Tens of thousands of people visited the stand of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University at the Russia exhibition in Moscow. The task of the delegation of the country's first technical university, which worked for two days at VDNKh, was to popularise science and higher technical education.
The name "Mohs Mineralogical Scale" alone may seem incomprehensible to a person far from science. However, the Mining University staff proved during their master class that it is quite realistic to understand the mechanism of its work, regardless of age - even for a child. For this purpose, they brought minerals from the Northern Capital that correspond to nine positions of this scale. From the softest - talc, to corundum. Only diamonds, which it was decided not to bring to Moscow, are stronger than it.
"The exhibition-forum Russia is an unprecedented project. On one platform, visitors can learn almost everything about our country. We held several masterclasses. During one of them, we explained to the participants how certain substances are formed in nature, which of them are more solid. Everyone who wanted to, could feel themselves geologists and "scratch" stones against each other to see that the scale works and quartz, for example, is really harder than apatite", - said the director of the Mining Museum Mikhail Shabalov.
In addition to master classes, representatives of Mining University offered visitors to the exhibition to assemble models of diamond and graphite crystal lattices from a constructor, as well as to answer quiz questions. Everyone could take a photo against the background of the facade of the St. Petersburg university, dressed in the uniform of its employees. This location was particularly popular with young people.
"We are delighted to be part of such a unique project. The curiosity we sow now will definitely bear fruit in years to come. I am sure that many boys and girls who visited our stand will one day definitely come to enrol in the first technical university in Russia," said Ruslan Babkin, Director of the Centre for Pre-University and Special Programmes of Mining University.
It should be noted that since November last year the territory of VDNKh has been occupied by the International Exhibition-Forum "Russia". It united all 89 regions of the country. The large-scale project tells about advanced domestic achievements and innovations, introduces national traditions and local cuisine. According to the latest data, only during the New Year holidays the exhibition-forum was visited by about 1 million people. Its work will continue until 8 July.