HISTORY

The official date of the beginning of Novosibirsk Zoo is considered to be August, 1947. The starting point was the Resolution of the Executive Committee of the City Council of People’s Deputies. Whatever had happened before is prehistory. Looking back in hindsight on it, one can see that all the meetings, twists and decisions were not accidental, which allows us to understand how Novosibirsk came to the creation of the Zoo. The very moment a thought about creating something new comes to one’s mind is as important as the day when a historic document is stamped. The man who was the first to come up with the idea of creating a Zoological Garden in Novosibirsk was Maxim Dmitriyevich Zverev >>> Maxim Dmitriyevich Zverev. He was born on 29 October, 1896. He lived a long life and died on 23 January, 1996, just a few days short of his centenary. During literally the century of his life, Maxim Zverev managed to do a lot, including the fact that he initiated the creation of Novosibirsk Zoo. That being said, the life of Maxim Zverev and his family was not easy. He was born in Barnaul in the family of an exiled person. The subject of arrests and exiles was the part of Maxim’s life for a long time. After leaving non-classical secondary school in 1916, he worked for some time for Bobrovsk Forestry Division. Then he went to study in Moscow Polytechnical Institute, but because of the beginning of World War I he was enlisted in Alekseevsk military college. In 1917, at the rank of a Warrant Officer, he was appointed the Head of Barnaul railway station. At that time he published his first short story about nature. A local newspaper also published his “Hunting the Wolves” based on hunting expeditions with his father. Later he was to prove himself as an outstanding naturalist writer and publish dozens of books about animals. But in 1917 he had a long way to go before becoming a celebrated writer and succeeding in scientific career. Upon demobilization he worked as a forestry technician in the Altai Territory for a while, and became an assistant to the Commandant of railway stations in Altaysk and Tomsk. Then he sided with the Red Army and was appointed a military traffic controller of the whole Tomsk Railway. In 1920 he entered Tomsk University, Department of Natural Science. Being in his third year, Maxim published his first research paper. After graduating from university as a zoologist, he started his professional activity in Novosibirsk in Siberian Institute of Plants’ Protection. Being an alumnus of Alekseevsk military college and a former Warrant Officer, not once was Maxim under the threat of arrest, but the circumstances and the people around him helped him avoid such fate. His boss Georgy Altaytsev would come to his defense. Maxim was convicted by OGPU (Joint State Political Directorate) in 1933 but as a valued specialist he was allowed to continue working. In 1937 he was threatened with another arrest but some friends warned his wife. Straight away Georgy Altaytsev sent him to Moscow and from there the colleagues from Moscow Zoo sent him to Alma-Ata in Kazakhstan under pretext of “helping with the opening of the Zoo”. That saved Zverev. It was thought that he would stay there only for a while, but he stayed for good. His children were born there and there he continued his research work and writing. Due to the efforts of Maxim Zverev’s descendants, who managed to save his archive, it is possible to form a concept of how he came up with the idea to create the first Zoo in Siberia. During the period from 1924 to 1927 Maxim Zverev, working for Siberian Institute of Plants’ Protection, would often travel to Moscow. His zoologist colleagues introduced him to Professor Pyotr Manteyfel, deputy Director of Moscow Zoo. Nikolay Vavilov called this man a “Russian Brehm”. Every time Zverev came to Moscow, he would go to Moscow Zoo to deliver lectures for the members of the Biology group. He became generally interested in the Zoo work. Manteyfel strongly advised him to establish a Zoo in Novosibirsk, promised to give some animals and was even going to come himself. So the thought of opening a Zoo would stay with Zverev. It is worth looking back on Novosibirsk of the end of 1920-s. It was a very vibrant young town still having a long way to go to compete with the capital with all its history and possibilities, not to mention the issue of the climate. The winter lasts here for half a year. A Zoological Gardens under such circumstances simply seemed a crazy undertaking.
But Maxim Zverev, being a true enthusiast of the idea, managed to find like-minded people, actually quite a large group of like-minded people.

The Territorial Children’s Technical and Agricultural Station started operating in 1933 and offered a choice of various activities. Today it would be called an establishment of additional education. Children used to come there after classes and did whatever was there to their liking. There were classes of plant growing, beekeeping, chemistry and zoology. There was also an agro-botanical plot. The Station was located in the very center of Novosibirsk on the territory of Algambra Garden, at 2, Narymskaya Street. The Garden had existed since 1906 and was a popular public leisure place. There were several buildings where reading rooms, a restaurant, summer theatre and amusement arcade were housed. To begin with, the territory of the Garden was supposed to be of multi-purpose use by various organizations, but starting with 1933 only the Territorial Children’s Technical Agricultural Station began operating there. The Director of the Territorial Children’s Technical Agricultural Station at the time was Georgy Altaytsev. He supported Zverev’s initiative and in 1934 they opened a petting zoo in the Zoology class. Maxim Zverev became the Head of Research. Though the petting zoo was small, with only a few animals, it was then when the history of the Zoo in Novosibirsk began >>> the history of the Zoo in Novosibirsk began. Presidium of Novosibirsk City Council on December, 1st 1934 adopted a resolution approving of the initiative, expressed by the Territorial Children’s Technical Agricultural Station, of creating a Zoo-botanical Garden. For that purpose the buildings in former Algambra Garden were given to the Station. Soon after that there was an article published in “Soviet Siberia” newspaper which gave some details, most likely provided by Maxim Zverev. The newspaper informed that the first animals would arrive at the Station from Omsk. At the time they were talking only about wolves, bear, foxes and other animals typical of Siberia. They also intended to get more animals from hunters and animal farms.
There was earlier mentioning of contacts with Omsk. On July 29th, 1934, “Soviet Siberia” newspaper told a story about the visit to Novosibirsk of young naturalists from Omsk. Omsk Agricultural Technical Station was opened at approximately the same time as the Novosibirsk one, but Omsk had started zoological research earlier. The newspaper article described Omsk experiments on the acclimatization of the corsac fox.
Everything in Novosibirsk developed very quickly after December, 1934. Already on 25th January, 1935 the Station asked the City authorities to allocate additional plots of land and a 12 metres’ wide stretch of Narymskaya street adjacent to it for the zoological and botanical garden. The City Council approved that.
Many years later Maxim Zverev, recollecting the events of those days, clarified certain points: the restaurant of former Algambra was adapted for accommodating animals in winter, and the second floor of it for a laboratory.
From time to time Maxim Zverev informed the public about new arrivals and how they were settled in the zoological garden through one of the local newspapers. Being extremely observant and having a wonderful turn of phrase, he left us invaluable evidences of the first year in the life of the Zoological Garden. In April 1935 he told a story about an agile and joyful she-bear contained in the Zoo. He also described the process of preparing a shelter for bears in bad weather. He informed the public about the arrival of a red deer (maral). He published an essay in “Soviet Siberia” about the first autumn in the Zoo which made the swans nervous, brightly coloured the fur of deer and was accompanied by their roar.
From the very start the Zoological garden began to arrange excursions for school children and in the course of just a few months almost everyone in town knew about it. In 1935 two pages in the City Reference Book (similar to today’s guidebooks) were devoted to the Territorial Children’s Technical and Agricultural Station where, among other things, it was mentioned that the Station was in the process of establishing a zoological and botanical garden where the flora and fauna of the territory from the Urals to the Pacific Ocean would be collected. Also, there was information about what was possible to buy there and what the Zoo-botanical Garden itself was buying.
In the course of two years Maxim Zverev together with a team of young naturalists with support of biologists increased the collection manifold. By 1937 there had been 50 species of birds and 35 species of mammals. In the meantime, Maxim explored Novosibirsk and surrounding areas, described birds and animals in their natural habitats and published his collected scientific works.
The title of that publication was “The Works of Novosibirsk Zoological Gardens”. It was brought out in 1937 under the editorship of both Altaytsev and Zverev. It was meant for the attention of the wide circle of readers. One can still find that book today and see how full of enthusiasm the people who worked and studied in the Zoology team were. The publication contained articles on the fauna of Novosibirsk Region, its economic significance; five articles were devoted to the problems of animal breeding in Western Siberia. One chapter was about crop pests, and another one included the works by young naturalists of the Zoological Garden. Even today it is still a very interesting and exciting reading. A very high level of research work was set from the start. Of a particular interest are certain projects which unfortunately were curtailed or stopped in the course of time, Sadly, nothing of the kind exists today.
There is an article in that publication written by N.I. Loginov entitled “On the issue of Taming the Moose”. Modern Zoos are not in any way involved in crossbreeding or domestication of wild animals. But at the time which we are talking about they had a different approach and it was a programme of state significance in the USSR of the 1930s. There was an intention to domesticate the moose as an animal which had great potential for the state economy. They wanted to use the moose as draft animal because, according to biologists, the moose could compete with the horse in strength and endurance. The article was illustrated with the photo where the author was feeding a tame female moose.
Zverev himself also recollected tame moose. He described a wonderful episode involving a tame moose named Vasjka in his short history (5 pages in all) of Novosibirsk Zoo for a newspaper in 1979. This moose is remarkable not only because he has become absolute tame. He occupies a special, even honorable place in the history of the Zoo. Here is what Maxim Zverev wrote:
“The territory of the Zoo was no more sufficient for all the new arrivals. It was decided to start creating a big Zoo on the outskirts of Novosibirsk. The city council provided 70 hectares’ of pine woods on the left bank of the Yeltsovka II river, including the river itself. On the right bank there was an agro botanical site of the Territorial Children’s Technical and Agricultural Station. In such a way a whole unified complex of that organization was created. In the center there was a small swamp. It was fenced and there appeared an enclosure several hectares in area where they put Vasjka, their first and very gentle exhibit. On the way from the center of the town to his new residence the young naturalists who accompanied him had to listen to all sorts of comments by passersby demonstrating their absolute ignorance of animal world, such as, “They are leading a camel!” – “No, no. It’s a donkey”. Mind you, there were few who were in the know. It was a very vivid example of how important the Zoo was in educating people.”
The route which they used to lead Vasjka could easily be followed on today’s map of Novosibirsk: from the Territorial Children’s Station in Narymskaya Street in the center of the city to the former swamp in the pine woods which is today the swan lake of the Zoo. At the time when young biologists led the tame moose there was still about 60 years before the Zoo moved to its present home.
The pine woods, adjacent to the city, had always seemed to certain visionary representatives of city authorities and architects to be a promising spot for the development of a recreational area. The first mentioning of the plans to create a park there dates back to 1930. On October, 18, 1930 the City Council committed Moscow Branch of Scientific Architectural Society to construct a park. The works were due to start in 1931. Actually, the place was already very popular with the residents of the city who would often go there for walks. In the guides, in the section “parks, gardens, squares,” edit the site as a pine forest – park.
The State Archive of Novosibirsk region has a document which describes the city authorities’ vision of the kind of place the city wanted to have. In February, 1931 the City Council discussed in detail the future park and it was proposed there that Moscow recreation park should be taken as a benchmark. The Park was to be open all year round, the calculation was per 1 000 000 population.
We should dwell on that figure a bit longer. It is known that in 1934 the population of Novosibirsk was 294,000 people. In 1931 the figure was even lower, but the City Council proceeded with 1 million in mind. We can only envy such vision for the future and ability to make things happen. Obviously the City authorities did the right calculations and believed in the fact that the regional center would inevitably grow. True, Novosibirsk became the center of West Siberian Territory in July, 1930.
Let’s get back to the above mentioned document. It lists in detail what should have been in the Park: an exhibition center, stadium, water sports stadium and a one-day holiday home. Under the symbolic point з) listed here it is mentioned that “a zoo and ethno-park should be organized”.
It is not known who exactly made the proposal, the work was collegial. But today the document can serve as a model of strategic planning. Integrating the concept of a large zoo into the main city park demonstrated the ability to see well ahead. At about the same time, Maxim Zverev was preparing his own plans, considering how to implement the idea of a zoo. A few years later those ideas and decisions would join together and become one big deal.
In 1931-32 the issue of Eltsovsky Recreation Park was being actively discussed. More and more often the documents called it Novosibirsk Park of Culture and Recreation, which emphasized its citywide importance. In February, 1931 the city council discussed the necessity to draw up a complete estimate of construction and maintenance of the Park, as well as to ensure “material participation of all interested parties.” It was supposed to inform the public about the future Park by arranging lectures and to create special teams promoting the construction of the Park. In January, 1932 Comrade Shimanovsky was appointed the Acting Director of the Park. He published an article under the title “A Recreation Park to Novosibirsk.” The plan was to open the Park on 1 June, 1932.
But the plans were constantly changing. July 24, 1932 was a holiday dedicated to the opening of the Park. But that, apparently, was only a symbolic opening. The park in the form in which it was envisioned by the architects was not in place either in 1932 or in 1933 ... To be more specific, the Park was there, but it was impossible to build everything that had been intended. The newspapers wrote that equipment delivery was hampered due to financial difficulties - some companies simply delayed the release of the funds for the construction.
In April, 1934 a small article came out in “Soviet Siberia” newspaper informing that there was a plan in place to fully equip the Park by the beginning of the summer. There was also the information that the construction of sports facilities was well under way there. The work was financed by ten Novosibirsk enterprises.
In the city guidebook published in 1935, Yeltsovsky Park was still called “the future Park of Culture and Recreation”.
The fact that there was a plan to accommodate a new Zoo on its territory became known to the public on 20 March, 1936. That was done by Maxim Zverev, Head of Research of Novosibirsk Zoological Garden, in “Soviet Siberia” newspaper in his article entitled “The New Zoo”. The article presented such a vivid and colourful picture of what it was all going to be that it is worth quoting it in full:
“A new Zoo is due to open in Novosibirsk this summer. The preparation work for the construction on the outskirts of the city near Yeltsovka 2 has already begun. The entrance to the park will be from Dusya Kovalchuk Street. In the near future, the place will be joined to the city center with a tram line.
The animals in the new Zoo will be kept in the conditions very close to their natural habitats. Thus, the so called ‘taiga’ part with such typical taiga trees as cedar, fir and spruce will be formed. The room for a “desert” corner and a “steppe” corner has already been grubbed. Antelopes and camels will graze here.
At the entrance to the park there will be open-air enclosures where the most beautiful animals and birds will be kept. Children’s playgrounds, all sorts of rides, kiosks, a buffet, etc. will also be here.
The second part will be a natural reserve. Here the visitors will see the deer wandering freely, partridges running around the meadows, rabbits, chipmunks, etc.
In the third, the most inhabited with animals part of the park, a special building will be built in the summer where a research laboratory, winter facility for animals, an aquarium, terrarium, insectarium, etc. will be housed.
Three large ponds for waterfowl will be arranged on the Yeltsovka2 River, and along the slope there will be pens for mountain ungulates. There will also be enclosures for predators.”
At that time, Maxim Zverev, his colleagues and likeminded people from the City Council and Territorial Executive Committee were confident that all their plans would be carried out during the next few years. The Territorial Children’s Technical and Agricultural Station, having been successful in starting and leading the process, was entrusted with the organization of the Zoo. The plan for 1937 included construction of dozens of pavilions and a pond. It was reported that the City Council allocated 500 thousand roubles for those purposes. The construction of the Zoo was included in the Master Plan of Novosibirsk.
The implementation of such a grand idea would be postponed by decades. In 1937, Maxim Dmitrievich Zverev left Novosibirsk. The city remained without an enthusiast who was capable of pushing the process forward. And then the War began, and the big plans were set aside until better times.

