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| entrance of the zoo in 1870s |
One of
the oldest zoo in Russia was founded in 1865 by the Prussian of Dutch
origin Julius Gebrardt and his wife Sofia, at that time as a private zoo
on the gratis rented Tsarist land. In the early years there were:
tigers, lions, bears, small carnivores, parrots, waterfowl etc. Later
also leopards, hyenas, "Tibetan cats", sloths, armadillos and small
marsupials (first young of Petersburg zoo was "marsupial rat") and
number of birds.
In 1871, Sofia became a
widow and two years later he remarried to E. A. Rost, through which a
new phase of the zoo began. First of all Rost supplemented the
collection of animals by purchase from Carl Hagenbeck, repaired all
buildings and equipment etc. At that time, the zoo had about 200 species
and 1200 specimens of animals. In 1879, an ethnographic exhibitions were
implemented (later known from Hagenbeck's Tierpark in Hamburg) -
temporary ethnographic exhibitions with indigenous people and foreigners
from various places of the world, in national costumes, with weapons,
household articles, their culture and traditions as well as animals.
Popular were ethno exhibitions of Nubians, Cafres, Pygmies, Senegalese
etc. (5 -6 thousand people, but sometimes even 20 thousands visited the
exhibition during one day!!!). Rost got to Petersburg animals which were
unknown for Russia to that time... giraffes, chimpanzees, orangutans,
anteaters... Some animals were donated by Tsars or Princes (elephants,
polar bears). Rost also implemented the study of animal breeding and
detailed records about course of breeding of some animals (eg hippos).
53 species of animals reproduced to end of the century (including
kangaroos, brushtail possums, slow lorises, hyenas...), birds were
hatched in incubators. Each year,a printed guide was published (1890
even also in German - for the 25th anniversary). Dead animals were given
to collection of the Zoological museum or Academy of Sciences (which got
even 8 Carolina parakeets in in 1877!!!). Rost (as German), wanted to
build a great zoo along the lines of the German, but did not manage it -
he had to go into retirement.
At the end of 19 century,
a new zoo management (colleagues of Rost) took up. Immediately in
beginning of new century, the municipality cancelled the lease for the
zoo. Began litigation. 26th October 1909, the zoo was leased to Baron
von Winkler. Hovewer, soon it became clear that the Baron has no money
for the lease, someone else paid deposit for him (and soon took it
back). He was asked to leave the zoo, but didn't do so. 31st March 1910,
Semyon Nikodimovich Novikov became the owner of the zoo. It was in a
desperate state, but even worse were animals. When director and
veterinary of the Moscow zoo arrived they were horrified at the state of
animals and decided to buy all - on humanitarian grounds. In late 1910,
the vast majority of animals were transported to Moscow. Baron von
Winkler was forcibly expelled from the zoo and Novikov finally got it
under his control. It turned out that Petersburg needs a new zoo, but
there was no money.
Novikov began the new
season by large purchasing of animals from Hagenbeck (including
elephants, hippos and rhinos) and gradually improved greatly the zoo,
although with an emphasis on the commercial part, ie various attractions
(roundabouts, shooting galleries, three theatres, restaurants, kiosks
etc.). He built also a new entrance to the zoo - very similar (rather
almost the same) as was (and still is) in Hagenbeck's Tierpark. After
the Great October Socialist Revolution, the zoo was nationalized (and
Novikov left to Yalta). State Zoo has become more scientific
institution, but very soon the land (3.6 ha) was too small for it. In
1940, the zoo received a new land (171 ha) at the occasion of 75th
anniversary, but the WWII suspended the plans of construction.
Many animals were
evacuated to Kazan in 1941, but many others died in the bombing and
shelling and consequently of hunger and cold - the zoo was without
electricity, water and food deliveries. The land that was shortly before
allocated to zoo, was therefore turned into gardens with vegetables. The
zoo had to be closed to the public for couple months in the winter of
1941/42. It was opened only during the summer in 1942 and 1943 and went
back to all year round operation till 1944, even it opened a new
aquarium. Throughout the war, also a typical military activities
(patrols, creating of trenches etc.) were run in the zoo. After the war,
16 employees of the zoo received a medal for the defence of Leningrad.
The zoo was in a desperate state, but several dozen animals were saved
and several was born during the war. No one animal returned to Leningrad
from Kazan after the war - already at the time of the heaviest blockade
of Leningrad, Kazan Zoo sent a request for payment for the care of
evacuated animals... In the post-war years, the visitors went admire
many "war heroes" - female hippos Krasavitsa, nilgai male Mayak, vulture
Vera, bear male Grisha etc., but also several new animals. Darling of
the people became the elephant Baby, who came from the Prague zoo in
1951.
Within a few decades the
zoo were repaired and supplemented by animals so much, that a problem
with the small area again came. In 2007, a plan for building a new zoo
in the Yuntolovo reserve was created - it should be 172 ha + 26 ha
breeding station (pitomnik), 80 ha buffer zone and walking park and 12
ha parking (total 300 ha). Only a few small animals should left in the
current zoo.
Author: Roman Hynek (2013)
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