Ornithological collections from the time of the First and Second World Wars at the National Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Abstract

This study investigates the formation, preservation, and transformation of the ornithological collection of the National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NMNH) during the First (1914–1918) and Second (1939–1945) World Wars. Based on the analysis of historical sources, inventory books, collection catalogues, and specimen labels, the pathways of accession were reconstructed, the specific features of scientific activity under conditions of social upheaval were identified, and the scientific, cultural, and conservation value of the materials was assessed. The object of the study was the ornithological collection of the NMNH, which comprises more than 40 000 storage units, including study-skins, egg clutches, and exhibited skin-mounts. More than 700 specimens collected during wartime were examined, with detailed breakdowns by year, region, collector, and taxonomic composition. Particular attention was paid to Kyiv Oblast—the only region represented in the collections by a sufficient number of specimens from both wartime periods. In 1919–1933, despite the absence of the museum as an institution, the collections were enriched mainly through donations of private collections and materials from other institutions; more than 89% of specimens originated from Kyiv Oblast and the Crimea. Specimens of 15 species currently listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine were identified: Anarhynchus alexandrinus (3), Falco naumanni (2), Milvus migrans (2), Grus virgo (1), Asio flammeus (1), Bubo bubo (1), Circus macrourus (1), Glareola nordmanni (1), Haematopus ostralegus (1), Lanius excubitor (1), Podiceps grisegena (1), Recurvirostra avosetta (1), Pastor roseus (1), Tetrao urogallus (1), and Tetrastes bonasia (1). During the Second World War, museum activity was uneven: the peak of collections occurred in 1939–1940, followed by a sharp decline. In total, the collections were enriched with 364 specimens, of which 257 originated from Ukraine, mainly from Kyiv Oblast. Among these gatherings, specimens of 17 species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine were identified: Numenius arquata (3), Picus viridis (3), Circus cyaneus (2), Grus virgo (1), Clanga clanga (1), Bucephala clangula (1), Alaudala rufescens (1), Dendrocopos leucotos (1), Haematopus ostralegus (1), Limosa limosa (1), Milvus migrans (1), Netta rufina (1), Recurvirostra avosetta (1), Branta ruficollis (1), Sternula albifrons (1), Strix uralensis (1), and Tringa stagnatilis (1).