Geological and mineralogical museum

The Head of the Museum is Viktor Mykolajovych BOIKO, mining engineer-geologist.

The museum of geology and mineralogy of the National Mining University (NMU) is one of the largest and most substantial museums of such a type in Ukraine. As a part of the Mineralogy Cabinet the museum has functioned since the beginning of the last century (1901), and in 1935 it became an independent subdivision of the Dnipropetrovsk Mining Institute (DMI).

The museum area is over 350 square meters, and there are 44 glass cases for samples, which constitute three main sections:

• Mineralogy, Crystallography, Petrography;
  
• Historical Mineralogy and Paleontology;
  
• Useful Minerals are the three main sections.
  

The section of Mineralogy, Crystallography and Petrography is based upon the grounds of chemical classification of minerals (after О.G. Betekhtin). Separate minerals according to their physical properties (gravity, hardness, color and shade, glance, transparency, cleat, streak color, etc.), morphological properties, and mineral aggregates, magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks are displayed.

The section of Historical Geology and Paleontology has been formed according to the principles of geological time-scale. Various forms of organisms of flora and fauna have ever existed, the imprints of their lives in the form of fossils, cardinal forms of organisms in accordance with the stages of geological evolution of the Earth and taxonomical classification of biogenic world are displayed here.

Genetical classification of metalliferrous and non-metalliferrous raw materials and their use by the National Economy are the basis of Useful Minerals Section. The ores of black and color metals, raw materials for building, chemical, glass and ceramics industries, mineral pigments, fire-and acid-proof materials, fluxes and other mineral raw materials from different world deposits are represented here.

Peculiar attention is paid to new fields of Geology. Not long ago a new Department of Gemology and a new specialization of Precious and Semi-Precious Stones Diagnostics and Assessment were established. The appropriate samples stones are also presented in the museum.

The museum is opens:

• Monday – Thursday: 9:a.m. – 5: p.m.
  
• Friday: 9:a.m. – 3: p.m.