The Territorial Children’s Technical and Agricultural Station never stopped its activities during the War, though the collection of animals stayed the same and there were no talks of an increase in their numbers. Novosibirsk newspapers regularly wrote about the activities of young naturalists at the Territorial Station (which in those years became a Regional Station of Young Technicians and Naturalists) in the period from 1941 to 1945. But all the materials were devoted to their botanical work and their successful attempts to grow certain plants. The evacuation of the population, businesses, museums, theatres, zoos and circuses from the central part of the country began from the first months of the Great Patriotic War. The story of evacuation of a particularly valuable part of Moscow Zoo collection is well known. The animals were sent to the Zoos of Sverdlovsk, Stalingrad and to the Caucasus Nature Reserve. Novosibirsk received the first evacuated animals in 1942. It is known that those were the animals of several circuses and travelling zoological exhibitions (sometimes called menageries). Along with them came circus attendants and tamers. Many of them were desperate to go to the front but the state exempted them from active duty as they were needed at the Homefront so that they could look after animals. The evacuated animals were placed on the premises of the Zoological Exhibition No 5, next to Ippodromsky market (now known as Central Market). That was the exact place where Novosibirsk Zoo would be housed after the War >>> where Novosibirsk Zoo would be housed after the War. Here are just a few details of the history of that Zoological Exhibition. The animals had started to arrive here before the war. There were several zoological exhibitions of this kind in the country in 1930s. All of them were subdivisions of Moscow Zoological Centre. They were all travelling companies, which meant that they were based in one city and then toured the country moving from one place to another. Travelling zoological exhibitions, among other things, were engaged in delivering animals to zoos and circuses from other regions and cooperated with gamekeepers in capturing animals in the wild. Certain activities of Zoological Exhibition №5 were like those of a circus. According to the newspapers of that time, shows of tame animals were very popular with the public. The staff always included professional tamers. At the same time, visitors could attend lectures and the animals not engaged in circus shows were available for observation. It is documented that the Zoological Exhibition in Novosibirsk started its work in 1938, but there is evidence that they might have started before that, in 1936. It is interesting that Zoo-exhibition No 5, or future Novosibirsk Zoo-base, was not in any way mentioned by the City Council in their discussions of the future Park and the Zoo, or in the documents of the Territorial Children’s Technical and Agricultural Station. It may be explained by the fact that the Zoological Exhibition was managed from Moscow and did not have its own premises. It just rented ones from a local public transport enterprise. Besides, the Zoological Exhibition acted more like a circus rather that a zoo, which should be stationary. The expertise gained by the Zoological Exhibition located that time in the centre of the city was of great use during the war years when they had to act quickly and prudently. At that moment, the infrastructure of the Zoological Exhibition was very modest: just a few enclosures, cages and feed boxes. In August 1942, the Zoo-exhibition No 10 was transferred to Novosibirsk from Vladivostok. When all the animals and workers moved here, the new enterprise was called Novosibirsk Zoo-base and had this name until 1947. In the course of one year (from February 1942 to January 1943) 8 employees of Novosibirsk Zoo-base went to the front. They were: Ye.Shabanov, Antyuveyev, Tarasevich, P.Yankin, Antipenko, Kuzjmin, G.Gurjev and V. Maistrenko. Today there isn’t much evidence of how the animals were kept and fed during the War. But it is known that the animals, just like people, were given food rations. So, they did not starve. The rules of food distribution among animals at the Zoo-base were extremely strict. Besides, the residents of the city also contributed and brought food products which were very carefully registered and used. We should not forget that all happened at the time when food rationing was in place in the country at war. It shows how compassionate the people were. During the War, evacuated circuses and zoos did their best not to stop their activities. Circuses toured the country, zoos and zoo-exhibitions worked. They were needed both by children and adults. Shows with tame animals at the Novosibirsk Zoo-exhibition were held daily. Thus, an advert from “Soviet Siberia” newspaper of January 28, 1945 was announcing the performance of a famous tamer Ivan Fedotovich Ruban “with a group of African lions and Siberian bears”.
During the war, Novosibirsk Zoo-base showed its visitors a large, for those days, collection of animals. It had lions, monkeys, camels, brown and polar bears, a tiger, leopard, puma and an elephant. Certain doubts were expressed later as to the presence of an elephant here, in Novosibirsk, but there are documents in the archives of the Zoo and the city of Novosibirsk that put an end to the disputes. They show that there was an elephant here from at least 1943 to 1946, and it is most likely that the people of Novosibirsk could see an elephant before the War. Have a look at this drawing in the newspaper of 1936. Novosibirsk Zoo-base was very popular among the city residents and that fact would play a decisive role in the opening of the Zoo here.

During all the war years the Zoo-exhibition (Zoo-base) worked intensively. They would annually agree all their visits’ and profits’ plans with the Main Circus Management. They would not stop their work for any reason, be it repair works or sanitary days. Repair works, seasonal transfers of animals from the open air into winter facilities and back went in parallel with exhibition activities, shows and lectures. In 1944 the number of visits per day was 1160. In 1945, L. Ostrovsky, formerly director of Moscow Zoo, became Director of Novosibirsk Zoo-base. In 1946, the annual report informed that there were 60 species of animals kept there. That was not a lot compared to Moscow Zoo. On the other hand, for a circus the collection was huge. It still occupied only 0.84 hectares. The place was not in any way fit for keeping animals. Initially it was supposed to be a temporary location, until better times. But by 1946, the Zoo-base had already worked in the city center for 10 years. Novosibirsk Zoo-base took part in the filming of ‘In the Wilderness of Primorye’ movie in July 1947. In the courtyard, which only the employees of the Zoo-base had access to, the film crew mounted the shooting set with fir and pine trees. In such a way, they simulated the taiga forest. In that “taiga” background the film crew from “SibTechFilm” was shooting a tiger, leopard, wolves, sika deer and bear cubs. At the beginning of 1947 it became clear that soon there would be some administrative changes. An audit of Novosibirsk Zoo-base was due. A commission from the Main Circus Management from Moscow arrived in Novosibirsk on August 2, 1947. That was the final check of the Zoobase before changing hands. By that time, Novosibirsk had become accustomed to the fact that it had a permanent zoological exhibition. For many it was impossible to imagine that all animals could be taken away. At the end of the war it was decided to leave in Novosibirsk, in one way or another >>> it was decided to leave in Novosibirsk, in one way or another, many previously evacuated industrial plants and even theatres. The same happened to the Zoobase. The fact that it was headed by the man who used to be the Head of Moscow Zoo also contributed to the decision. The Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers of 6th June, 1947 passed Novosibirsk Zoo-base from the Main Circus Management in Moscow to Novosibirsk City Executive Committee. On August 29, 1947, the Executive Committee of the City Council decided to reorganize the Zoo-base into a Zoological Park. The historic decision was signed by the Chairman of the Committee V. Blagirev and the Secretary S. Valeyev. On September 12, 1947, the City Council approved the final reading of the Regulation on Novosibirsk Zoo. The seven pages of this document are no less important than the decision to establish a Zoo itself. The Regulation laid down the main objectives for Novosibirsk Zoo: popularization of Natural Science knowledge in the light of Darwin’s theory and the study of biology of wild animals in captivity. To achieve the above-mentioned objectives the Zoo was recommended to arrange lectures, presentations, and seminars for Biology teachers, and to create young biologists’ clubs. It seemed at first sight, nothing changed. The location and the collection of animals were the same - it was represented by 54 species. The Director was still Ostrovsky. Nevertheless, there were some differences. The Zoo was now within the jurisdiction of the City, and became part of it. That was particularly noticeable when it came to young naturalists. They appeared in the Zoo at once, in 1947. It is possible to say now that this year the Regional Station of Young Technicians and Naturalists saw its dream come true. The school children who were full of enthusiasm to work with animals, had now the opportunity to be around them, to observe and study a variety of animals, from familiar moose and foxes to African predators. One of the first young naturalists in Novosibirsk Zoo was Valery Tyurin. He came to the Young Naturalists’ Club in 1947 when he was only eleven and stayed until 1950. In his fond recollections of those times he vividly described the life and activities of the Zoo in the early years of its existence: ‘There were only boys in our club, for some reason there were no girls. We were given all sorts of tasks. Since my childhood, I could groom and take care of horses, which was noticed in the Zoo straight away. So, sometimes I was a coachman for Pavel Ivanovich, the Director of the Zoo, and would drive him when he had business to do in the Regional Executive Committee. There were not many cars in those days, so people would use horses. Our leader, Emma Konstantinovna Emikh, lectured at schools, we would often join her and take a moose calf Vasilyok (Cornflower) with us. Then we had yaks. Father was named Grom (Thunder), mother – Tucha (Thundercloud) and their calf was named Molniya (Lightning). We would take Molniya to schools and show it to schoolchildren. During winter holidays in January, we would take children on pony rides or ride them on the sledge pulled by camel named Sashka in the main square of the town in front of the Opera House’. Young naturalists (at that moment there were 17 of them) started to produce a handwritten journal ‘The Young Biologist’ in 1950. The first issue included 8 articles: there was a scientific article on a new highly productive breed of cattle grown at Gorno-Altay Experimental Station, some sketches on forest life and descriptions of a few episodes from the life of the Zoo. Every line demonstrated the enthusiasm, powers of observation and the willingness to learn as much as they possibly could about the world surrounding them. The journal would be issued once every three months. Despite their age, young naturalists very soon became indispensable helpers in the Zoo. They were entrusted with very important tasks and in the course of several years the schoolchildren became so knowledgeable and skilful in caring for animals that they were able to work on equal terms with the adults. At that time the Zoo began the painstaking work of recruiting the personnel. It would take years to create the most effective system of selecting the right people: creating the Clubs of Young Naturalists, all sorts of professional training for the employees and establishing contacts with the Institutes of the USSR Academy of Sciences. At the time, Novosibirsk Zoo employed the staff of only 13 in 1947, and a bit later – 17. Over the years, the number of workers increased and reached 37 in 1953. Even more incredible was the amount of work that was performed by the Zoo in the first years of its existence. From the very start in 1947 they began to arrange excursions and off-site lectures. Natural Science knowledge was in great demand among adults and children alike. The audience of different age are interested in everything: from the origin of life on Earth and of man to the domestication of animals. The Zoo refused no one. The Zoo lecturers travel to schools, institutes, enterprises, taking the animals with them. They do their best to make their excursions the most meaningful, constantly updating them with new and most detailed information. The number of excursions to the Zoo amounted to 600-650 per year in the early 1950s. At the same time the Zoo biologists conducted research work. Everything was taken into account and analyzed: feeding peculiarities, climate adaptation, behavioral characteristics, the factors affecting breeding, etc. Such an attentive and professional attitude very quickly produced results. A good example was the all year-round keeping animals in the open air. Novosibirsk Zoo would transfer all the animals into winter quarters for winter until 1953, even the ones which had easily survived frosts in the wild. That happened because the specialists did not know how the animals would react to being kept at the temperatures below zero in conditions of limited space. We should bear in mind the fact that Novosibirsk Zoo was the first and at the time the only zoo in Siberia. A lot of problems had to be solved for the first time in history. In 1953 the Zoo began leaving the animals in the open air in winter. They started with the most frost-resistant ones - yaks, moose, foxes and red deers. They monitored and evaluated the weight, agility and the general state of all the species in order to take the right decision on whether it would be appropriate to leave an animal in the open air in winter. Everything was done very carefully. In the course of six years, from 1953 to 1959, 50 species of animals were transferred to open air enclosures for an all year-round stay. Cooperation with the Institutes of the USSR Academy of Sciences helped the employees of Novosibirsk Zoo organize their research work properly. All observations and results were recorded and saved. The zoologists wrote articles based on their findings. In 1957, the Zoo began to prepare the first issue of the collection of scientific articles written by researchers of Novosibirsk Zoo. It was published in 1959. The facilities and resources of Novosibirsk Zoo during the first years of its work left much to be desired. The premises required repairs. Director of the Zoo L. Ostrovsky considered the state of the collection to be unsatisfactory. He published an article entitled “Let’s create a Zoo in Novosibirsk” in “Soviet Siberia” newspaper in October, 1948. This is what he wrote then: ‘The exhibition has grown scarce lately. The Main Circus Management (Glavtsirk), which had been in charge before the previous year, took away from Novosibirsk a lot of animals, including the Siberian tiger, the lion-tiger hybrid, crocodiles, lions, boas and parrots.’ Ostrovsky reminded that the Zoological Exhibition had been supposed to serve as a basis for creating the first zoo in Siberia, and the park named after Kirov was set aside for that purpose. It was provided for by one paragraph of the Decision of 29 August, 1947, adopted by the City Executive Committee. However, it had not been implemented. The director of the Zoo intentionally used the word “Zoo-exhibition”, emphasising the fact that the Zoo had yet to be created, and that the animals were doomed to die in the old, damp, cold and dark facilities. Shortly after the publication of the article L. Ostrovsky as a director was replaced by P. Lugovoy. His assessment of the situation was similar to the one by his predecessor. In the explanatory note to the Report for 1949, he described the state of affairs in the following way: “The territory of the Zoo is ill-fitted for the animals and very primitive, it is simply a garage where it is practically impossible to create anything close to normal conditions suited for animal welfare. The building which houses the Zoo does not belong to it. The owner of the building all the time seeks to evict the Zoo from the premises and does nothing to do repairs. Moreover, it doesn’t allow the Zoo to do repairs either. That is why the facilities where the animals are kept are basically the same as they were during the war, i.e., cold, damp, dark, without any ventilation, heating, water supply or sewerage. Insufficient floor space creates overcrowding. Cramped cages and enclosures do not allow adequate physical activity.” The problem of lack of space would remain relevant for many more years. Being located in this particular place, Novosibirsk Zoo, as far as it was possible, was also trying to solve other problems. The need of replanning and repairing received equal attention as the issue of caring for animals by the team of the Zoo. Beginning with 1950s, all annual Reports contained information about new enclosures for particular species, as well as details of all repair works. The administration of the Zoo did its utmost to constantly remind the authorities at all levels that the Zoo did not have its own place, while the leased premises did not meet the necessary requirements. Around the same time a branch of Novosibirsk Zoo started its work. It was first sent to Berdsk, then to Tomsk. Later, the geography of its travels expanded, and the number of mobile branches was increased to three. One ran across Siberia, the second operated in the Far East, and another one demonstrated, as the press put it, “unusual beasts,” in the cities of Central Asia. Here is an incomplete list of the cities and towns of the country where mobile branches of Novosibirsk Zoo travelled: Angarsk, Cheremkovo, Abakan, Kansk, Achinsk, Cheremkhovo, Nizhne-Udinsk, LeninskKuznetsk, Kemerovo, Barnaul, Prokopyevsk, AnzheroSudzhensk, Ulan-Ude, Frunze, Jala-Abad, Margelan, Fergana, Namangan, Kokand and Karshi. Newspapers in various regions of the country called them tireless travellers, and their front pages were devoted to the stories about them. Thus, ‘Namangan Pravda’ (a newspaper in Uzbekistan) reported in 1962 that ‘a team of people and a large group of animals from Novosibirsk Zoo, one of the best in the USSR, could barely be accommodated in eight wagons and on two railway platforms. Many routes of the travelling branch were laid along the river; they would get by boat to different villages and settlements. At first, it was “The Uritsky’ steamer, then ‘The Khokhryakov.” The newspapers of that time called one of the branches “a floating zoo exhibition”. The archives preserved a newspaper report about the first trip by “The Khokhryakov” steamer with representatives of one hundred species on board. It was in June, 1964. Zoologist A. Mikhantiev and a group of young naturalists and technical workers accompanied the animals. “Evening Novosibirsk” newspaper wrote on June 9, 1964: “The lion is not the only predator here. In the evenings, on the banks of the Ob River one could hear the roars of tigers, jackals and panthers”. In 1952, Novosibirsk Zoo started to publish guidebooks. Every new edition contained up-to-date information about the collection, new animals and their new-born cubs. The preparation of materials was very time and effort consuming, but the team of the Zoo considered that work absolutely necessary and gratifying. In 1950s, the scientific biological community formed an idea of the importance of educational work carried out by zoos. In December, 1956 a fire broke out in the Zoo. It was impossible to save all the animals. The Zoo was restored, which required considerable efforts and finances. It was decided to completely abandon the wooden enclosures and replace them with iron cages. Despite all the difficulties, the Zoo was constantly increasing its collection. A lot of animals gave offspring, and new species were constantly purchased. Here are the data from different years’ Reports, there were: - 72 species (230 specimens) in the Zoo in 1953; - Already 92 species (282 specimens) in 1960; - 155 species (467 specimens) in 1961. The animals were still contained in city center. The area of the Zoo (0.84 hectares) was a little larger than that of a football pitch (0.7 hectares). For comparison: the area of Moscow Zoo at that time was nearing 20 hectares. Novosibirsk Zoo in such a state when there were a lot of animals and not enough space for them would later acquire an informal but very accurate name – Noah’s Ark. The fact was mentioned in The History of Novosibirsk Zoological Garden written by Maxim Zverev in 1979. He also noted that the name was used by the Director of the Zoo. Than time Rostislav Shilo was already the Director. Rostislav Shilo came to work to Novosibirsk Zoo in 1961, as an animal keeper at first. At the time, there had been several years ahead before he became the Director and all the changes happened. That time he would not work for long and would join the Army. But the very fact that he began working there was in itself an extremely important point in the history of Novosibirsk Zoo. Until the end of the 1960s, Novosibirsk Zoo continued to increase its collection, making unprecedented efforts into that matter. It worked wonders in planning and accommodating animals, having such limited space. There again appeared an elephant in the Zoo in 1963. Experiencing the problem of lack of space and overcrowding, the Zoo achieved a significant reduction in diseases among the animals and a boost in their fertility. They managed to get such results through the professionalism of the employees and their commitment to the animals’ welfare and care for them.
Everyone understood then that it was high time for the Zoo to move to a new, more suitable place. Especially because such a place had already been assigned to the Zoo. 100 hectares on the outskirts of the city, next to Yeltsovsky Park of Culture and Recreation, had been allocated for the construction of the Zoo back in 1935. Over the 20 years that passed since this decision was made, the area of this site was changed several times. The documents of the City Council of 1952 refer to 25 hectares allocated to the Zoo. In 1965 they decided to build a big children’s kindergarten in Zaeltsovsky district, and for that purpose they took away 1 hectare of land. There were a lot of such intermediate changes. Every director of Novosibirsk Zoo was trying to get things moving, to convince the authorities not just to sign a paper, but allocate funds and start the construction.
Nobody occupied the post of the Director for a long time until 1967. After L. Ostrovsky and P. Lugovoy the sequence of directors was as follows: M. Solovyov, L. Gulimova, M. Lobov, G. Mikhaylov, S. Yermakov, L. Petrov, N. Sudakov, A. Mikhantyev and L. Rif. Each of them had time to understand the difficulties of running the Zoo, when it was necessary not only to keep and support the animals, but also to do research work and receive visitors.
