decades, constantly undergoing improvements and updates, and then were preserved as a sample and reminder of the ideas and selfless work put into them.

The idea of ​​creating a museum arose back in the 30s of the twentieth century, after the centenary of the university was celebrated and preparations began for the 100th anniversary of the observatory. Professor S.D. Cherny, acting director of the Astronomical Observatory, collected materials on the history of the creation and existence of the observatory, even published several publications on this topic, but the dramatic events of the 30s, and after the war, did not allow all his ideas to be realized. But Cherny’s initiative was taken up by the chief computer scientist at the observatory, I.G. Ilyinsky, who worked here since 1908. He began working towards creating a museum even before the war and continued his work even in occupied Kyiv. And at the end of February 1945, when Kyiv was still mostly in ruins, the centennial anniversary of the observatory was celebrated and a small History Corner was established within its walls, in which materials, mainly of a memorial nature, were displayed on stands.

The Museum of the Kyiv Astronomical Observatory received official status only in 1988, according to the order of the rector of KNU. In those years, it was located on the territory of the astronomical observatory and occupied part of the apartment of the former director of the observatory, Professor S.K. All Saints. By 2005, the extensive collection of collected material had expanded beyond these rooms, and exhibitions were opened in several more rooms. An exhibition of astronomical technology is exhibited in the Meridian Pavilion; the pavilion of operating instruments was also included in the excursion plan, since some telescopes installed in the pavilion are valuable historical exhibits. Museum visitors can also get acquainted with measuring instruments in a special measuring room.

Museum exhibits

The exhibits in the museum of the Kyiv Astronomical Observatory are grouped in accordance with the direction of research; they can be used to track the historical development and problems that have been solved and will be solved with the help of astronomy. In one and a half to two hours of a fascinating excursion, visitors can get acquainted with the history of the design and construction of the observatory, see scientific equipment and instruments of different times, and observe spots on the Sun (in the daytime) or the Moon, planets and other celestial bodies (in the evening) using operating instruments.

For visitors

• International name: Museum of the Kiev astronomical Observatory;
• Address: Kyiv, Goloseev microdistrict;
• How to get there: You can get to the museum by trolleybus No. 11;
• Opening hours: Monday-Friday, from 10:00 to 16:00, Saturday-Sunday days off;
• Ticket price: adult 50 hryvnia, schoolchildren, students and pensioners 20 hryvnia.

• Museum tickets: to avoid wasting time in queues, buy in advance on the websites;
• Sightseeing tours: It’s better to take care of spending time in new cities in advance, services