The Earth Science Museum at Moscow State University, Moscow

Tens of thousands of exhibits on some 300 stands cover all aspects of geology, palaeontology, physical geography, soil science and ecology. The most salient ones are a giant rock crystal with a landscape-like pattern in it, pieces of, 'black smokers' from the ocean floor, samples of moon rock brought by unmanned Soviet missions in the 1970s and fragments of the enormous Sikhote-Alin iron meteorite which slammed into Russia's Far East in 1947. There are exhibitions on seismism, volcanism and the status of the natural environment in Russia, Moscow and the Region of Moscow. The collection here includes numerous oil paintings of Earth-related phenomena and a sculptural gallery of Russian scientists who prominently contributed to the study of planet earth. The museum offers lecture tours in Russian and in English. Admission to it is in groups on pre-arranged basis only.