Constantly reminding the authorities that it was high time for the Zoo to move to a more suitable place, the collective based their activities on the principle “here and now”. In 1968, the first building for winter accommodation was fully refurbished and repaired, and the entire area of the zoo was paved with asphalt. Besides, there began the construction of the second winter building and summer enclosures for monkeys, tigers, pheasants and storks.
Only Rostislav Shilo would manage to transfer this “Noah’s Ark” to a new place.

Rostislav Shilo was born on October 23, 1940 >>> Rostislav Shilo was born on October 23, 1940 in the town of Iman, Primorsky Territory (now Ussuriisk). His father, Alexander Andreevich Shilo, was a famous game expert and biologist. His mother, Tatyana Nikolaevna, was a housewife. She oversaw the children and the house, and fully supported her husband in his effort to teach their children to love and understand nature. The family had four children – Svetlana, Rostislav, Dmitry and Vladimir. Apart from their father, an enthusiastic biologist, the children had another wonderful teacher and mentor. It was their second grandmother Galya. Galina Fyodorovna Dobrovlyanskaya received an excellent education having graduated from Moscow State University. She worked as a Biology teacher at school until she was 72. She was in charge of experimental, as they would say now, profile classes where, apart from other activities, she organized petting zoos. Their grandmother Nadya was a primary school teacher. She was also very well educated and knew foreign languages. With such teachers Rostislav, Dmitry, Vladimir and Svetlana were guaranteed to have a very broad outlook. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the family was evacuated to Siberia. At that moment, Father Alexander Andreyevich was already at the front. Mother with three young children moved to the city of Kuybyshev in Novosibirsk region. When the War was over, father returned. He became the Chief Game Expert of Kuibyshev Muskrat Hunting Management, and was engaged in fur animals’ farming. At the same time, he was also engaged in experimental work on the improvement of habitats for muskrats and waterfowl, and developed biotechnical measures. Alexander Shilo became famous throughout the country as a game expert, and was nominated for Stalin’s Prize for his research work. In 1960 he became the Head of West-Siberian Hunting Expedition of GlavOkhota (Main Hunting Management) of the Russian Federation. The Expedition developed projects of creating hunting facilities on the territory from the Urals to the Far East. Alexander Andreyevich Shilo cooperated with the Institute of Biology of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and together with a famous scientist Professor S.S. Folitarek participated in the creation of Karasuk and Chany scientific facilities. Besides, he was also a consultant in the sphere of biotechnology and rational use of natural resources. Alexander Andreyevich would always take his sons with him on his exploratory expeditions. He carried out his scientific observation on two lakes in Kujbyshev district of Novosibirsk region. For his sons those two lakes - Mokhnatoye and Sartlan – became the places of their first expeditions and first observation experience. They would always remember those trips with their Dad. They went on their observation sessions in the evenings. They would approach the places of muskrats’ natural habitat, their lodges, on a boat. They sat, observed and he patiently explained to them what to look for and what was important. When the boys got tired, they slept right there on their father’s boat. There were always animals in the household of the Shilo family. Later, when they grew up, Rostislav, Vladimir, Dmitry and Svetlana Shilo remembered that apart from farm animals like chickens, a cow with a calf and pigs, there were always other animals. Sick animals would be brought in, they would be treated and nursed. There were also muskrats - father continued to observe them. A passionate dog-lover Dmitry (who later became a professional dog specialist) always messed about with dogs. There were different dogs; clever stray ones and thoroughbreds. Specially trained dogs accompanied father and sons on their hunting trips. There were also pigeons and a lot of rabbits in the household. Pigeons were Dmitry’s favourite responsibility, whereas father would buy rabbits of different breeds and the children guided by him conducted selective breeding. Rostislav was particularly interested in rabbits. Those were their first scientific achievements. Their rabbits grew to be beautiful, fluffy and quite big, up to 7 kg. With such beautiful rabbits the Shilo family won numerous prizes at agricultural exhibitions. There was a large library in the family. Among thousands of books were outstanding works on physical geography and biology. The expeditions, their father’s experience, mother’s support and the fact that all family members had their own responsibilities contributed to their happy childhood and formed a solid foundation which all four children would build their own lives on. All of them chose professions related to biology and animals. Rostislav became the Director of the Zoo, Dmitry - a dog expert, Vladimir – a biologist, the Head of the Bio-Station of the Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Svetlana – a biotechnologist. From his early childhood, Rostislav Shilo, according to the recollections by his relatives, distinguished himself as a leader. He always wanted to be the first in everything he did. It was his leadership qualities that allowed him eventually to become an outstanding Director of the Zoo. Upon leaving school in 1957, the young man went to Kuibyshev Agricultural Technical College to be trained as a veterinarian. It was easy for him to study there because both Biology and Veterinary Science were truly close to his heart and he soaked up the knowledge provided there. He graduated from the College in 1961. And then, unexpectedly for all, Rostislav Shilo deviated from a seemingly destined, entering the High Naval School named after Makarov. As he said later he was attracted by all Navy paraphernalia: a uniform, white gloves and the officer’s dagger. But he very soon realized that his true vocation was not at sea. Rostislav Shilo left the Naval School in September, 1961 and came to the Zoo. At that time, the Novosibirsk Zoo was headed by G. Mikhailov. He employed Rostislav as a veterinarian. In September, 1962 he was appointed Director of the Zoological Exhibition of Novosibirsk Zoo. He worked in this post for two months and went to the army. For three years, from 1962 to December 1965, he served in the radio engineering troops in the Far East. He was a participant in the events on Damansky Island. After the military service, in January 1966, Rostislav Shilo returned to the Zoo and worked as a zootechnician. Nine months later a young specialist was appointed the director of the Branch of the Zoo. For almost three years, he was at the head of the Branch which toured the towns of Central Asia. The Branch had an impressive collection of animals. They would travel from Novosibirsk to Central Asia by train accommodated in 15 freight wagons. A one-way trip took several days, so they carried with them substantial amounts of animal feed supply, including meat, somehow doing without refrigerators. To keep the feed fresh, they used an old proven method. For example, frozen meat was transported in iron chests, layered with hay or fresh grass. Straight upon arrival at the site, the staff of the travelling Branch of the Zoo very quickly would arrange everything: fenced the place, set the cages up and started receiving visitors. There was always a lot of work there, the proceeds were very important for the Branch so they constantly moved from town to town. The rapid pace at which everything developed (as his subordinates would recollect later) demonstrated already then Rostislav’s business acumen and his sound approach to matters. He became a true provider for the Branch. In any town, he would arrange for the Branch to be attached to the local food supply body to purchase products for the animals. The Director decided to increase the diet variety for the animals in his charge and, together with his assistants, would collect wild cherry plums, branches of different plants and medicinal herbs. He continued to actively develop that trend after he stopped being the Head of a travelling Branch of the Zoo. In 1968, he became the Head of the Mammal Department, and in July, 1969, was appointed Director of Novosibirsk Zoo by the Department of Culture of the City Executive Committee. Rostislav Shilo was only 28 at the time. By Soviet standards, he was an unusually young leader. But no one, and most importantly, he himself, doubted his skills, capabilities and potential. In 1969 animal collection was represented by 188 species, 436 individuals. The new Director completely changed the approach to feeding the animals existing at the time. In the spring, they started collecting herbs, plants and berries in the woods. It did not happen just because they were in need of more feed for the animals. Rostislav understood and convinced others in the team that most animals of the zoo required a completely different diet. That experience would later be regarded as invaluable by the staff of the Zoo. Natalya Surkova, who was in charge of the Section of ungulates for many years, gave an illustrative example: “Before that, the practices had been like those of a menagerie, that is a very primitive approach to feeding had been in place. And thanks to Shilo, everything began to develop right there, before our own eyes. I had the simplest section, that is, the animals were easy to look after. But the feeding is complex, there are a lot of subtleties in the nutrition of each animal. Let’s take a musk deer as an example. In the wild it eats moss. Where should I get it? One cannot buy it. That is why we went to the woods beyond Ordynka village to collect white moss, Cladonia sylvatica. Or take a roe deer. In the wild it feeds on 400 different kinds of plants. It is impossible to collect and procure everything but we did our best and concentrated on the main types and diversity.” The Zoo team did this work in their spare time and even at weekends. The amount of collected stuff was impressive. For example, apart from other things, they would collect about 400 kg of berries per summer. Part of that harvest would be consumed fresh; the rest would be used for jam. The same would be done with herbs and plant branches - in spring and summer they were given fresh; hay and twigs were dried for the winter. Novosibirsk Zoo took the issue of animals’ diet very seriously and thoroughly. They would constantly monitor the feeding process and count calories. The results obtained here would be applicable by zoos in other parts of the world. From the very start, the people working for the Zoo at the time noted that the young Director was very knowledgeable about flora and fauna. But, more importantly, he had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. In 1975, he successfully graduated from Novosibirsk Agricultural Institute, and became a scientist in zoo-technology. He never stopped learning, he would read a lot and seek new information non-stop. He himself also carried out intensive scientific research. Later, being already a very notable director of the zoo, Rostislav Shilo reminded that significant results had been obtained in the first years of his work: “My first article in English was published in England, in 1972. It was dedicated to the European otter. We clarified the length of its pregnancy, received new data ... That was how we removed blind spots in biology. Already then the Zoo was the first to get the offspring of the otter, the Putorana snow sheep and the marbled polecat. The Zoo was already very well known.” Along with his personal authority in professional circles, the popularity of a talented leader among the residents of Novosibirsk was growing. By the end of the 1970s, he was very well known in the city. Being an excellent storyteller, he never refused journalists’ requests to give interviews and would tell all sorts of both serious and funny stories from the life of the Zoo. In 1978, Yuri Schiller released a documentary film named “A Restless Post”. It was about Rostislav Shilo who, while being a director, continued to treat animals, nursed young, and, if need be, would even take working tools in his hands. In this film, Rostislav Alexandrovich, among other things, talks about how one day a lion came out of the cage. Similar stories happen in all zoos, but in the case of Novosibirsk Zoo, everything was and is associated with the extraordinary personality of its Director. He was able then to get the lion back to his cage. Besides, he could easily talk the tiger into moving into a different cage, or calm down both fierce predators and helpless young. That ability of his became known to journalists who asked for a more detailed account. Rostislav Shilo unlocked the secret and explained that simply the animals knew him well. Despite the growing popularity of the zoo and its successful performance Rostislav Shilo continued to be active in all areas. The arrival of every new animal meant a new educational course and further research, first and foremost, involving the Director himself. That continuous process included all those who worked with Shilo. The employees were constantly sent to refresher courses, the Director himself purchased new publications, magazines and essays on veterinary science and zoology, including those published abroad. The staff would translate them, study and make use of in their work. In a large interview published on July 26, 1981 in “Soviet Siberia” newspaper, Rostislav Shilo described everything in the following way: “Well, so, if there are no such animals in the wild or there are very few of them, how can we study them? From books, of course. As you can see, I have got three bookcases in my office packed with books. The pages in some of them are falling to pieces so well read they are. There is also another method – we exchange information with other zoos. We translate articles from foreign specialist magazines, monographs, articles from various newspapers around the world. I did not deliberately study languages, but I have already learned enough to get the gist.” The same article, entitled “Not just a Vet,” mentions that Rostislav Shilo showed the journalist letters from the zoos of England, Italy and German Democratic Republic and explained that such cooperation was needed not only for animal exchanges, their purchases and sales, but also for the exchange of information. Initially, Moscow Zoo was the only one in the Soviet Union which dealt with foreign zoological parks. So, in case of necessity all the zoos of the USSR acted through it. Rostislav Shilo managed to establish direct contacts with his foreign colleagues. They willingly responded. The first zoo in Siberia was in itself a phenomenon which was of great interest to zoologists of all countries, and they very soon realized that Rostislav Shilo had a lot to show them and tell. By the beginning of 1980s, Novosibirsk Zoo had become well known in the Eurasia. The press there started to publish reports devoted to the Zoo on a regular basis. In 1982, when Novosibirsk Zoo celebrated its 35th anniversary, Rostislav arranged a large-scale conference, which assembled representatives of many zoos, including foreign ones. In the course of a few days of communication, very close professional relations were established. The Zoo then began to cooperate with zoos all over the world, not just with Eurasian ones. Cooperating with other zoological gardens not only did Novosibirsk Zoo look for new data and ask questions but also itself served as a source of new knowledge and observations. Rostislav Shilo actively involved his team into scientific work. One of the most striking examples of such work was the study of the daily activities of the animals. The idea belonged to Shilo himself. Prior to that, no zoos had ever done anything like that. The main point was to monitor an animal round the clock, recording all its activities every 15 seconds. All the members of the team including the Director himself took part in that project observing the animals 24 hours a day. The Zoo published the obtained data which were of great interest for biologists and other zoological parks. Such enormous internal work was not seen to the visitors. But the result eventually became evident and one could not but notice it. The number of animals was increasing. The breeding index was growing. For example, in 1982 the offspring amounted to 60% of all the inhabitants of Novosibirsk Zoo. At the time, the best zoo in the world was the Zoological Park of famous Gerald Darrell, located on the island of Jersey in the UK, where the index was 80%. Novosibirsk Zoo managed to create most favorable conditions for the reproduction and upkeep of endangered species and the species that are extremely high maintenance. For example, in 1980 a pair of Persian leopards had cubs. The Zoo managed to save the offspring. The birth of those two cubs was an exceptionally important event as the species was practically on the brink of extinction then. The events like that were happening in the Zoo more and more often and they truly deserved to be named “unique”, “one of a kind” or “the first in history”. In 1981, the collection of Novosibirsk Zoo included 300 species already. More than 70 of them were in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The activities of the Zoological park then were not limited to just entertainment or education. The Zoo was intensively involved in conservation and reduction of species extinction. All the Zoos of the world would sooner or later join the trend, but Novosibirsk Zoo, headed by Rostislav Shilo, was one of those who pioneered that noble course of action. Energetic and wildly enthusiastic about his job, Rostislav Shilo personally worked in the sections of felines and mustelids. They were his favorites. Therefore, there were a lot of achievements in the Zoo in this sphere. The collection of felines and mustelids very quickly became the best not only in the country, but also in Europe. In one of his interviews in 1985, Rostislav Shilo to the question of which animals he liked best he said that he loved the felines and mustelids most of all. He also singled out Irzhy, the chimpanzee. He said that he would often come up to his cage to talk to him. Chimpanzees are known for their intelligence and emotionality, which complicates their being kept in captivity. One day the chimpanzee managed to escape from his cage. Rostislav Shilo tried to talk him into getting back, but it didn’t help to begin with. Moreover, Irzhy attacked him but eventually returned to the cage. In 1989, Irzhy escaped one more time, removing a board in the passageway between the winter pavilion and the summer cage. Unfortunately, Rostislav Shilo wasn’t in town then. Irzhy wouldn’t listen to anyone and escaped to the territory beyond the Zoo premises. The end to this story was tragic. “Sovetskaya Kultura” newspaper reported on 12 September 1989: “Irzhy is on the balcony of a multi-store residential building. The free of charge “circus” instantly gathered hundreds of spectators. The Zoo staff tried to appeal to the crowd, explaining that curiosity could lead to drama, and that the chimpanzee in such an agitated state was dangerous. All in vain. The situation was becoming extremely tense, and the policeman was forced to use weapons from an adjacent balcony. Everyone’s favorite was not with us anymore.” The conclusion made in that publication was quite interesting: “There is more bitterness than sensationalism in this story. A unique Zoo is confined to a very limited space. Patching things up doesn’t help anymore. The issue of the construction of the new Zoo has been solved in principle, but that decision has been in the process of implementation for years now accompanied by inconsistencies and all kinds of approvals.” Novosibirsk Zoo had always experienced difficulties occupying such a limited space in Gogol Street. With the increase in the numbers and fertility rates, the problem only escalated. The construction of the Zoo on its allocated territory remained a topical issue. The city authorities would start certain activities on an incredibly regular basis, almost every year. Actually, the construction would even begin several times, but then would be brought to a stop again and again. Rostislav Shilo, constantly keeping an eye on this issue, was doing a near impossible task rearranging the old premises of the Zoo non-stop.
During the first ten years in his capacity as a Director, a terrarium, a sick bay, a feeding center, an office building, swimming pools and a pavilion for warm-loving animals were built in the Zoo.
During the period from 1969 to 1989 year the Zoo in Gogol Street twice was completely rebuilt.
It is important to understand that at that time Novosibirsk Zoo experienced shortage of funds. Rostislav Shilo regularly applied to the authorities informing them that there was no money on the Zoo’s accounts to buy the feed for the animals. Though the money was often transferred into the accounts rather late, the Zoo still timely fed the animals daily, without reducing the portions or diet diversity. The team and its leader did their level best to ensure that.
It seems that, under those circumstances, when the Zoo had just enough money to live on, the issue of a new Zoo and development of its new premises would seem unlikely to merit discussion. But Rostislav Shilo wouldn’t give up on it. He kept bringing up the subject and making a constant noise about it, generally having a hard time trying to convince everyone. He kept going against all the odds and eventually won when others didn’t believe any more that there was hope for a brighter and better future of the Zoo.

