Jurassic Moscow, endangered plants and the evolution of viruses. Upcoming exhibitions in the Biocluster at VDNKh
A recreation of Jurassic Moscow and Cretaceous Chukotka, 3D-reconstructions of dinosaurs that lived on the territory of Russia, and a greenhouse-laboratory. All this will be housed in the Biocluster at VDNKh, Russia’s first and only natural science museum complex. It appeared in June this year, and currently houses two exhibitions, one in the Geology pavilion (No. 31) and one in the Floriculture and Landscaping pavilion (No. 29). Here we describe the exhibitions currently open, and sites that are getting ready to welcome visitors.
Exhibits as works of art
The Biocluster is a large-scale project of the K.A. Timiryazev State Biological Museum. It will become a part of the Museum City of VDNKh. Designed as a center for the popularization of science, the project will reach a wide audience, with much to interest both adults and children, amateurs and professionals.
“Biology includes many fields, including zoology, paleontology and ornithology, among others. We want to familiarize residents and visitors to the capital with the full range of these fields, including important discoveries and current scientific research. VDNKh is Russia’s main exhibition complex, and was originally conceived as a platform for demonstrating the country’s achievements. Here it will be possible to get closer to the research work of scientists in different specializations. Perhaps some young visitors will be inspired to become a biologist, and then make breakthrough discoveries in medicine or ecology. The project differs from traditional museum exhibitions: technologies are presented through works of art, and visitors will be able to interact with the installations and conduct experiments in the laboratories,” said Igor Ryabokon, Director of the K.A. Timiryazev State Biological Museum.
The first site of the Biocluster has opened in the Floriculture and Landscaping pavilion (No. 29). The exhibition Morphogenesis. Third Nature is a synthesis of wildlife and art. It has a number of terrariums, each with a unique world. In one, Madagascar cockroaches crawl around on 3D-printed skulls. It’s a reference to the expression that everyone has their own hang-ups. In another terrarium, Sumatran trilobite larvae study a spaceship that has crash-landed on an alien planet. The Indian tiger tarantula weaves a web among dangling tangles of silicone threads. The exhibition is supplemented with tropical plants such as aglaonemas, cycads, philodendrons and dracaenas.
The exhibition is temporary and will run till the end of November this year. The pavilion is awaiting a major reexhibition, after which the Botany Museum will open. It, too, will combine advances in science and contemporary art.
The second exhibit currently open is 12 Signs of Life in the Geology Pavilion (No. 31). It tells the story of how everything on our planet is interconnected. The exhibition is divided into 12 sections, which correspond to the 12 main properties of a living being, including a unified chemical composition, metabolism, movement, ability to reproduce, heredity and variability. The exhibition features exhibits of the Biological Museum, including minerals, stuffed animals and skeletons, and unique models of fruits and root crops. Here visitors can see a mammoth tooth, the largest egg in Earth’s history, and crystals growing on the human body.
A corner of the Mesozoic Era and a giant hive
Two more exhibits will open this year. The Forestry pavilion (No. 17) will be a portal between our time and the Mesozoic era. In the exhibition The World of Dinosaurs it will be possible to meet ancient lizards and other animals that once lived on the territory of Russia. The journey will begin in the Jurassic period, when there was a sea in the place of modern Moscow. Next, visitors will visit the Urals, Kemerovo Region, Krasnoyarsk Territory and Transbaikalia. The last point is the Cretaceous period in Chukotka. Back then, the climate in the region was quite different, with average winter temperatures hovering around zero to five degrees Celsius. For comparison, today’s average winter temperature in Chukotka varies between minus 15 and minus 39 degrees Celsius.
Among the exhibits are detailed models and 3D reconstructions of dinosaurs. These will include Diplodocus (a large herbivorous animal characterized by a long whip-like tail), Kileskus (the first predatory dinosaur to be described in Russia) and the great-grandfather of Tyrannosaurus rex, from Siberia. The immersive effect will be complemented by the recreated sounds and smells of that era.
The exhibition will dispel the myths formed by cinema. For example, some dinosaurs did not growl, but rather made cries similar to those of many birds. And many of them were not as gigantic as frequently shown in the movies. The exhibition will be supplemented with fossils from the Biological Museum’s collections. The pavilion will feature Russia’s first paleontological laboratory open to visitors.
Another exhibit will be presented this year. In the Beekeeping pavilion (No. 28) visitors to VDNKh will learn about insects. The Buzzing World exhibition will not simply repeat the familiar museum displays about bees and their products. The multimedia space will help visitors understand the role bees and other pollinating insects play in the life of our planet and look at the environment through their eyes.
Live stingless bees will be housed in an insectarium (a special room for keeping insects). And there will also be a glass-walled hive, populated by honeybees. It will extend from the pavilion to the outside so that the bees can move freely between their home and the natural world. It will be possible to view an exact giant replica of a bee and a model illustrating its stages of development from egg to adult. One of the installations will replicate the shape of a beehive, which visitors will be able to walk around. Sounds, lights and special effects will enable visitors to experience the rhythm of insect life.
Russia’s first entomological laboratory will open in the pavilion. With the help of microscopes anyone interested will be able to examine the structure of bees, the flowers of nectar-bearing plants and pollen grains. They will learn how to distinguish fake honey from natural honey, and learn about the problems that Russian scientists are working on.
From fossils to cells
Other themed sites are scheduled to open by summer 2026. These include The Museum of Life pavilion (No. 312), which will form the heart of the Biocluster. It will serve as a guide to biology: visitors will learn about the origin of life on Earth, evolution, the diversity of organisms, the history of important discoveries, and research being done by Russian scientists today. Visitors will learn how experts find fossilized remains of ancient animals and prepare them to be displayed in a museum. There will also be an opportunity to learn the journey that fossils make from the excavation site to the museum display case.
In addition, visitors will see fossils that are millions of years old, examine living cells under a microscope and learn about the physiology of various animals and humans. One of the installations will demonstrate the similarities between natural and computer viruses.
“The Biocluster will have its own mascot. It will be called LUCA—the last universal common ancestor of all currently existing organisms: bacteria, plants, fungi and animals. This unicellular organism appeared about four billion years ago. It will be possible to communicate with LUCA through a mobile app and audio guides. It will be the project’s ambassador, and will accompany the visitor throughout the entire route of the Biocluster,” said Igor Ryabokon.
Revival of VDNKh’s traditions
In 2026, a greenhouse laboratory will be built for the Biocluster at VDNKh. Unique plants will live under the glass dome all year round. Special equipment will create a microclimate in the greenhouse with carefully controlled temperature, humidity and lighting. And the lab will be used for themed classes, tours, and experiments. Unlike other greenhouses, here you will be able to experience scientific experiments in the field of botany.
“Greenhouses are a VDNHk tradition that we are reviving. There used to be many of them, but all of them have been lost, except for the one attached to the Azerbaijan pavilion (No. 14). And in our climate, it’s nice, in the middle of winter, to step into a warm tropical environment. The greenhouse will be just one of the points on an informative ecological route which we are creating in the Biocluster at VDNKh,” shared Sergey Sokolov, Head of the Architectural Directorate of the Department of Renovation and Construction of VDNKh.