BelSU Geological and Mineralogical Museum Named After Alexander Petin Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Established by the rector, Oleg Polukhin, on March 12, 2015, the museum’s first stage was officially inaugurated on September 26, 2016, during the celebrations for the university’s 140th anniversary.

The museum was initiated by Alexander Petin (1950-2017), the Dean of the Faculty of Mining and Nature Management, who also served as its first scientific director. In January 2018, the BelSU Academic Council decided to honour him by naming the museum after him. The museum’s collection began with generous donations from representatives of the rector’s office, as well as faculty and staff members at BelSU. Over a hundred contributors played a vital role in establishing the museum.

During the opening ceremony, Vladimir Kunilov, chief geologist of the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Plant, donated over 230 samples of minerals and ores, including ore samples from the Norilsk plant – Norilsk nickel – and a rare mineral specimen known as tumasite.

The BelSU Geological and Mineralogical Museum offers a comprehensive overview of geology and the evolution of life on Earth, featuring an array of ores, minerals, and other unique exhibits. The museum boasts over 150 display cases highlighting samples of minerals, rocks, and fossils from around the globe, as well as soil profiles specific to the Belgorod region. Its geological classroom is equipped with binocular and petrographic microscopes to support courses in “Micropaleontology,” “Mineralogy and Crystallography,” and “Petrography.”

For students from Belgorod secondary schools, the BelSU Engineering School conducts classes in the geological classroom through its “School of the Young Geologist” programme, which plays a crucial role in guiding young researchers toward their professional paths.

The museum features various exhibitions, including “Historical Geology,” “Endogenous and Exogenous Geological Processes,” “Stone in the History of Human Civilization,” and “Regional Geology of Russia,” among others. These displays allow visitors to explore the discovery and development of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly deposits as well as various mineral deposits found both in Russia and worldwide.

Interactive kiosks provide virtual exhibitions on world deposits of minerals and systematics of minerals.

Tatyana Lipnitskaya, the museum’s director, emphasizes the institution’s growth into a unique complex:

“We now present an array of paleontological, petrographic, and mineralogical specimens, totalling over 3,000. Our exhibition features stones from various regions across Russia—such as the Black Earth Region, Moscow Region, Caucasus, Crimea, Siberia, and the Urals—as well as collections from Kazakhstan, Central Asia, China, and even Antarctica.”

One standout exhibit celebrating the museum’s fifth anniversary was a generous gift from Russian politician Sergei Mironov: an ammonite shell from the Speetoniceras genus filled with hydrostatic chambers containing simbircite – the Volga variety of calcite.

Additionally, impressive geodes of amethyst and citrine from Brazil and Uruguay enhance the museum’s visual appeal.