From the very start of his work in the Zoo Rostislav Shilo knew about the pre-war plans to transfer the Zoo to a new territory. Becoming the Director, he undertook an in-depth examination of the issue. The only logical reason for the fact that the new Zoo was not built, though the decision had been made in 1936, could be explained by the war. Whatever happened to the project after the war, could not be expressed in simple words. There were too many contributing circumstances and conflicting decisions. The city got back to the topic of the Zoo construction in Zaeltsovsky district in 1949. The same year in October, a plot of land, 23.189 hectares in area, in the woods in Zaeltsovsky district was allotted to the Zoo. That was the first stage of the construction, when the designing started >>> That was the first stage of the construction, when the designing started. The design works were headed by the architect Oktyabrina I. Zhigalova. In 1951 M. Tarakanova, a zoologist from the Zoo, discussed the design specifications for the construction in the relevant Committee of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation in Moscow. It is known that the draft project was forwarded to Professor Peter Manteyfel, the very person who, back in the 1920s, tried to persuade Maxim Zverev of the necessity for the Zoo in Siberia. In 1951 Manteyfel was an official consultant supervising the design of zoos, and no project could be approved of without his verdict. In 1952 the design stage was over. The agreement with the construction company “Trust 30” was signed. The amount of 1 million roubles was mentioned in the Contract. But the money never arrived in full. In 1953, the foundation of the administrative building was laid at the place where the Observation Wheel is today. At this stage the work was cut short. Four years later the next attempt to start the construction took place but again, as there was not enough money, the construction was suspended. It was decided in 1960 to take a more serious and thorough approach to the construction of the Zoo. The design of 1952 was declared outdated. The Executive Committee of Novosibirsk City Council of People’s Deputies decreed that the first target plan of the Zoo should be in place. Such a plan was drawn up. Of all prior versions that was the most thorough and detailed document. It stated that “the Zoo should be designed in a forest area of the northern part of the city. Pavilions, open-air enclosures and other structures should be designed for exhibiting and maintaining animals and birds in accordance with the standard list for the Zoo of second category for cities with a population from 700 thousand to 1 million people.” It was projected for the Zoo to keep 1,650 animals of 420 species. The first target plan indicated that the Zoo needed two lakes up to three meters deep, one — 100m by 50m, another — 150m by 80m. The world’s best experience was taken into account. There were 43 pages in the document. It was signed by its draftsmen — Head of the Department of Culture of the City Executive Committee Krjazhev, Director of Novosibirsk Zoo Mikhailov and the Architect of “Novosibproekt” Institute Konstantin Zhigalov. The target plan was forwarded to “Novosibproekt” Institute in June 1960, but they didn’t start work straight away. Mikhailov, the then Director of the Zoo, tried to exert influence on the situation, and kept reminding in different meetings that the budget was already spending money on the project, not too big though, during the period. Ground rent, design and security – all that cost money. The first target plan was presented in the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. It was recommended that the finishing touches be put to it, namely it be made cheaper. It was said in the Ministry that the amount of 25 million roubles was too high a price. As a result, a new target assignment was formed in 1962. During 1963, there was nothing but talks. In 1964, however, events took a totally unexpected turn when Novosibirsk City Council decided to allocate a plot of land in the floodplain of the Kamenka river near the Tatar cemetery and a brick factory for the construction of the new Zoo. On today’s topography maps of Novosibirsk that plot was in the area where Frunze and Ippodromskaya streets intersect with Krasin street. It was a valley, or low area where a lot of private houses and garages were located, surrounded by city roads on all sides. The idea to transfer the Zoo to this place belonged to “Novosibgrazhdanproekt” Institute. It is most likely that its authors were guided by the thought of cost-cutting, as the pine forest (meant for the Zoo before) on the outskirts of the city was a more expensive resource. When Rostislav Shilo became the Director of the Zoo, the above plans were already in place. The then city authorities wanted to relocate the Zoo closer to the city centre. He was absolutely against that decision and a new place for the Zoo as it was a low area where the Kamenka River was frequently affected by flooding. Besides, it was a ravine where a lot of harmful gases accumulated. For him the relocation of the animals there was absolutely out of the question. Rostislav Shilo engaged in the process very reputable scientists, such as academician Dmitry Belyaev, then the Director of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Professor Dmitry Ternovsky and Doctor of Biology Sergei Folitarek from the Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals within Siberian Branch of USSR Academy of Sciences; and also other specialists from Novosibirsk Agricultural Institute and Agricultural Academy. They presented their arguments against the new place and came to the only reasonable conclusion that the new Zoo could not be built there. All the necessary documents were forwarded to Novosibirsk Regional Committee of the Communist Party (then a kind of today’s regional government). Alexander Filatov, the First Secretary of the Regional Committee, went along with the Director of the Zoo in the opinion that the Zoo should be constructed in the forest area, as planned before, and ordered to go ahead. At one and the same time the design work was under way. The City Council commissioned “Novosibgrazhdanproekt” Institute to produce the Project design. Then the Head of the Architectural Workshop was Vladimir Galyamov. Rostislav Shilo took him to Kaliningrad, Kaunas, Leningrad and Moscow to show what a Zoo should be like. The Master plan of future Novosibirsk Zoo was being prepared then. All the enclosures, recreation facilities and even paths were already marked in the drawings. The project was approved. The location of the new Zoo in Novosibirsk was finally agreed upon with Novosibirsk Region Executive Committee on 22nd December 1976. Based on that document the decision on allocation of the plot of land, 21.7 hectares in area, for the first stage of the construction of Novosibirsk Zoo in Zaeltsovsky district to the Management of Capital Construction was signed in the City Council on December 5, 1977. The Architectural Planning Office was given an assignment to provide the territory with a total area of 52 hectares, meant also for the second and third stages. The document was signed by Ivan Pavlovich Sevastianov, the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the City Council. He considered the construction to be of paramount importance for the city. Construction works on the newly allocated territory started in 1978. To begin with, a 300-meter-long fence was erected. Then they laid the foundation of the entrance building. All that took three years. Then, due to lack of funds, the works stopped again. One could not say that Novosibirsk Zoo was costly for the public purse. Beginning with 1972, it operated without any state subsidies and was self-sustained. It made enough for the maintenance and upkeep of the animals, but it was obvious that the proceeds were not enough to develop such a big plot on its own. From 1980 to 1983, while the Zoo project was suspended, Rostislav Shilo tried to find the solution. On numerous occasions, he had meetings with the leaders of the Region and the City, and also with local Communist Party and Komsomol leaders. In 1980 Ali Alidzhanov became the Deputy Chairman of the City Executive Committee in charge of construction. When he first saw the Zoo project, he instantly came to be its strong supporter. Alidzhanov was intent on the Zoo being built and tried to figure out how to overcome the problem of lack of finances. It can, in all probability, be assumed that the suggestion that several partners share in the construction of the Zoo was put across at one of the meetings of Rostislav Shilo with Ivan Sevastjanov, Ali Alidzhanov and leaders of the enterprises of Novosibirsk. In 1983 the decision was formalized. A Coordination Team which included district party leaders, directors of factories and managers of Trusts, was formed. It was headed by Ali Alidzhanov, the Deputy Chairman of the City Executive Committee. Such shared arrangements were called “people’s construction” in one of the local newspapers. The first stage of the Zoo construction was to be carried out by enterprises using their own resources. As the local press put it in 1983, each organization that had chosen to participate “will make its reasonable contribution to the common cause.” The format was as follows: each company would take upon itself the construction of one object of the Zoo. The country had already had experience of this kind. The Zoos in Chimkent, Nicholayevsk and Kaliningrad were quickly built in the same fashion — when all contributed. The initial list of the participants of the Zoo project included 15 enterprises. Novosibirsk newspapers would regularly inform their readers about how the construction work progressed. Judging by the tone of those publications it becomes obvious that the leaders of the enterprises were in no hurry to fulfil their obligations. Just students, members of Komsomol, responded only to find out that there was nothing to do for them on the construction site as there was no special machinery or construction materials. In the meantime, new arrivals — brown bears — were placed on the territory of the new Zoo. The Zoo would often take orphaned bear cubs. But it was impossible to accommodate all of them on the old premises, so the cages for the bears were built at the place where there was no zoo yet. In 1985 Rostislav Shilo, the Zoo Director, who spared no effort, managed to draw attention of the federal authorities to the problem. Given that the animals’ welfare on old premises was endangered and there was a risk of losing a unique collection of animals, the USSR Council of Ministers authorized the construction of a new Zoo in Novosibirsk by its Resolution No 1014 of October 31, 1985. Actually, it was a clear sign for everyone involved and responsible for the delay that the construction could not possibly be stopped. The newspapers persistently kept on informing the public of the construction. Rostislav Shilo in his turn in his numerous interviews named those who did not conform to their obligations and did not even begin the work reservedly assessed those who did almost everything, but still could not finish, and gladly praised those who stood by their promises. That period demanded vigorous effort from Rostislav Shilo. He did his level best to convey the message to the business leaders that they were building the Zoo not just for someone hypothetical but for their city, which meant - for themselves and their own children. The Resolution No 1014 of October 31, 1985 of the Council of Ministers also logically implied the allocation of money, but that part was never implemented. An article entitled “One Square Meter for the Miracle from Red List of Threatened Species” was published in “Sovietskaya Kultura” newspaper of December 13, 1986. It described all the complexities of the construction of the Zoo in the past 10 years and listed the main decisions. Here is what was said about the means from the Federal Budget: “At long last, last year, there appeared the decision on the construction of Novosibirsk Zoo. The funds should have been allocated by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. However, the Ministry crossed this item off on the list this year. In August, the city once again returns to the idea of shared partnership in the construction...”. In mid-August 1986 the issue of approval of the date of formal commissioning of the Zoo was brought up at the meeting of the City Executive Committee. The final ruling stated the date of September 20, 1986. By that time most of the pavilions had to submitted for the approval by Acceptance Committee. However, the plan was not to be implemented. Zayeltsovsky district Committee of the Communist party was to interact directly with the plants which participated in the construction. The Second Secretary of the District Committee Ivan Indinok was to supervise the Zoo construction. Later he became the first elected Mayor of Novosibirsk. From the very start he was involved in that large-scale project, and then, throughout his career, would help in all possible ways. Ivan Indinok had weekly meetings with the heads of the plants, participants of the construction. Those meetings were held on the territory of the Zoo. There was a detailed debrief on every cage and enclosure. Rostislav Shilo demanded the highest possible standard of execution. Whatever had flaws was redone on the spot and nothing was left “for later”. The builders themselves over time fully realized how justified such meticulousness was. Later the people from the enterprises involved in the construction were really proud of the work they had done. The first enclosures to be opened in 1987 were the ones for the kulans and ungulates. The Zoo Director immediately ordered to transfer the animals. The markhors and kulans were the first to be brought in. To do this they used special cages where the animals were lured, the cages were put on trucks, covered with sheets and driven to the new residence. Kulans were particularly happy to move. The camels and ponies were transferred to the place of their new residence not on trucks but by their own efforts. So that it could be done smoothly, the workers of the section of ungulates arranged for the transfer to happen early in the morning at 5 o’clock when the city was still asleep and there were practically no cars in the streets. The caravan of animals and people slowly went to their new territory. The largest animals were in the section of ungulates. The difference in the quality of conditions on the old premises and conditions at the new location could be best illustrated by the figures: the area for the ungulates at 15 Gogol Street totaled 634 square meters, their territory at the new Zoo amounted to 24 000 square meters. Their spacious enclosures also contained comfortable winter housing. There was natural soil, grass, small bushes and trees inside the enclosures. At that time, there were still no kitchen facilities in the new Zoo. The food for the animals was brought from the old Zoo. The Zoo also faced transport problems, so quite often they would use horses to get to new premises. Such was an inconvenient routine of work which the Zoo had to follow for several years. In the meantime, more and more animals were transported to their new address straight after the opening of new enclosures. In 1987 they got to grips with a tough problem of the kindergarten which happened to be on the territory of the new Zoo. It belonged to “Isomer” plant. The Executive Committee of Novosibirsk City Council took the decision to construct a new kindergarten for “Isomer” at a different place and hand in its old building to the Zoo. Three years later that small building would become a winter pavilion for warmloving animals. In 1988 the zoo keeps 301 animal species, 911 individuals. Seven large life-size dinosaur sculptures were put on the territory of Novosibirsk Zoo in 1988. The idea belonged to Rostislav Shilo; he knew that prehistoric animals were interesting to all and encouraged that interest. The giant figures were created by sculptors G. Dergaj, S. Pikulik and V. Kuznetsov. Now, after the installation of the sculptures, the guides when talking about the history of Novosibirsk Zoo, can use a beautiful, though not exactly true, phrase -”the first to appear here were dinosaurs”. The list of the companies involved in the construction of the Zoo was constantly expanding; still now and again the work was stopped. Big changes took place in the country then; it was the time of perestroika. Financing of many projects was reconsidered and decreased. Then it was getting harder and harder not only to build new facilities, but also to maintain already existing ones. When because of lack of money the Zoo failed to pay the communal charges on time, it was threatened with a power cut or delays in heating supply. Rostislav Shilo explained that they could not possibly treat the Zoo in such a fashion, the place where the animals lived. He stressed that even a demonstrative power cut just for one day could be fatal for the animals. As to the matter of the Zoo construction, Rostislav Shilo continued to persuade and seek support from the local authorities and businesses. In 1988, he had to announce to the journalists that if the situation was not changed, the collection of animals would have to be sold. The arguments that were voiced by the Director of the Zoological Park impressed those who made decisions. The process still went on, although not fast enough. Renewed plans of the completion of the construction had not been implemented by 1989. However, more and more new enclosures were opened, and the Zoo workers still carried on regularly transferring the animals to their new residence. In 1990 the new completion date for the construction of the first stage and the opening of the Zoo was set. The decision of the Executive Committee of Novosibirsk City Council of November 1, 1990 gave a detailed description of what was to be done. Among other things, such issues as arranging security of the construction site, demolition of private houses in 2 Yeltsovka street and developing the engineering infrastructure were included there. The Zoo was not opened on the fixed date. The construction continued. 55 enclosures had been created by 1991: 5 for the ungulates, 5 for the wolves, 16 for the mustelids, 5 for small canids and 24 for the birds. The enclosures were all different in size, configuration or type of housing. The Zoo dismissed the old concept of identical enclosures. Rostislav Shilo, together with the architect Vladimir Galjamov displayed excellent attention to detail working on every object. They took into consideration the size of an animal and all its requirements. For all the enclosures, apart from the housing, they worked out certain additional elements. For example, rocks for markhors; raised benches and logs for the felids, etc. It was a matter of principle for them to preserve all existing pine trees. So, all the enclosures were built around the trees. That contributed to additional conservation of natural environment. The wishes and requirements of the Zoo employees were also taken into account when developing new enclosures. A system of adjacent enclosures, latching mechanisms inside the housing facilities and shelters made it possible for the workers to block the animals and clean the enclosures or examine the young. The facilities of the old Zoo did not give such a possibility, which significantly complicated the work. The Zoo continued to move its collection to a new territory. It was a difficult and troublesome undertaking. The Zoo did not use any tranquilizers to immobilize the animals – it was too risky. Therefore, all the animals, large or small, had to be lured, talked into or made to go into the cage. Very rarely did the animals go into the cage willingly, just out of curiosity. More often than not it was necessary to make a special effort. As a rule, a dainty would work. They would put a mouthwatering piece of meat or fish, or a juicy fruit, depending on the tastes of the animal, and then the animal would go. There were no problems with the transfer of wolves or lynx, as they knew the members of the Zoo staff, obeyed them, and with them everything went quite fast. But at times neither treats nor persuasion worked. For example, with wild goats the Zoo staff would spend hours on and in vain trying to get them inside the cage. Eventually it was decided to use a cowboy method: they roped them by their horns and pulled them into the cage. “Amur”, the tiger, also wouldn’t go into the cage. The workers from different sections tried all sorts of things They talked him into going, made noises, tempted him with mouth-watering food, but the stubborn tiger flatly refused to do what he was told to do. It was decided to call for the Director, so that he could decide. Rostislav Shilo came up to the cage with a tiger, said something and the tiger very swiftly hurried into the temporary cage. This amazing episode from the history of the Zoo was retained in a footage from newsreels and the witnesses of that happening would always have the proof that they didn’t exaggerate or made anything up. The Director of the Zoo himself would quite often transport the animals from Gogol Street to the new location. After the transfer of the ungulates, canids, and birds, they proceeded with the mustelids, small felids and leopards. At the time the collection of felids and mustelids in Novosibirsk Zoo was already known all over the world. The animals which normally bred in captivity very rarely or never, would bear young here. The collection was increasing from year to year. For example, in 1988 the Zoo had 11 species of mustelids, and in 1989, there were already 15 of them. All other sections demonstrated the same dynamics which was positive both for species and individual animals. The index of reproduction continued to grow. Each animal was carefully, trying not to scare it, transported to their new place of residence. For most animals a new home, a new cage caused a lot of stress. But it would pass quickly. The animals got settled and took a look around. They soon understood what kind of opportunities they had on the new premises and immediately started to use them to the maximum. The felids climbed up on the logs and snags, placed for them inside the enclosures, and used them for sharpening their claws. A thick layer of sand was put on the ground inside the enclosures for the animals which in the wild dig holes. In 1991, a stable was built and a horse riding club started operating. That was a happening long-awaited by the young naturalists. There they groomed and took care of the horses and ponies, and assisted those who came to learn horse riding. At that time, the Zoo unwittingly started receiving visitors. The access to the new territory was practically not restricted by anyone or anything. Therefore, walking to the place “where there were dinosaurs” quickly earned popularity. In good weather, there were crowds of people there. In 1992, the Zoo set about restricting access, ensured that the necessary security measures were in place and created a Department responsible for the maintenance of the new territory. In 1992, the Zoo also completed the first stage of the works to refurbish the former kindergarten building. It became a pavilion on the second floor of which they housed the birds and monkeys. In the autumn of 1992 the Zoo started arranging excursions. They were free of charge. There was no booking office or gate check system. They were introduced only in June 1993. It was at that time that the new Zoo was officially opened for the public. The construction and relocation had not been completed yet, but the new Zoo had already a lot to show to the visitors. In comparison with the old Zoo, the new one was so huge that the visitors at last started to grasp the meaning of the term “zoological park”.
