Zoological Gardens of the Romanov Empire

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

This panel examines the history of zoological gardens in the Romanov Empire. Through looking at these institutions from the perspectives of history and literature, the papers highlight the intricate story of their establishment, the transnational origins of zoos, and the ambiguous nature of these social spaces that straddled science and entertainment. In doing so, the panel draws further attention to the field of animal-human relations, which is still not widely discussed in the historiography of the region.

Sub Unit

• History: 1800-1900

Chair

• Amy Nelson, Virginia Tech

Papers

• Friedrich Falz-Fein: A German Russian Zoo Entrepreneur - Anke Hilbrenner, U of Düsseldorf (Germany)

• A Parody of Science: Between Science and Spectacle in Anton Chekhov’s Writings on the Moscow Zoo - Emily Ziffer, Yale U

• Animals without Gardens: Failed Attempts to Establish Zoos in the Romanov Empire, 1860s-1910s - Anton Kotenko, U of Düsseldorf (Germany)

Discussants

• Alexander Vari, Marywood U

• Harriet Ritvo, MIT