25 Facts About the Life of the Darwin Museum Founder

Alexander Kohts we know is first of all the founder of the first in Russia museum dedicated to biological evolution. He was an outstanding museologist and lecturer. However, is this all we know about him? Studies of archive documents and photographs reveal more exiting characteristics of his personality, such as Alexander was a passionate collector and scientist, a skillful taxidermist and connoisseur of art, a talented manager and a caring husband. We are ready to share with you all that we have discovered at the “25 Facts About the Life of the Darwin Museum Founder” exhibition.

Alexander Kohts, 1914.

Alexander Kohts mastered the basics of taxidermy art by the age of 12, winning the silver medal at the taxidermy competition for his taxidermied birds at the age of 16. Many years he spent mastering his skills working for a famous zoologist and owner of the best taxidermy laboratory in Moscow - Friedrich Lorenz. The master became close friends with the young apprentice, leaving the latter in charge of the laboratory after his death. 

Alexander Kohts is making a taxidermied bird. Ostankino, 1898.

In this photo taken in 1907 you can see one of the first exhibitions of Darwin museum while being a part of the Moscow Higher Women’s courses where Alexander Kohts was giving lectures on biology. Who took this particular photo remains unknown, however, we know that Alexander was fond of photography himself. His hobby allows us to witness the beginning and development of Darwin museum.

The classroom at the Moscow Higher Women’s courses right before the lecture of A. Kohts on Darwinism, 1907.

Here is a romantic story. Alexander Kohts was lucky to find the one among the students of the Moscow Higher Women’s courses – Nadezhda Ladygina-Kohts. She became not only his wife, friend, and a renowned zoo psychologist, but she as well dedicated her life to Darwin museum.

Nadezhda Ladygina-Kohts and Alexander Kohts, 1911.

The childhood of the museum founders’ son Rudolph was not ordinary. He practically grew up in the museum and worked there for 20 years. Until the age of 7, he was a subject of his mother’s research which became part of her scientific work “Infant chimpanzee and human child in their games, habits and expressive movements”. In this photo, you can see young Rudolph demonstrating to his friend Lyalya “his museum” where he played with taxidermied animals and skeletons as his toys.

Rudolph Kohts is showing “his museum” to his friend Lyalya, 1930.

Alexander Kohts was supported in creating the museum by not only his wife but by an animalist painter Vasily Vatagin and a taxidermist Philipp Fedulov, who were the authors of thousands of museum’s exhibits. The friendship of the four of them survived many decades.

Alexander Kohts and Philipp Fedulov are assembling the taxidermied African elephant, 1927.

During 50 years of work, Alexander Kohts gave lectures to a total of half a million people. Being fond of theater, he used the tricks when giving guided tours, successfully engaging the audience in the process.

Letters – another silent witness of the museum’s life. Alexander Kohts exchanged letters with renowned scientists and museum colleagues from abroad. He also had to write many letters to the Authorities and Josef Stalin personally to reason and to prove that the museum needed a new building.

To learn the outcome of these letters and many other interesting facts about Darwin museum’s life visit the “25 Facts About the Life of the Darwin Museum Founder” exhibition.

Vasily Vatagin is working on sculpture “A Cro-Magnon man and a reindeer”, 1918.