Until 1999, there had been two zoos operating in Novosibirsk: the new Zoo and the old one. But there was only one team of people running both zoos. The issues of construction and transfer to a new place did not in any way distract the workers, zootechnicians and vets from their main daily duties. Besides, the Zoo was still carrying out research, observation and educational work. At that time the collection represents 408 animal species, 7802 individuals. During those long ten years of uncertainties with the construction, which needed so much effort and skill to accomplish, the seeking of financial support, which was an enormous drain on the time, the necessity to operate on the old premises in extremely cramped conditions, Novosibirsk Zoo never stopped its research activities and only strengthened its authority as a research center. The results of their research were regularly published. Here are just a few examples of the immense work carried out by Rostislav Shilo and his colleagues during that time: “The Methods of Otter Breeding in Captivity”, “New Medical Drugs Used in the Treatment of Animals”, “The Peculiarities in the Daily Activities of Some Felids“, “The Practical Experience of Keeping the Siberian Grouse in Novosibirsk Zoo”, etc. Such enormous amounts of multifaceted work may seem an overwhelming task to some, but the staff of the Zoo believed in their Director and followed him in everything which eventually paid off.

When telling a story about Novosibirsk Zoo and the team which Rostislav Shilo managed to create one cannot but mention the Young Naturalists’ Club. Actually, the whole history of Novosibirsk Zoological Park has always been associated with young naturalists. Young Naturalists’ Clubs affiliated to zoos have always been much more than just entertainment for children. They are the schools which produce outstanding biologists. But Rostislav’s attitude towards the school children who joined the Club was very special. He would call them “Children of the Sun” and saw in them what was so dear and close to his heart – their sincere commitment and love to Nature. Under him the Young Naturalists’ Club of Novosibirsk Zoo became a unique place with inimitable atmosphere and great teachers >>> became a unique place with inimitable atmosphere and great teachers. Children as little as 11 years old could join the Club. At this age, children are fascinated by the world, they want to study and understand it. Their curiosity and desire to play with animals goes along with their willingness to care for them. Therefore, young naturalists from the very start realized that the most important activity, above all other ones in a zoo, was work. One couldn’t delay things here, laziness was absolutely unacceptable, and they knew well that carelessness could result in tragedy. The newcomers would immediately understand and accept the above rules. So, those who stayed in the Club, became part of the Zoo. And even if such cooperation did not last long, still both parties would benefit: the students received unique experience and basic knowledge about the surrounding world, and the zoo in its turn had attentive and inquisitive helpers, even if temporarily. The Club of young biologists would announce recruitment every year. Novosibirsk zoo has never broken this tradition since then. Young naturalists have always been there and busy doing something useful. At the time when Rostislav Shilo became Director, the team of young naturalists participated very actively in the work of the Zoo. The classes for them were held by the Zoo staff and biology scientists. Several generations of young naturalists would preserve for a lifetime their memories about Lev Erdakov, a scientist from the Institute of Biology of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Being an erudite person and a talented teacher, he would take the young naturalists on expeditions to the various districts of Novosibirsk region, Kyrgyzstan and the Altai mountains. Vladimir Mikhailov, one of the young naturalists who came to the Zoo in 1968, says that the life of the Club involved a lot of different things: apart from the expeditions and the work in the Zoo itself, they would meet young naturalists from Moscow Zoo and Moscow Darwin Museum or students-biologists from the University of Tomsk. Biology was so fascinating to everyone, both teachers and young naturalists, that no one ever thought about days off or any rest from all those activities. Ekaterina Kazantseva (who later became Head of the Reptile Sector of Novosibirsk Zoo), is one of those young naturalists who received a great expeditionary experience. She was sure that it was simply impossible to think of a better way of entering your profession. “We followed the examples provided by the biologists, who adored and had in-depth knowledge in their line of work. The staff of the Institute of Biology, who oversaw the Young Naturalists’ Club, readily shared with us all they themselves knew and could do. On our expeditions, they taught us to observe the animals, namely the rodents. We kept meticulous notes, learnt to analyze the data. After the end of the expedition season the work continued. And the ties established then between us all happened to be very strong and have lasted for years.” The 1970-s and 1980-s became a very special period in the life of the Club of Young Biologists. It was the heyday of young naturalists’ movement across the country. The naturalists who came to Novosibirsk Zoo at that time were all influenced by Rostislav Shilo. He would always have time for them. He talked to them about animals, about the Zoo, explained, showed and taught. They were impressed by the enthusiasm he had for his work and were absolutely fascinated by his stories. Everyone in the Zoo was always busy doing lots of things. The young naturalists understood it very quickly, and therefore were not surprised when they saw the Director sweep the floors, remove the snow or throw sand into the enclosures along with them They constantly saw him at work and it was an important lesson for them to learn. They still did not know then that at that very moment their future careers were being decided and that their own life would be connected with that of the Zoo. Olga Leonova, who was in charge of the Felids‘ section in Novosibirsk Zoo from 1976 to 1991, became a young naturalist in 1970. Recollecting those times, she says: “Rostislav Shilo always saw who and how worked, he would single out those who were devoted to the common cause and encouraged them. The encouragement manifested itself in more trust, and more complex assignments. He would never just give orders, instead he would always first explain and show how to do it. We so much wanted to be able to do things the way he did and to know as much as he did. I guess that from the very start I knew what I was going to do in life. In 1974 I graduated from the culinary college, started working in “Tsentralny” restaurant, but after a few months I came to work at the Zoo.” The “career” of young naturalists developed very rapidly. Recruitment to the Club of Young Biologists was held in autumn, but the Zoo would not take everyone. There were too many of those who were eager and willing to join the Club. The senior members conducted the interviews. The new members of the Club were first getting acquainted with the Zoo and given the chance to look around. On Sundays, they had weekly meetings. The process of acquaintance usually took from one to two months and then they would start caring for the animals and cleaning the enclosures. The leader of the group would decide who cared for which animal. The readiness to be in the Zoo for as long as it was required was a common feature both for the young naturalists and the Zoo Director. Rostislav Shilo singled out those who were particularly enthusiastic about the Zoo, animals and biology, and quite often appointed them to the tasks equivalent to those of zootechnicians or heads of sections. He knew too well that professionalism could not be measured by diplomas or titles, but by real knowledge and skills. He ensured that the young naturalists get the opportunity to acquire both. Every year from 15 to 20 people worked in the Club. They came to the Zoo after classes almost every day. The Club’s schedule was thought out to the last detail. The name itself (Club) may seem somewhat lightweight, but the work in it was based on the best university principles: on theory, practice, laboratory work and expeditions. The young naturalists had compulsory theoretical classes. During the academic year experts and biologists would talk to them about genetics, animal taxonomy, zoogeography, chronobiology, nature reserves and the zoos in the country (this is an example of just one course). They were also taught to conduct tours of the Zoo, which referred to the theoretical part too. Practical training included caring for and observing the animals. Every naturalist would remember all their lives what particular animal they were entrusted with first and how they learned to take care of it. Young naturalists also took part in cultural and educational activities of the Zoo. Their mobile group would work in the central square of the city, where a New Year Tree was always mounted during school winter holidays, and at weekends. Along with the Zoo staff they would participate in zoological lotteries, lectures at schools and pioneer camps in summer. Young naturalist would always take animals with them to public lectures. Being actively involved in all aspects of the life of Novosibirsk Zoo, young naturalists grew very quickly professionally. Despite their young age, many of them were rightful members of the Zoo team. The young biologists who joined the Club in the period from 1968 to 1973, could be considered the first generation prepared by Rostislav Shilo. After high school, the most enthusiastic ones continued their work in the Club, studied either full-time or distant at universities, and then became official employees of Novosibirsk Zoo. Natalya Chebykina, Tatiana Shelepova, Vladimir Solovyov, Sergey Kireev, Olga Chastikova (Ryabova, Leonova), Ekaterina Sokolova (Kazantseva), Andrey Shishkin – these are just some of the names of those young naturalists who devoted themselves to biology and work in the Zoo. It was the former members of the Young Naturalists’ Club who, beginning with the mid-1970-s, started to constitute a greater proportion of the Zoo team. They gained sound experience through the Club and had in-depth knowledge of the Zoo. Besides, they could do any type of work. Rostislav Shilo cherished and respected them and was confident that with such a team he would be able to carry the most complex tasks off. Former young naturalists now themselves became teachers for the schoolchildren who were joining the Club. At the turn of the 1970s – 1980s there began a new and the most important period in the history of the Young Naturalists’ Club of Novosibirsk Zoo. Leaders of the Club, remembering very well the way they themselves had been taught, were doing their best to teach the younger generation everything young biologists should know. The Club continued their field work. Here is how Nadezhda Arsenieva (Novikova), who came to the Club in 1979, described what they managed to do during 1.5 months of fieldwork: “In the summer of 1980 a team of Club members was selected for the fieldwork at the research station of the Institute of Biology in the village of Rovenskoye in Kargatsky district. Then the head of the station was Lev Erdakov. We spent there one and a half month. At the same time, there were students-biologists there. Together with them, we set special traps for rodents. We were to describe and dissect them and then to process their skulls. We were taught to identify species by their dental formulae. Then we passed everything together with detailed records on to the leader of research and his students. We also dried brooms for the Zoo animals and gathered cranberries. Besides, the girls took turns being on duty in the kitchen preparing food for all. We managed to do everything on time and right.” Young naturalists also presented the results of their work in the Zoo and on expeditions at city conferences at the House of Pioneers and in the meetings of their own Club. The best works were sent to the All-Union Contest of Young Naturalists named after Pyotr Manteyfel. Novosibirsk Zoo held an annual conference of young biologists in May where they reported on their achievements. It was similar to an exam. There young biologists would demonstrate what they had learnt, and give an account of the work done. When the young naturalists (usually they worked in groups of two or three) were assigned the task to care for, say, fox cubs abandoned by their mothers, they, led by a voluntary tutor, would feed them, observe them, record every detail of their development and growth, all the changes in their behaviour under different circumstances and at different times of the day. The end results of that work were stronger and healthier cubs. Besides, they would lead to the publication of a scientific article. The collected data were of practical value for the Zoo; they were required by the Canids’ Section. The Zoo often entrusted young naturalists with the feeding of young animals. It was a very responsible and demanding job, but Rostislav Shilo trusted his students. They all learnt to feed the animals on time, come early in the morning and stay until late, carefully follow the temperature regime and the rules of feeding the young abandoned by their mothers. They reared elk calves, bear cubs, squirrels and many other little ones. The practice of rearing capercaillie and black grouse chicks can also be mentioned. Experienced biologists know how troublesome and difficult it usually is. Yet, the young naturalists in Novosibirsk Zoo were given responsibility for that. Elena Gribova, who came to the Club in 1982, successfully carried out that job. She would rush to the animals in her care before school and then come again after her classes. With that young naturalists took notice of every detail and meticulously recorded everything, as they knew that it would definitely be of use. The training schedule of the Club included trips to other cities. The members were interested in Tomsk Botanical Gardens so they went there. They got acquainted with the zoo in Alma-Ata, there they also went to Alma-Ata Natural Reserve and the Faculty of Biology of Alma-Ata University. A group of young biologists visited Kiev where they shared their experience at the Zoo. One of the most memorable trips was the trip to Moscow in 1984. The leader of the Young Naturalists’ Club at the time was Ludmila Vorobyova. Here is what she said about that visit: “1984 was a jubilee year for the Moscow Zoo. It then celebrated its 120th anniversary. Their famous Young Naturalists’ Club turned 60 then. So, Shilo sent us there. Not everyone, of course. Only those who worked particularly well and obtained the most interesting results were chosen to go, including my three girls (Olga Nechkasova, Olga Rukhlyada and Natalya Gribova). We were official guests there. It was an unforgettable experience for our children. They made their presentations there, answered all the questions and listened to young naturalists from other cities.” In the 1980s young naturalists from Novosibirsk Zoo were involved in the dozens of scientific studies. Rostislav Shilo personally led those projects, set goals, showed what and how to do and in the end proudly mentioned them as coauthors of a scientific publication. Here is just one example of such work: in 1987, Novosibirsk Zoo developed the methodology for breeding lynx. It was based on the results of painstaking observations of the lynx. That work became popular among other Zoological parks and nurseries. There are numerous examples of very serious scientific work carried out by the schoolchildren and 1st year students of universities in Novosibirsk Zoo. The Club had its own journal. It was called “Young Biologist” and came out in Novosibirsk Zoo for many years. First it was handwritten, then typewritten. The data obtained by young naturalists were always included in the Sections’ reports and taken into consideration in the work of the Zoo. Young naturalists could see how important their work was. That was also a wonderful experience and a very powerful argument when choosing a career. Usually the children would stay with the Club from two to three years. By the time they were to leave school and choose their profession, experienced Club members had already been practically fully qualified specialists. They knew and could do so much that it was easy for them to enrol in a course at any relevant college or university. They understood perfectly well that they had chosen the job for life. Being in love with the Zoo, being ready to spend there as much time as needed, the young biologists, even if they had to go, would qualify as professional zoo technicians or vets and come back to work there. More often than not they did not leave at all and combined their studies elsewhere with the work for the Zoo.
Here are just some of their names: Svetlana Borodina, Nadezhda Novikova, Svetlana Lukashova (Verkholantseva), Marina and Polina Kasarykova, Elena and Natalya Gribova, Olga Nechkasova, Olga Rukhlyada (Shilo), Ksenia and Marina Caftina, Tatyana Frolova (Pevneva), Jaroslav Gelinsky, Ksenia Shestakova, Anastasia Vishnevetskaya, Anna Nikitina, Nelya Kezler, Irina Yurganova (Boklanova), Vyacheslav Pevnev. The quality of relationships among the members of the Club deserves special words. Joint work taught them true friendship, honesty, decency and devotion. They would end up being close friends and will keep their friendship for good. Not all of them would become the employees of the Zoo, but all would keep its unique spirit. Even as adults, they would again and again understand that any goal was within their reach for one simple reason – they were taught to succeed by Rostislav Shilo himself and the Zoo. They became biologists while still at school. It was those dedicated to their work young naturalists who formed the basis of a remarkable team created by Rostislav Shilo. The team, which he was so proud of and could count on.

