150 years since the birth of Alexey Stepanovich Khomyakov

February 12fth we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of Alexey Stepanovich Khomyakov (1872-1952). His name is not well-known among the general public. Meanwhile, he left a significant mark on the culture of his country since A.S. Khomyakov was an owner of rare subscription editions, hand-painted folios, stuffed extinct birds, collections of tropical butterflies and beetles. These items became part of the Darwin Museum collections and many of them are represented in a single copy in Russia.

As a representative of an ancient noble family Khomyakov owned apartment houses in Moscow and several estates in Tula, Ryazan and Ufa governorates. 

Alexey led an active social life and thus was a member of various societies associated with horse-breeding and poultry farming. With his personal funds he supported the Imperial Russian Society of Acclimatization of Animals and Plants in educational activities. In such a way, he paid for the production of exhibits, took part in a new direction for Russia at the beginning of the XX century – bird ringing, sponsored the print editions and bought equipment for keeping birds for the Moscow Zoo. There he had been the permanent Vice-President of the Ornithology Department since 1899.

Khomyakov collected many rare species of exotic and already extinct birds and insects and had a luxurious home library on natural science. After the revolution Alexey left the Russian Empire and immigrated to France, where he continued his hobby of breeding pedigree poultry. Many times his geese and chickens won first prizes at international and national competitions and exhibitions.

Being unsupervised, Khomyakov collection was nationalized in 1919 and became the foundation of many of the Darwin Museum’s collections. In the year of the 150th anniversary of A.S. Khomyakov we will show the results of a large museum research during which we have managed to restore the biography of «Mister X», find his portrait, learn some details of his life in Russia and abroad. These materials will be included in the exhibition «Museum rarities of Mister X». You will find a fascinating detective story and meet the pride of the collection of the Darwin Museum - the only dodo skeleton in Russia, stuffed wingless squirrel, bright tropical butterflies and rare folios of eminent ornithologists John Gould, John Jamb Audubon, Daniel Giraud Elliott and other museum rarities.

John James Audubon. Illustration from the book "The Birds of America", 1835

John Gould. Illustration from the book "The Birds of Europe", 1837

John Gould. Illustration from the book "The Birds of Asia", 1837

Skeleton of dodo Raphus cucullatus (Didus ineptus) late 19th century