163. The Universe of Water Museum
I've known about the Universe of Water Museum in St. Petersburg for several months, but it was never high on my list of places to visit (not the most fascinating topic to me, perhaps). But it was still open in the evening when I happened to walk past it on my way from Smolny Cathedral to the closest Metro station, so I decided to stop in and look around. It was a good decision, and I enjoyed learning more about the city water and sewerage system. The exhibits explain the disinfection process, how the city supplies water to the many public fountains around St. Petersburg, and the quality control process for water being sent out for public use - all from a historical perspective during the last three centuries as well as the current process. Part of the city's current potable water quality monitoring system includes live crawfish. If the water sent from the Neva River through their tanks includes any hazardous substances, their heartbeats will speed up and trigger an alarm. I don't know if this is standard technology everywhere but it's an ingenious system that does not require a huge technology investment.
The main part of the museum (opened in 2003) is housed in the Water Tower building, which was constructed in 1859-1860. The water pumping structure in this complex was installed in 1862 and used for this purpose for the next four decades. The building itself is as much part of the attraction as the exhibits inside. It has been restored beautifully and is the perfect setting for this museum as it's no longer in use as part of the city's water system. The higher floors offer excellent views southwest to the city center, as well as the best possible view of Tauride Palace just across the street (the palace's residents in the 1850s were not pleased when the new Water Tower went up and blocked their view of the Neva River).
The courtyard outside of the Water Tower houses a number of kiosks that explain different aspects of the city's water system in helpful bi-lingual signs, as well as several statues and sculptural installations. Several artillery guns dating from the Great Patriotic War era are on display here, and a clock on one of the buildings still contains a piece of shrapnel embedded in its face. A nearby building contains additional exhibits on the water cycle aimed at children, but I decided to skip that one. All in all, I learned quite a bit about a topic I didn't realize would be so interesting.
The main part of the museum (opened in 2003) is housed in the Water Tower building, which was constructed in 1859-1860. The water pumping structure in this complex was installed in 1862 and used for this purpose for the next four decades. The building itself is as much part of the attraction as the exhibits inside. It has been restored beautifully and is the perfect setting for this museum as it's no longer in use as part of the city's water system. The higher floors offer excellent views southwest to the city center, as well as the best possible view of Tauride Palace just across the street (the palace's residents in the 1850s were not pleased when the new Water Tower went up and blocked their view of the Neva River).
The courtyard outside of the Water Tower houses a number of kiosks that explain different aspects of the city's water system in helpful bi-lingual signs, as well as several statues and sculptural installations. Several artillery guns dating from the Great Patriotic War era are on display here, and a clock on one of the buildings still contains a piece of shrapnel embedded in its face. A nearby building contains additional exhibits on the water cycle aimed at children, but I decided to skip that one. All in all, I learned quite a bit about a topic I didn't realize would be so interesting.
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