Zoological Museum of LNU named after Ivan Franko, Lviv

Zoological Museum of LNU named after Ivan Franko in Lviv

The Zoological Museum in Lviv is one of the oldest university museums in Europe and was founded in 1784. The museum’s collections present the animal world of all the waters of the globe and all continents, which is not surprising, since the museum’s scientific collections number more than 178 thousand specimens, about 10 thousand of which form the exhibition.

The collection of invertebrates includes sponges and malacological collections gathered by the expeditions of Władysław and Benedykt Dybowski from the Sea of Manchuria and the Caspian, Baikal, the Amur and the Angara; molluscs and corals from the expedition of the Prince of Monaco in the Adriatic, Red and Mediterranean seas; and, from the biological stations in Trieste and Naples, various echinoderms. The entomological collections deserve special attention: butterflies, cicadas and bugs of Europe, the Caucasus and Australia, the Pamirs, Japan and the Far East.

The ornithological collection of the Zoological Museum numbers more than 1000 species of birds, which is 1/10 of the world’s diversity. Unique exhibits include the collections of birds of Ukraine, as well as the collection of sunbirds and hummingbirds gathered in South America and Australia, Southeast Asia, Korea and the Far East.

In 2003 the 9th edition of the Catalogue of the Museums of the World (Leipzig, Germany) included reference information about the Zoological Museum, with annual publication in each subsequent edition. «The museum exposition of the Zoological Museum of Ivan Franko Lviv National University and its scientific collections» was entered on the list of objects that constitute the national heritage on 18 July 2005.

Individual exhibits of the museum collection and the exposition were used in the large practical course in zoology, small practical courses in vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, special practical courses and special courses: ethology, ornithology, zoogeography, theriology, ecology (years 1–5). In addition, the whole exposition of the museum was used for thematic excursions and classes for many educational institutions of the city.

For visitors to Lviv, as well as for students and staff of Ivan Franko University, the Zoological Museum holds free excursions. Excursions are FREE! Excursion days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 10 to 16. Excursions must be booked in advance (2–3 days ahead). Excursions are held for groups of 10 or more.