The history of the best zoos in the world is always a story about enthusiasts. Patrons, helpers and finances are undoubtedly necessary, no zoo can do without them. But the driving force is always the enthusiasts. The history of Novosibirsk Zoological Park is the proof that validates this statement. Old account books, administrative orders, reports and other internal documents of the Zoo keep the names of those who at various times worked here with full dedication to the task in hand. Official documents are scant in detail and emotion, but still, enthusiasts were taken note of >>> but still, enthusiasts were taken note of. Thus, a zoologist M. K. Tarakanova worked in Novosibirsk Zoological Park in the early 1950s. The reports say that she would give tours for the visitors of the Zoo, care for the animals, conduct scientific research, and even go to Moscow to discuss the construction of a new zoo. The work in any zoo necessarily implies constant involvement of the staff in animal care, regardless of any circumstances. Very often specialists have to be close to their charges, be it early in the morning, late in the evening or even at night, at weekends or outdoors in bad weather. Obviously, someone who doesn’t love zoos and animals with whole heart will not be able to cope with such a mode of work. Rostislav Shilo would frequently be asked questions about those who worked at the Zoo by journalists. He would always describe them as very good and devoted people who were truly enthusiastic about their work. The fact that Novosibirsk Zoo had been able to achieve outstanding results long before moving to a new larger area, can only be explained by the passion for their work demonstrated by Rostislav Shilo himself and his team. They had proved their ability to work hard and succeed even in cramped conditions. Moreover, they did not give up and, despite difficulties, created a unique research center. It was an absolutely crucial moment. The point is that in the 1960s zoos were mainly entertaining establishments. They were not intended for any research work. It was up to the zoo to decide. So, it was the initiative of the Director of Novosibirsk Zoo himself to set such a task, first and foremost for himself. One of his first scientific works was devoted to peculiarities of breeding polar bears in captivity. His scientific article describing the results of observation of two female bears Snezhinka (Snowflake) and Sibiryachka (Siberian-girl) and their cubs was released in 1972. The birth and the first months in the life of polar bear cubs usually coincide with winter months and mothers jealously keep their kids out of sight of all. The observation of a family of an Arctic predator is extremely challenging. Rostislav Shilo managed to find a small opening in the den of the bears. To look through the hole, he had to lie on the ground. He would spread his overcoat, lie on it, watch and write everything down. You cannot force anyone to do such things. There are no norms or regulations here. One must have real enthusiasm and insatiable research curiosity to conduct such a kind of hard work, without regard to dangerous circumstances and conditions. The first team of Rostislav Shilo were the skilled workers who had been working in the Zoo before his appointment as a director and those who came around the same time as he did. Shilo never forgot those who were with him at the very beginning: Z.Gaifulin worked as an animal keeper, mechanic and foreman from 1946 to 1982; N.V. Pronjkina worked as an animal keeper from1960 to 1974, and 1984 – 1988; P.N. Kiriyenko worked as an animal keeper from 1962 to 1978; N.T.Kuklina, a ticket collector, worked from 1964 to 1983; T.V. Kotova, an animal keeper, zootechnician, Head of Sections (felids, primates, canids), worked from 1964 to 1978; L.Ye. Petrov, Chief Zootechnician from 1965 to 1974; V.P.Petrov, worked as a veterinarian from 1967 to 1974; O.S. Dukhina worked as an animal keeper and Head of Young Naturalists’ Club from 1970 to 1986; S. Sidorova worked as an animal keeper, animal technician and Head of Sections (bears, mustelids, terrarium) from 1972 to 1979; Ye.I. Nyrkova worked as an animal keeper from 1963 to 1999; M. I. Astafieva worked as an animal keeper from 1965 to 1999 All these employees of the Zoological Park were inspired and shared Shilo’s intense scientific inquisitiveness and curiosity , that was why they worked with him. It is important to emphasize that the actual position in the Zoo hierarchy did not matter. Responsibilities of an animal keeper seem to be the simplest work in a zoo but skilful and knowledgeable animal keepers are worth their weight in gold. A lot has already been said about Rostislav Shilo’s approach to animal feeding: he would very carefully select the most beneficial diet which was the closest to the products in nature. The systematic implementation of that line of action required full commitment on the part of the employees of the Zoo: they were to observe and take every detail into consideration and to choose the best option. To understand how much effort, time, and sensitive attitude to animals lay behind it all, we can take one species as an example, and see what exactly was done. Pheasants, for instance, are well known birds. They are beautiful, and zoos always want to have them in their collections. But for a long time, little was known about them. That’s why keeping them in captivity had been considered to be troublesome. Rostislav Shilo decided to correct the situation. He started with the issue of feeding. First, the right diet was chosen. They monitored very carefully the reaction of the birds to particular products, noted all the changes in their behaviour, their activity level and appearance. The feed would be weighed and the left-overs would be weighed, too. Such extreme meticulousness and precision eventually led to obtaining important information, and the Zoo managed to create optimal conditions for the pheasants. As a result, they lived longer, got sick more rarely and produced the offspring more often. The collection of the Phasianidae in Novosibirsk Zoo would for many years be considered the best in the country. Such work was carried out on every species. Novosibirsk Zoo produced a scientific work under the title “Daily Dietary Rations for Wild Animals” in 1977. It summarised the results of the scrupulous work performed by every division of the Zoo. Along with Rostislav Shilo the following people took part in that work: T. V. Kotova, N. V. Surkova, S. K. Sidorova, M. A. Tamarovskaya and L. P. Ogurtsova. The 1970-s became the time of laying the foundation and the basis for scientific research work. The employees saw that each of them could make their own contribution and, to some extent, become a researcher. The most important thing on the part of everyone was the desire to learn and work. There is another story from the activities of the Ornithology Section. The workers of Novosibirsk Zoo were studying disorders of mineral and vitamin metabolism in macaws. Destructive chewing is a natural part of their behaviour in captivity. It manifested itself in pulling out their bright beautiful feathers. Not only did the biologists reconsidered their diet, but also found the way to distract the birds from their harmful habit. Having tried diverse options, the ornithologists eventually found out that parrots’ attention could be diverted for quite a long time with hay and twigs. They also concluded that the bundles of hay should be hung up and birch and aspen switches should be put into the cages and somehow attached to the bars of the cages. Only real enthusiasts were able to look for the solution so tirelessly and persistently. The study of daily activity of the animals was also of great practical importance. One of the examples of that was described in the scientific article “The Study of the Rhythms of the Daily Activity of Snow Leopards and Lynx” by R. A. Shilo and N. A. Chubykina in 1978. The obtained data made it possible to conclude that there was a fine congruity between the felids’ feeding schedule and the peaks of their activity. The study of the animals’ daily activity was of paramount importance and continued in the Zoo. It was a massive undertaking requiring a lot of time. The love of the Zoo Director to the felids family explains the fact why these species were studied first. Novosibirsk Zoo studied both large and small cats, paying attention to every small detail, every trifle, or rather, realizing that there were no trifles, that every little thing counted. Thus, the felids collection quickly became the pride of the Zoo. Apart from the most famous felids, such as the lion, tiger, jaguar and leopard, in 1970 the Zoo collection increased in numbers with the Far Eastern leopard, in 1972 – with the jungle cat, in 1975 - with the serval, in 1976 – with the caracal, in 1977 – with the fishing cat (viverrids), in 1978 – with Persian leopards. At the time, there was no separate felids’ section yet, they were all part of the Predators’ section, including primates and canids. From 1971 to 1978, that section was headed by Tamara Kotova. Novosibirsk zoo also took pride in their Mustelids’ Section. Rostislav Shilo as a Director of the Zoo started from scratch working with the species belonging to this family. Prior to that, the mustelids were rarely kept in zoological parks and would breed there very seldom. Some zoological parks would not keep them at all. Rostislav Alexandrovich was convinced that the matter had been unfairly neglected. He began to accumulate a collection. In 1975, for the first time, Novosibirsk Zoo acquired the wolverine; in 1979, the collection was enlarged with several more species: the Siberian weasel, the forest polecat, the steppe polecat, the hybrid polecat, the marbled polecat and the yellow-throated marten. Their keeping required a lot of challenging work. The written information about them was either limited or non-existent. In 1978-79 the Zoo underwent some personnel changes. For different reasons several workers left and young professionals were appointed as Heads of Sections. Each of them had already been experienced in animal care or animal science. They had learned from their predecessors and that was how the continuity in animal care was maintained. Marina Tamarovskaya became the chief specialist in mustelids. She shared Rostislav Shilo’s interest and his love and affection for these animals. Very soon it bore fruit. The first research work of the Zoo on the mustelids was devoted to the Eurasian river otter. It clarified certain controversial issues in the biology of this species. All the latest data were considered in working out optimal diet, space planning of the enclosures, and choosing a mating partner. The result of the work was the first cubs. At the time, the cases of this species having young in zoos were very rare. Novosibirsk Zoo was the first one in the USSR where the Eurasian river otter gave offspring. It happened in 1979. The research work continued further. Biologist I. V. Nemchilova studied behavior of this very intelligent predator. The publications on the river otter were translated into several foreign languages. The same year in March the wolverine had its first triplets. It was a historic event, not only for Novosibirsk Zoo. Wolverines in captivity had never bred in the USSR before. The Zoo described in detail the new-borns and their development, and became the first in the world to do such a thing. All the materials were published, which was of great interest for biological institutes and zoological parks. In 1982, another remarkable and memorable birth took place. The marbled polecat gave offspring. It happened for the first time in the history of all Zoological parks on the planet. This small and gracious creature was always a kind of a puzzle for biologists. It was in Novosibirsk that they managed to resolve it. It would be decided later to use the image of this polecat as one of the symbols of Novosibirsk Zoo, as a sign of its scientific achievements. One of Rostislav Shilo’s all-time favorites was a swift and bright yellow-throated marten, which began to breed here in 1982. Martens Rufus and Guna were the parents. For many years they would produce offspring. In the early 1980s the collection of mustelids in Novosibirsk was already well known in the world. Nobody else managed to surpass the results gained here. There were 19 species belonging to this family gathered in Novosibirsk Zoo, almost all of them produced offspring. If the success with mustelids Rostislav Alexandrovich largely attributed to Marina Tamarovskaya, the outstanding results achieved by the Felids’ Section was mainly the merit of Olga Leonova. She became the Head of Felids’ section in 1978. Thanks to the efforts of Shilo and Leonova the collection of felids in Novosibirsk became unique. Novosibirsk Zoo was getting more and more rare cats from various parts of the world. The most optimal and favourable conditions were created for them, even for the most exotic ones. At the end of the 1970-s and the beginning 1980-s the ocelots, the servals, the Amur leopard cats, the wildcats and the snow leopards began to breed in Novosibirsk Zoo. Rare, endangered cats, such as Persian leopards, also bore young. The workers of the Zoo were particularly proud of that. The team formed in 1978-79, apart from Tamarowskaya and Leonova, included Lyubovj Gayduchik, a cashier and accountant, worked from 1965 to 2001. Her kindness, friendliness and ability to work were appreciated by all; Alla Shylo, an animal keeper and Head of the Feeding Section, has been working from 1967 to present. Alla Aleksandrovna is endlessly devoted and loyal to the Zoo. She makes sure that the animals receive the most delicious feed of high quality; Tatyana Petukhova, an animal keeper and Head of Ornithology Section, worked from 1969 to 2012. For many years, Tatyana headed the most numerous in species and individuals Section of the Zoo. A professional of the highest level, she managed to create a good environment for her charges, including the most rare and difficult to keep. Due to her efforts, such birds as the Japanese crane, wood grouse, black grouse, western crowned pigeon, Moluccan cockatoo, green-winged macaw, Steller’s sea eagle and many others started to breed; Tatyana Siljyanova, an animal keeper, researcher and zootechnician, worked now and then from 1970 to 2002. During the years of intensive development of international relations of the Zoo, Tatyana maintained international correspondence and did it flawlessly. Her contribution as a researcher, who shared her knowledge with young naturalists, is invaluable; Natalya Surkova, an animal keeper and the Head of Ungulates’ Section, who worked now and then from 1971 to 2016. From the very start of her work in the Zoo Natalya worked with the ungulates. They are the largest animals in the collection of Novosibirsk zoo. Her attitude to them was that of motherly tenderness. She cared for the young which, for different reasons, lost their mothers. During her years in the Zoo she bottle-fed so many moose, roe deer, hare and others that a separate small zoo could have been opened; Ekaterina Kazantseva, an animal keeper and Head of Reptiles’ Section, has worked from 1973 to present. To begin with, she worked with a variety of animals. When the first cubs of the snow leopard were born, she took it upon herself to care for them. She is known for her very professional approach to work and sensitive attitude towards her charges. Due to her efforts, the collection of exotic animals in Novosibirsk Zoo increased, and such species as the African spurred tortoise, the corn snake, the beauty rat snake, the reticulated python, the iguana and other species started to breed; Sergey Kireev, a coachman and mechanic, has been working from 1973 to present. It would be impossible to imagine the Zoo’s off-site work during winter holidays at different festivities without him. Being very responsible and reliable, he always helped the young naturalists. Apart from that, he was also doing carpentry and woodworking. All the enclosures on the old premises were made by him; Vladimir Solovyov, a coachman and a driver, has been working now and then from 1974 to present. He used to be one of the young naturalists, which explains his attitude to animals and understanding of zoo work. He also takes the most active part in collecting berries, nuts, mushrooms and brooms for the Zoo. Vladimir Viktorovich has distinguished himself as a reliable and willing to help worker; Tatyana Trifinova (Solovyeva), an animal keeper and Head of Mass Culture Section, worked from 1976 to 1991. Her job was to help visitors learn the life of the Zoo better. The educational value of all the lectures, guided tours and environment quizzes, which she arranged, cannot be underestimated; Lydia Golubeva, an animal keeper and Head of Ornithology Section, worked now and then from 1976 to 1997. First, she was involved in the work with the felids. Then, she took upon herself the issues of organising international exchange of animals. Becoming the Head of the Ornithology Section, Lydia Golubeva, apart from her daily care for the birds, also conducted research on birds. Leonard Chebykin, an electrician and Deputy Director from 1976 to 1988. A very responsible employee who believed that the Zoo was his mission in life. He always helped his colleagues in everything, never limiting himself only to his actual responsibilities. Some of the workers came to work for the Zoo earlier than 1978. Still, it is more logical to consider them as the second team, most of whom worked till late 1980s-early 1990s. Having become professionals in their job, they fully shared the views of Rostislav Shilo on the objectives of the Zoo and on what kind of work it should be involved in. It was that team that conducted the bulk of research of the daily activity of the animals and reconsidered many existing at the time provisions about the preconditions of animal keep. Making no secret of his special attitude to the felids and mustelids, Rostislav Shilo still made every effort for the Zoo to demonstrate the diversity of fauna, and of rare species, in particular. Each section was working hard to increase their collection, which ultimately led to outstanding results. Rostislav Alexandrovich personally led or supervised all scientific works, and always emphasized that in this line of work it was impossible to act on one’s own. Therefore, a revolutionizing breakthrough that the zoo managed to make under his leadership happened largely due to the joint efforts of the members of his team. The Zoo staff was constantly moving forward, learning what was unknown, what had not been studied before. On the surface, it seemed that the Zoo did not set any global objectives, but in reality, it achieved them. All what was done by Novosibirsk Zoo then for the study and conservation of endangered species, was highly appreciated by the world’s zoological community. The fact that Rostislav Shilo’s team prepared a new generation of animal keepers, their successors, is an undoubted merit of the second team. They were the ones who taught the young naturalists who came to the Zoo in 1980s. In the mid and late 1980s, quite a lot of members of the second team left the Zoo, and young but already experienced staff took over from them. In fact, they became the basis of the third team under the command of Rostislav Shilo. It was that team which helped him save the Zoo through difficult perestroika years and turbulent 1990-s, move it to the new premises and make the Zoo the best in the country. In 1986, Rostislav Shilo began the study of the Siberian grouse. At the time the number of these birds in the wild was critically decreasing. The species was almost unknown as all attempts of breeding and keeping it had been unsuccessful before. Rostislav Alexandrovich believed that the only way to preserve this unique species was captive breeding. In October 1986, the first 18 Siberian grouse were acquired by Novosibirsk Zoo. The birds were captured in the wild, but their population in the end only benefited from that. Shilo and his assistants thought their menu and the setting of their enclosures over with meticulous attention to detail. The floor was covered with sand with isles of turf with cowberry bushes. That time the Director of the Zoo triumphed again. The birds adapted to the new environment and started to breed – it happened with the birds in captivity for the first time in the world. Rostislav’s brother Vladimir Shilo, a senior researcher in the Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was also involved in that project. They managed to create constantly growing population of the Siberian grouse and then proceeded with the introduction of the birds back into the wild. Beginning with 1988, they worked on the basis of the Science Station of the above-mentioned Institute in Karasuk. Svetlana Klimova, an experienced Zoo worker, also worked on this project with Vladimir Shilo. Apart from the Siberian grouse, they also worked on the restoration of natural populations of the black grouse, wood grouse, Golden eagle, great bustard, little bustard, houbara bustard and other species. Almost everyone who joined the team of the Zoo in the middle and the end of 1980s, had passed through its Young Naturalists’ Club. It would have been impossible to find more devoted and loving the Zoo people than they were. Olga Ruklyada (Shilo) became Rostislav’s main assistant, his kindred spirit and soul mate, and his wife. Having been a member of the Club since 1982, she devoted much of her time to the felids and continued that line of work when she was employed by the Zoo. The unique Felids’ collection of the Zoo became even more numerous due to the enthusiasm and energy of Olga Vladimirovna. Olga started as an animal keeper, then became a zootechnician. After that, until 1998 she was in charge of the Mammals’ Section. She was also involved in the work with mustelids and small primates. In difficult cases, when females were not able to feed their young, Olga would take it upon herself to care for them. Rostislav and Olga Shilo carried out joint research on rare species. They were co-authors of many scientific articles. In 1988 Olga committed herself to collecting the archives (card catalogue) of the Zoo. She brought together historical data about all the animals. Olga started with the carnivores, primates and ungulates, and gradually collected the data on all the species represented in the collection of the Zoo. At the end of the 1990s she began to coordinate an international studbook for yellow throated marten. This means that now there is a detailed breeding record on every individual animal in all zoological parks of the world. Never before had any zoological park done anything of this kind, but in the 1980s they started to change their approach to the issue of assembling their collections and Novosibirsk was the leading in that line of work. The number of breeding studbooks in zoos would increase and eventually they would become indispensable materials for the projects of conservation of rare species. In 1998, Olga Shilo became Deputy Director of the Zoo for science issues. At the same time, she continued caring for and feeding young. Most people, who were part of the team at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, committed themselves to the Zoological Park. Those who temporarily left to try to do something else would, in the majority of cases, return. Roza Solovyova, an animal keeper, and Head of Carnivores’ Section, now and then has been working in the Zoo since 1985. Roza is the guardian of the priceless collection of the Felids in Novosibirsk Zoo. All felids, from fierce lions, tigers and jaguars to small leopard cats and sand cats know her as their “wet nurse” and foster mother. Roza herself refers to them as her children, with great love and care. Svetlana Verkholantseva has worked as an animal keeper and Head of the Veterinary Section since 1986. She came to the Zoo as a young naturalist in 1979. She realized then that her strong vocation was to treat animals. Among her patients were small tamarins that can fit on the palm of your hand, and Amur tigers which can only be moved by several men. She knows how to help animals when they fall ill. Being a true doctor, Svetlana Nikolayevna is patient and endlessly kind. Svetlana Vorobyova has worked as a zootechnician and Head of Mustelids’ and Canids’ Sections since 1985. The Zoo holds dear her passion and enthusiasm. Due to her efforts, such very difficult to keep species as the Eurasian river otter, yellow throated marten, marbled polecat, dhole and many others regularly breed. Svetlana Vitalievna is always there for the young whose mothers refused to feed them. Tatyana Pevneva has worked as an animal keeper, veterinarian and Head of the International Department since 1990. She came to the Zoo in 1984 as a young naturalist. She knows all the specifics of the work in a zoo: how to care for animals, how to treat and feed them. Tatyana has been actively involved in scientific work on the daily activities of the animals and engaged in feeding young. Becoming the Head of the International Department, Tatyana Evgenievna took upon herself the processing of the documents required for international animal exchange; she also arranges and supervises the dispatch and delivery of animals. At that, she continues to work with the animals, feeding the weak and abandoned by their parents cubs. Anastasia Vishnevetskaya, an animal keeper, Head of Riding Section and methodologist, has worked since 1991. She came to the Zoo in 1986 as a young naturalist. It was Anastasia Alexandrovna that contributed to the opening of the Horse Riding Club of Novosibirsk Zoo. There had always been horses, ponies, and donkeys in the Zoo which were used for riding children. Only on the new premises did there appear the place where one could learn to ride a horse. Anastasia Vishnevetskaya worked enthusiastically and the Horse Riding Club developed very quickly. Besides, she also carried out a breeding programme, which significantly increased the number of horses and ponies. The members of the Club took part in competitions and horse shows at the racecourse. Irina Boklanova, an animal keeper, Head of Riding Section, began working in the Zoo in 1995. She came to the Zoo in 1988 as a young naturalist. Her deep affection for horses and ability to understand them determined her choice of future profession. Together with Anastasia Vishnevetskaya she worked at the Horse Riding Club. She was responsible for organizing riding sessions. She always intuitively knew which particular horse to offer to a child or adult who decided to go riding. Later, Irina became the Head of the Riding Section. Elena Meleshko has worked as an animal keeper, Head of the Primates’ Section and Head of the Department of Ornithology from 1991. Elena knows the Zoo in detail, and has had a lot of experience working with different animals. Eventually she began specializing in parrots and songbirds. In 2000, she headed this particular division of the Department of Ornithology and achieved remarkable results. Due to the efforts and attention of Elena Mikhailovna the macaw, cockatoo, monk parakeet, Amazon parrot – all these and many other parrots felt well and bred. Later Elena Meleshko became responsible for all the birds of the Zoo. Galina Drozdova, a zootechnician, Head of Felids’ Section, Head of Department of Tropical Animals worked from 1993 to 2011. To begin with, her job in the zoo was to care for the cats. She was in charge of the Pallas’s cats and snow leopards. With the introduction of “The Tropical World” pavilion on the new premises she took responsibility for a large group of animals of other species. She knew the needs of not only cats, but also monkeys and birds. Such diversity in work would have been impossible without enthusiasm and passion. Natalya Pavlikova worked as a chief accountant from 1993 until 2016. Accounting has always been extremely important for the Zoo although it is not visible to the visitors. Natalya does the job in a faultless and accurate way. Rostislav Shilo, himself having an incredible ability to bear in mind all the numbers and sums, noted the significance of Natalya’s work. Elena Rybnikova has been the Head of the warehouse since 1996. She has been the very person who the prompt deliveries of the products needed by the Zoo on a daily basis depend on. For many years, her main objective has been to look for the best, to order and to ensure the timely delivery and storage. Sometimes she has to deal with quite an unusual task, when it comes, for example, to exotic the feed. Both the people working for the Zoo and the animals have always felt more secure and looked after due to her care for all. Oksana Golik has been an accountant since 1997. She is a true professional who works promptly and efficiently. She is always ready to help and advice colleagues on any matter connected with the bookkeeping or documents. Oksana’s friendliness is particularly noteworthy, which is very important for the whole team. Tatyana Evsyukova has been working now and then from 1996 as a zootechnician and zoologist of the Department of Ornithology. First, she worked with mustelids and made a great contribution to mink breeding. Later she started working with birds. Her charges such as cranes and waders are under her constant care and attention. Denis Rybakov has been an animal keeper and Head of the Section of Fish from 1996. As they say, Denis is the right man in the right place. He is always busy doing something that he is really passionate about. His commitment has made him a true expert in fish biology. It has been a stroke of luck for Novosibirsk Zoo to have such a specialist as Denis. The aquariums of the Zoo are the best proof for that. Anna Zolotukhina has been a German translator for the Zoo since 1993. Anna helps in maintaining correspondence with German speaking partners of the Zoo, and translates scientific articles and books. Peter Yakimenko (since 1998) and Yuriy Ovsyannikov (since1994) are both wonderful drivers, who are highly respected and loved by everyone in the Zoo team. From the very start they wholeheartedly entered into the spirit of the Zoo and realized that their safe driving skills and the control over the cars would be useful. On the Zoo trips for gathering herbs, berries and nuts, they become navigators who know exactly where to go, can well orient themselves in Novosibirsk region and the neighboring regions. Yuriy Tolstik has been working as a carpenter since 1998. He is a true master of his craft. It was he who did all carpentry works on the new premises of the Zoo. He produces animal shelters and housing of different sizes and modifications in a deft and masterly manner. It is a pleasure to watch him working, and every piece of his work keeps the warmth of his skillful hands. Valentina Sokolova has been the Head of Landscaping Department since 2003. With her arrival, the way the Zoo looks has changed. Having been green enough before, it literally started to blossom. The flower beds in the alleys of the Zoo bloom from early spring to late autumn to the delight of the visitors and staff.
One can say about every person in this staff that this is the right man in the right place. Genuine interest in work, willingness to learn and strive to get the best possible results, responsibility – this is defines the real professional man, Rostislav Shilo believes. He never tires of repeating that such people is in his team and he highly appreciated them. The Zoo staff felt that and was confident that he was as safe as house to them. They knew that Rostislav Alexandrovich was always there to help and support, which would inevitably lead to the success of all.

The opening of the new premises for the public in 1993 became the most important moment in the history of the Zoo. It had taken so long to get to that point that the staff, even when they were already transporting the animals to their new residence, couldn’t believe that everything would work out. The official opening and the start of the work of the box office were perceived by the team as a monumental event, it was truly a dream come true.
Russia in 1993 was in turmoil – it was the time of the constitutional crisis. Politics affected the economy, so whatever was happening in the centre of the country inevitably had an impact on its peripheral regions. The old Soviet system was in a state of collapse and the new one was not created yet. During the country’s transition to a free market economy during the 1990s, friendly ties became an issue of particular significance. They helped overcome and withstand the difficulties. The Soviet Union ceased to exist, but the fraternal relations with the zoos of the former Soviet Union survived. Rostislav Shilo held dear cooperation and friendship with Vladimir Spitsyn (Moscow), Mati Kaal (Tallinn), Kumek Aljmenbaev (Almaty), Nikolay Shabaltas (Kharkov), Juliet Stepanyan (Yerevan), Algimantas Andriushkyavichus (Kaunas), Nikolay Yepifanovskiy (Rostov-on-Don) and many other colleagues. During that period, directors of foreign Zoological parks fully supported Novosibirsk Zoo, which confirmed the adage that “a friend in need is a friend indeed.” Here are some of them: Michael and Brigitte Gorgaz (Augsburg), Klaus Pole (Berlin), Helmut Pechlaner (Austria), Hans Ashenbrener (Germany), Jim Dolan (San Diego) and many others.
“The people’s” construction of the Zoo came to a standstill. In the new situation nobody could either convince or force industrial enterprises of Novosibirsk, previously involved in the project, to carry on the construction of the premises of citywide importance. Many of them just left the enclosures unfinished. But Rostislav Shilo couldn’t even bear the thought of “freezing” the transfer of the Zoo. The Zoo began to build the enclosures by itself. Shilo hired two welders, Nikolay Zlobin and Vladimir Matsura. In his opinion, they were real godsends to the Zoo. They were assisted by Dmitry Kashentsev and Yuriy Matsura. They all did their absolute best, and that was how the majority of the enclosures were built.
The building materials were purchased with the money that the Zoo managed to earn. Using their own resources for the construction required a huge effort. Nevertheless, the things were moving. The main decision to preserve all existing trees was still in force and a matter of priority. New enclosures were fitted into the natural landscape, even if it meant additional expenses.
Not only did the radical changes which were underway in the country bring new challenges but they also opened new opportunities. Above all, it concerned international cooperation. There were no more political obstacles so the relationships with foreign colleagues went to a qualitatively different level. In 1993 Novosibirsk Zoo became a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). In 1994 Novosibirsk Zoo was offered to join the International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens (IUDZG), and in October 1996 it became its full member. In 2002 that Association was renamed WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums).
Novosibirsk Zoo was the first of all Russian zoological parks to be admitted as a member of this international union >>> Novosibirsk Zoo was the first of all Russian zoological parks to be admitted as a member of this international union.
Beginning with 1994, Novosibirsk Zoo, along with Moscow Zoo and Seversky Zoo became co-founders of one more union - EARAZA, the Eurasian Regional Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Zoo began to actively participate in various animal breeding and conservation programmes and large-scale research projects. In the 1990s there started the exchange of animals with foreign zoos. The geography of cooperation expanded significantly. To illustrate this, we can give just a few examples: Novosibirsk Zoo sent the yellow-throated martens to San Diego (CA, USA) and Winnipeg (Canada), the Pallas’s cats to Berlin, Vienna and Dresden, received the North American river otter and wolves from Canada, the Dall sheeps from San Diego, the red panda, dholes and clouded leopards from China. The cooperation was developing very rapidly: in 1995, for example, the Zoo had five international contracts whereas in 1999 – already ten.
In 1989 two Minnesota cities, St. Paul and Minneapolis, became twinned cities of Novosibirsk, which marked the beginning of cooperation and longstanding friendship.
Thus, a large-scale youth project of Novosibirsk Zoo and the Zoo in Minneapolis (USA) was launched in 1994.
In the summer of 1994, a group of 14 young naturalists from the Zoo together accompanied by Rostislav and Olga Shilo went to Minneapolis. They got acquainted there with the work of the Zoological Park, national parks and animal rehabilitation centres, visited universities and schools. Their eventful programme took three weeks to fulfil. The teenagers from Novosibirsk stayed with American families, where they had an opportunity to get to know the people, their language and traditions.
Young American biologists were on a return visit to Novosibirsk in 1995. They were shown round the Zoo and introduced to the work of the Young Naturalists’ Club and to some research projects. The group was taken to Lake Teletskoe where they got acquainted with the nature of the Altai Mountains. The children also stayed with the families from Novosibirsk. For them it was an unforgettable three weeks’ experience in Siberia.
In the 1990s the Zoo also established friendly relations with Japan. The cooperation was held in the sphere of instructional and educational programmes for school children. The Japanese side extended an invitation to Novosibirsk Zoo to participate in the International Exhibition of Children’s drawings on wildlife conservation and made sure that the group was received at the highest possible level.
In 1997, Novosibirsk Zoo turned 50. The Anniversary was celebrated with a big International Conference where the leaders of Zoological parks of Russia, the CIS and nonCIS countries were the participants. Foreign colleagues got acquainted with the new premises of the Zoo and paid particular attention to the fact that Novosibirsk Zoo had already managed to become a unique research center and achieved outstanding results at the old place, and that the new premises would allow it to become even a more advanced and forward-looking zoological park.
In the meanwhile, the old zoo was still operating. It was open for the public as a selection of the most interesting and popular species was on display there.
In 1997 Novosibirsk Zoo embarked on a programme of guardianship. Subsidies from the federal budget were minimal, the overall economic situation in the country was unfortunate, a new economic crisis seemed to be enveloping the country– under such circumstances it was extremely difficult to keep and support the Zoo animal collection. So Rostislav Shilo decided to get in touch with local businesses and the leaders of industrial enterprises with an offer for them to become guardians of individual animals. With that in mind, the Zoo sent letters to various organizations and businesses. To begin with, there were very few responses – only 7 out of each hundred letters sent. But the Zoo persevered in its attempts to attract sponsors. There were already 14 of them in 1998. The programme of guardianship became a great support for the Zoo. All the sponsors were made known to the public by attaching special plates with their names to the enclosures. For the most part such cooperation was longterm. Contributing to the work of the Zoo, a firm or a company was beginning to clearly understand their moral obligation to and the importance of the input in the noble cause of preserving natural resources. The number of sponsors would increase and in the early 2000s the list would already include 35 companies.
The opening of the borders and an emerging market economy made the Zoo take on one more task. There appeared a black market in the country where it became possible to sell and buy animals, including rare species from the Red book. The animals were caught in the wild and smuggled out of the country. Exotic species from other countries were smuggled in. Law enforcement agencies were trying to combat those crimes. Whenever they managed to arrest the smugglers, the animals would be taken from them and passed on to the Zoo. The Zoo had always taken in wounded, orphaned, lost or abandoned animals before. It had to act in the same manner towards the birds and animals which became victims of animal trafficking.
The staff of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime stopped the smuggling of 47 saker falcons in Novosibirsk airport in 1997. The birds were caught in the Altai to be sent to the United Arab Emirates, where falconry was popular and saker falcons were sold at auctions. The birds, bound and tightly cramped in cardboard boxes were just about to be loaded on board the plane. Many of them would simply not survive the flight. But they were saved. In 1997, the Zoo received two more such deliveries of saker falcons. For a few months, the birds were under the supervision of veterinarians and on a special nourishing diet. Then the falcons whose condition was good enough (there were more than 20 of such birds) were released back into the wild.
That was a story with a happy end. But at times the return of an animal back to its natural environment was impossible. Smugglers would often maim the animals, acting towards them in a rough manner when catching, shoving them into tight cages and boxes. Such animals would usually stay in the Zoo for good. They were given treatment and special conditions were created for their rehabilitation. Every year the Zoo would receive such animals. Among them were roseringed parakeets, tortoises, tiger cubs and chimpanzees.
The same bleak statistics concerns the animals which were brought by people out of good intentions. They were chicks, young hedgehogs, moose calves, roe fawns and others found in the woods. They were nourished and, if need be, treated. But very few would manage to get back into the wild. The work with the “foster children” implied one more complexity – the issue of choice: if they were to comply with the law in force, the Zoo should have closed the doors to all those people who brought the animals, but the staff simply couldn’t do that for moral and ethical reasons. The Zoo met that challenge in cooperation with environmental organizations.
Novosibirsk Zoo never stopped its unique research work during the economically and politically challenging 1990s. The experimental unit of the Zoo, operating on the basis of Karasuk Research Station of the Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, achieved very good results. A joint project of the Zoo and the Institute started in 1986 was still in place. A unique open-air enclosure complex was created in Karasuk in the early 1990s. The researchers gained excellent experience breeding the Siberian grouse and proceeded with the next stage – the species’ introduction. The first release of the Siberian grouse into the wild took place in 2002. About 200 birds had been released by 2007. The grouse species became the main specialization of the experimental farm.
In 1998 the City authorities and the Zoo joined forces to finalize the relocation of the Zoo from Gogol Street. Viktor Tolokonskiy, then the Mayor of Novosibirsk, signed a Resolution on the tender for conclusion a lease agreement for the land plot, temporarily occupied by the zoo at 15 Gogol street. For the Zoological Park a one hectare plot in the city center was too small, while it was great as a piece of real estate for commercial purposes. The City Council was prepared to pass that hectare to a new tenant without any limitations but on one condition – they were to take upon themselves all the expenses incurred during the transfer of the assets of the Zoo and the remaining animals to the new premises.
It was then that the snow leopards, tigers, lions, Pallas’s cats, leopard cats, jungle cats, European otters, wolverines, dholes and Russian minks were transported to the new territory. Only a small part of the Zoo’s collection stayed behind in Gogol Street.
The old Zoo was closed for the public in 1999. The construction of the new one continued. They were preparing for the opening a large enclosure with a pool for the tapir. In 2000 the tapir was placed there together with capuchin monkeys and pelicans. For the Zoo it was the first experience of cohabitation of representatives of different species. Later that direction of work would be successfully developed further. The same year a complex for small cats and enclosures for leopards (21 enclosures with a total area of 1260,5 sq. m) was put into operation.
The Persian leopards stayed in the old territory the longest of all.
The administration of the Zoo continued to work on the old premises even after all the animals had been moved from there.
In 2000, the collection of the Zoological Park included 423 species and 9906 individuals. The scientific work carried out by the Zoo was producing new very interesting results.
In 2001, the staff of the experimental farm in Karasuk started breeding the Great bustards. These birds are very vulnerable and complex to keep. And in 2015 for the first time in captivity in Russia the Great bustard’s chicks hatched. In 2006, some people brought the eggs of white-headed ducks from abandoned nests to the farm. When the eggs hatched, the biologists managed to successfully rear the chicks. In the course of their work, they had to develop a new method of keeping and growing white-headed ducks, as there hadn’t been any such experience gained in Russia before. In the wild, the white-headed duck very rarely leaves its breeding habitat and feeds mainly on aquatic vegetation as well as some animal matter (mostly small crustaceans). The hand reared and grown chicks laid eggs from which new chicks hatched in 2013. It was the first case in Russia.
In June 2005, a ceremonial opening of Children’s Railway, built by Russian Railways, took place in Zayeltsovsky Park. Now both children and adults could have train rides through the woods. The trains had a stop at the Zoo. The passengers would take the train to this Station o and then walk around on the territory of the Zoological Park. In warm time of the year, while the Children’s Railway operated, another entrance to the Zoo on the side of Zayeltsovsky Park was arranged.
In 2005, the administration of the Zoo moved to the new premises. That event can be considered as a final point in a long story of the Zoo relocation, which lasted for almost 20 years.
The effects of stabilization and economic growth in the 2000s were strongly felt by the Zoo. Still, the running of the business and further development required a huge effort. The staff continued to procure the feed for the animals, which was a challenging job and provided the animals with high-quality products. The regulations of land use and development changed, which to a high extent complicated the process of collecting wild berries and herbs. That’s why Rostislav Shilo took a decision to open their own subsidiary farm. He managed to persuade the people from the Mayor’s Office of Novosibirsk. In 2006, the City Council allocated the funds for the purchase of a loss-making farm located near the town in the village of Barlak, Moshkovo district of Novosibirsk region. It was included in the structure of the Zoological Park. The restoration of barns, warehouses, the purchase of machinery, equipment and livestock, recruitment of personnel in the village, sowing and harvesting – all these became the responsibility of the Zoo, which required resources and a lot of efforts. But the ambitious leader was absolutely convinced that it was worth it; he realized that their own farm was a sure guarantee of the food security of the Zoo. It would no longer have to buy milk and cottage cheese as all the necessary amounts of them would be produced by the farm. Very soon the farm became the most prosperous in Moshkovo district. Beginning with 2008 the Zoo farm has regularly been the first in productivity and milk yield. By 2014 the farm had been producing enough for five months out of twelve. The subsidiary farm also provided the Zoo with hay, oats, barley and wheat. In 2016 the farm opened its own apiary. Since then honey has been included in the diet of the maned wolves, monkeys, yellow-throated martens and bears.
The Zoo was actively involved in the programmes biodiversity conservation. In 2004 and 2005, together with the colleagues from Czech Republic (Podkrushnogorsky Zoo, Director Přemysl Rabas) Novosibirsk zoo was studying migration of the black stork to their places of wintering. In 2006, two Eurasian river otters born in the Zoo, were sent to the Netherlands to be released into the wild. Animals had special sensor devices attached to them which allowed monitoring their movements. Dutch colleagues sent their reports to Novosibirsk. Biologists of the Zoo saw that the reintroduction was successful. In 2007, a chick of the black vulture born in our Zoo was released into the wild in Belgium. Every chick of this species was of huge importance for the recovery of their natural populations in Europe.
In 2006, the Zoo received white tigers and cheetahs. Spacious enclosures and facilities were built specially for them.
The Programme of Guardianship was still in force. In 2006, there appeared a new benefactor to the Zoo, who deserves a special tribute. Dmitriy Kalinin, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, donated 70 thousand roubles to the Zoo. It was a substantial and definitely needed by an elderly person amount of cash. But Dmitriy Konstantinovich was absolutely adamant when he said: “I know that it is a worthwhile circumstance, just take it”. In the course of the next five years he would donate to the Zoo a total of 500 thou roubles.
When telling the story of the contributors and helpers to the Zoo, it is worth mentioning those who assisted in treating the animals. The City hospitals have always come to the rescue of Novosibirsk Zoo. There was a time (in the 1950-60s) when there were very few veterinarians and if the animals were sick, the zootechnicians sought help from human doctors. Such medical establishments as the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics named after Ya. Tsyvyan, “Eye Microsurgery” Scientific Complex, the Institute of Blood Circulation Pathology named after E. N. Meshalkin, Novosibirsk Regional Clinical Hospital, Children’s Emergency Clinical Hospital No. 3, Children’s Clinical Hospital No. 1 and other medical institutions have never refused to help. They conducted consultations and medical check-ups, and even performed operations. With the development of the veterinary service of the Zoo, the vets started to treat the animals, but from time to time the Zoo still turns to Novosibirsk hospitals for advice. Among animal doctors helping the Zoo it would be appropriate to mention Yevgeniy Matveyevich Kozlov. A specialist of the highest level, he is always ready to help, saving the animals even in the most difficult cases.
In the year of its 60th anniversary, in 2007, the Zoo completed the construction of the “Tropical world” Pavilion. It became home to exotic, heat-loving animals. Part of the complex was given to nocturnal animals. There were special light and temperature conditions created there. “Tropical world” also housed marine and freshwater aquariums. The opening of the new pavilion gave the Zoo the opportunity to increase the collection by nearly 100 species. 535 species and 10350 individuals were represented in the Zoo in 2007.
The same year the Main Entrance building was built in record-breaking time, where the administration, a lecture hall and later the terrarium were housed.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary, Novosibirsk zoo held an International Conference on “The Role of Zoos in Wildlife Conservation”. Representatives of 35 zoos from 12 different countries were its participants. Having spent a few days in the Zoological Park itself and visited the experimental farm in Karasuk, biologists spoke very highly of the work done here on conservation of rare and endangered animals on our planet.
In 2008, the Zoo got young polar bears. The couple were placed into a new spacious enclosure complex with large pools. The enclosures had been created long before that – they had been supposed to become home to walruses – by industrial plants, remember, which had started the construction and given up. That new house with rocks and a swimming pool, where they could dive, was very much to the liking of the bears, who were named Kai and Gerda. It was then that a story of this remarkable bear family began.
The same year there were two more bright arrivals at the Zoo’s collection. They were two orangutans, whose names were Batu and Zakhar. They were housed in Tropical World Pavilion and quickly became new “stars” of the Zoo.
The Zoological Park became a place of attraction not only for the residents of Novosibirsk and Novosibirsk region. Tourists from all over the world would come here. The Zoo received enthusiastic comments in different languages. It became a finalist of the contest “Seven Wonders of Russia” in 2008.
In 2009, Novosibirsk zoo acquired a new plot of land – 9 hectares of adjacent territory. Now the Zoo had its own lake. They immediately started to call it the Swan Lake. The majority of visitors strolling around the Zoo would all of a sudden find themselves facing it. There was a new sign installed inviting them to turn right from the Central alley. If you went along the shady path, you would be surprised to see a stunning view of a real lake with all its waterfowl, the footpaths around it and a small gazebo. Rostislav Shilo had not made any secret out of the works on the lake, he had talked about it before but the lake still seemed to be a wonder. Nobody had suspected the presence of a natural water reservoir in the vicinity. If anyone had been at the site before, they would only have seen a mud pool littered with all sorts of debris. The lake was cleaned, filled with water, and it came to life in the spring. Soon wild ducks would join the birds let onto the lake by the Zoo. Large flocks of migratory birds (up to 200 birds) would stop on the lake for a while to rest. Beginning with 2010, wild ducks began to nest there. The water flows into the lake from underground springs, but the engineers of the Zoo top up the level with water to accelerate the ice melting each spring.
The construction of the Zoo still continued. During the period from 2010 to 2012 new comfortable enclosures with pools were made for European otters. The enclosure for the meerkat was built in such a way that there is a lot of sand for digging holes. A glass wall was erected between the animals and the visitors so that they could look at each other. New housing was also built for the takin, Amur leopards and snow leopards.
In 2012 the gardeners of Novosibirsk region joined in to provide the Zoo with fresh fruit and vegetables. They always shared out whatever they grew on their plots of land with the animals of the Zoological Park. In 2012, it was decided to run a campaign named “Kind Harvest”. Allotment gardeners and villagers responded and delivered 1.5 tons of various fruit and vegetables to the Zoo. The number of those wishing to share the surplus harvest with the Zoo was becoming bigger and bigger from year to year. In 2016, the weight of the deliveries of animal treats brought to the Zoo amounted to 20 tons.
In 2013-2014 the Zoo built enclosures for the bearded vulture and songbirds. For the first time the argali bred in captivity. This species was represented in Novosibirsk zoo since 1994, that female argali for many years was the only representative of the species in the zoos of the world.
At the end of 2013 Novosibirsk hosted part of the Olympic Torch relay. Its route passed through the Zoo. One of the torches was carried by Rostislav Shilo. The Olympic flame passed by the enclosures of the polar bear, hare and leopards – the animals that became symbols of the winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014.
On December 11th, 2013, the polar bears had their cub. It was the firstborn of everyone’s favourite Kai and Gerda and the first polar bear cub of the Zoo over the last 40 years. The baby became the object of common attention and love. The residents of the city readily participated in choosing the name for the little bear, and by absolute majority they voted for the name of Shilka, in honor of the Zoo Director. In a century of the Internet, when information spreads instantaneously, the white bear cub that was kept in Novosibirsk zoo became a world celebrity. In 2015, grown-up Shilka was sent to its new place of residence in Japan. Novosibirsk parted with her reluctantly; there was even a group of activists, who demanded to leave Shilka in Novosibirsk. When the bear arrived at the Zoo in the Japanese city of Osaka, it became clear that the same kind of attention and adoration awaited her there. The Japanese arranged special festivities in her honor and celebrated Shilka’s birthday. Just like in Novosibirsk, there formed a group of particularly active fans of the young polar bear. And then an unexpected twist took place. The two groups began to communicate, first it was in the form of questions and answers on how the bear felt in a new place. Gradually, that correspondence grew into friendship. The people in Novosibirsk knew then that their favorite was in good hands, and they had someone to ask how she was doing and have photographic evidence of that. Similar things had happened before. The animals initiated great friendship between people, zoos, cities and countries.
In 2015, the TripAdvisor, a travel portal published world zoos’ rating, based on the feedback from travelers from different countries. Novosibirsk zoo was recognized as the best in Russia, the 9th best in Europe and one out of twenty best zoos on the planet.
On April 26th, 2016 Rostislav Shilo sadly passed away. He was a long-time unique and irreplaceable Director of the Zoo, its soul, heart, and hands... It was a huge loss for the whole Novosibirsk.
On numerous occasions Rostislav Alexandrovich would hear the words of appreciation from the residents of the City. People would thank him for the Zoo and for the assistance and support he provided being the member of the City Council since 2001. In 2007 Rostislav Shilo was made an “Honorary Resident of Novosibirsk” He was always unassuming and modest about his titles and awards, though their number was very impressive: a medal “Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-45”, (1965); a Commemorative medal of the all-Russia Society for Nature Conservation (1974); the Order of the Badge of Honour (1981); the badge “For Exemplary Work” awarded by the Ministry of Culture of the USSR (1978); medal “The Veteran of Labour” (1987); the title “The Honoured Worker of Culture” (1987); an award “The Man of the Year” (1999); the Order of Friendship (2001); the golden medal “For the Contribution to the Heritage of the Peoples of Russia” (2005); a Commemorative Token in Honour of the 20th anniversary of establishment of twinned-city relations between Novosibirsk (Russia) and Sapporo (Japan) (2010); the Order of the Merit for the Fatherland of the IV degree (2012); a merit badge “For merit to Novosibirsk region” (2015).
After the sad demise of Rostislav Shilo the staff of the Zoo felt orphaned, still they continued working because that was exactly what they had been taught to do by their beloved Rostislav Alexandrovich. By his own example, every single day, every single minute he would show that one should never stop. While life gives you the chance, you have got to act; you have got to work and move forward.
On June 24th, 2016, the Mayor of Novosibirsk signed the Resolution on naming Novosibirsk Zoo after Rostislav Shilo.
Andrey Shilo became the new Director of the Zoo. He was 27 years old then. All his life he has been related to the Zoo. From his early years, he has seen his parents at work and has always been willing to help. A lot of his time Andrey dedicated to the ungulates. Together with his parents he would feed young elk, deer, sheep and many others. Being a pre-schooler, then a schoolboy and student he would spend all his spare time at the Zoo. The father regarded his son as his successor and taught him a lot. Andrey Shilo has been working in his father’s team since 2010.
In the summer of 2016 Novosibirsk Zoo opened several new facilities at once. On June 1st they linked up the Zoological Park and the Children’s Railway Station with a pedestrian bridge. It was done in exactly the same manner as had been planned by Rostislav Shilo; he had seen here the prospects for future development.
The Pavilion for small primates and penguins started working on July 29th 2016. It had also been designed, its foundation been laid and built under the supervision of Rostislav Alexandrovich. It was a brand new complex of enclosures and pools. They placed Humboldt penguins on the ground floor. Visitors now can observe how the birds dive and swim. The enclosures for the primates were built to consider the interests of both their inhabitants and the visitors. Here, the Zoo also put its collection of the Callitrichids, which is considered the best in the country.
The Centre of Oceanography and Marine Biology “Delfiniya” received its first visitors on August 1st, 2016. Rostislav Shilo dreamed for years of the Dolphinarium in Novosibirsk, the city which is quite cold at times and a long way from seas or oceans. He first voiced the idea back in 1996 and never gave up trying to fulfil that dream. Shilo had been looking for and eventually found investors, as well as persuaded the regional and city authorities to support the project. Rostislav Alexandrovich led the design work, formulated tasks and supervised the construction. The Centre was constructed using the means provided by the investor. “Delfiniya” is an independent enterprise. United by their common objectives and grounds, the Zoo and the Dolphinarium have become a single complex.
In August 2016 the Zoo beat a historic attendance record.
The new Pavilion and the Dolphinarium were highly appreciated by visitors. They thanked the Zoo for the opportunity to see the animals which have not been exhibited previously. But we shouldn’t forget what cost the Zoo and Rostislav Aleksandrovich Shilo himself did pay for that. There were those who opposed the construction and accused Shilo of a land grab. They claimed that it would be better just to leave the adjacent territory as it was, untended. It took a lot of time, effort and health to persuade and prove the opposite.
Both the Dolphinarium and the Pavilion for small primates and penguins were built under the conditions of inflation and instability of the economic situation in the country. In spite of the above, it never ever occurred to anyone in the Zoo to suspend the construction. The entire life of Novosibirsk Zoo since its establishment until today has been the story of creativity, devotion and selfless work in difficult conditions. It has never been easy, there has always been somebody to be against the Zoo and there has always been not enough money. Andrey Shilo, the new Director of the Zoo, just like his father, believes that it is no use waiting for better times, that you have to act now. Here he talks about the plans and objectives which the Zoo faces today: “Many enclosures are in need of capital repair, which we will definitely be doing. Part of the enclosures need rebuilding. For example, our bears, both brown and Asian black ones, are contained in the cages which initially were supposed to be a temporary option. They require more spacious enclosures with natural soil cover and trees. There are opportunities for that. We are now working on the project. We will gradually get rid of bars and wires in cages. We have already prepared the project of reconstruction of the tigers’ and lions’ enclosures. The parts of the enclosures facing the public will be made of glass. Out of new objects and ideas the enclosure for the Japanese macaques is worth mentioning. I want it to be all-season and equipped with geysers. Water reservoirs with hot springs will allow the monkeys to stay outside even when it snows and the temperature is as low as -10 C. This is what they tend to do in the wild – sit in the water trying to keep warm. It looks very touching. We will also partition off a plot in the ravine near the river for the moose. Again, in the wild they usually stay near the water. We intend to build compact detached warm housing for the flamingos, bush dogs and mongooses. In winter the animals could be observed through the glass, in the summer the doors of their winter quarters will not be shut to open-air enclosures, where the visitors will be able to look at them. The pavilion for the African animals (the so-called “giraffes” house), which Rostislav Shilo dreamed of, is still a compulsory objective to fulfil. It is going to be a very costly project. We are busy searching for investors. I think it will all work out in the end.”
At this moment in time the Zoo has become a kind of an oasis full of greenery for the city of Novosibirsk. The trees, grass and the flowers on numerous flower beds – all these please the eye and charge you with energy. The Zoo plans to develop a Botanical direction. There are also some ideas on arranging specialized excursions.

Novosibirsk zoo named after Rostislav Shilo acquire a unique large collection of animals. Today it amounts to 770 species and about 11 thou individual animals. More than 350 species are rare and endangered, they are enlisted into IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Red book of Russia and the Red book of Novosibirsk region. For 110 species there are International Studbooks.
The Zoo participates in 77 International Conservation programmes of rare and endangered species of animals and cooperates with 150 zoos in 44 countries.
Daily animal care is carried out by the team of professionals dedicated to their work, among them young employees, whom the Zoo particularly values.
The staff of the Zoo regards with profound respect the traditions which have been formed here for 70 years. They do research and work to conserve and breed rare animals. The Club of Young Naturalists is still running. The staff of the Zoological Park arrange about 1 thou excursions and more than 1 thou off-site lectures every year. The Zoo annually holds more than 70 ecological events and festivities which give the visitors an opportunity for joy and happiness and teach them to see, understand and love Nature. Such events help thousands of participants get together and provide an opportunity to learn something new and to feel involved in the critical issue of preserving the biodiversity of our planet.
Each year, more than 1.5 million people visit the Zoo, more than 600 thou of them get in free of charge. Novosibirsk Zoo arranges its territory and all the facilities in such a way that people with disabilities feel comfortable and enjoy themselves, which provides equal opportunities for all.
The first in Siberia, the best in the country, one of twenty best zoos in the world – these are well-merited and beautiful words. But what is more important is that people are happy to come here again and again, and the team takes up the challenge of solving serious conservational and ecological problems. Rostislav Shilo believed that a Zoological Park is a place where all should feel well and comfortable, both the animals and the people.