In the power of retro: the scientific Christmas tree of the Polytechnic Museum opened in Moscow

The State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia opened the Polytechnic Museum's Science Christmas Tree at . The event is held jointly by the two exhibition organizations. Children will be treated to an interactive performance and an introduction to unique exhibits. Guests will be transported to 1944, to the apartment of a Soviet aircraft designer working on the country's first passenger airplane. To return to the present, the children will have to solve rebuses and conduct scientific experiments. The time, theme and heroes of the action were chosen not by chance, because next year Russia celebrates the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. The first little spectators and their parents were very pleased with the Christmas tree and the gift.

Journey to 1944

On December 24, the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia opened a scientific New Year's tree of the Polytechnic Museum in . Its first visitors were, in particular, children from an orphanage. This is a joint event of the two exhibition organizations. The holiday has become a good tradition, which was observed even during the Great Patriotic War. This year's plot will take the participants to the eve of 1945 and back to the present.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov

- Scientific Christmas trees are one of the most kind, iconic and pleasant traditions of the Polytechnic Museum. Charity Christmas trees have also become traditional for us - they are necessary not only for children who will come to our fairy-tale-scientific New Year's performance, but also for us, the museum staff, because the desire to help others, to please is a normal state of every person. That is why we attach such importance to these Christmas trees and put them first in our New Year's schedule, - said Dmitry Kozhanov, General Director of the Polytechnic Museum.

Children are waiting for an adventure game (quest) and performance with the effect of presence and immersion. According to the plot, they will travel back in time and get into the apartment of a Soviet aircraft designer, who together with his family is preparing for the meeting of 1945. This New Year's performance is a precursor to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory.

- The children will have to decipher passwords, use the Morse machine, learn the workings of an aerotube and the principles of aerodynamics. At the end they meet Santa Claus and receive gifts," Ekaterina Glushenkova, Head of the Department of Children's Programs and Projects of the Polytechnic Museum, told Izvestia.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov

Young researchers will learn about life and inventions of 80 years ago, in particular about the creation of the first fully Soviet heavy passenger airplane, get information about aircraft construction and astronomical observations, find answers to the quest, and then return to the XXI century to introduce the heroes of the past with modern technology, together celebrate the New Year and receive gifts.

According to Ekaterina Glushenkova, the organizers tried to make the Christmas tree not only entertainment, but also to tell the guests about the history of science and technology. The main difference of the holiday is its interactivity: children conduct experiments themselves. The performance is conducted by a professional team of animators and actors. During the event they do not leave their images and children can communicate with their characters. The performer of the main role was specially introduced to the scientific part of the program, so that children believe that they see a real engineer in front of them. As a gift, the organizers included a children's book "Kaleidoscope of Ideas", which tells about the exhibits of the Polytechnic Museum, a wooden puzzle, a three-dimensional coloring book and a postcard.

Joint program

Part of the program will be a tour of the Museum of Modern History of Russia, demonstration of exhibits of pre-war and wartime, and most importantly - the Order of Victory, which was awarded to the largest Soviet military leaders in 1944-1945.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov

- Last year the Museum of Contemporary History of Russia for the first time together with the Polytechnic Museum organized festive New Year's events for children and their parents. It turned out to be a very integral, from the historical and scientific point of view, project, where children were able to get acquainted with scientific and technical achievements and the modern history of our country in an interactive and playful form. Next year will be marked by the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Creating the program, we decided to make an emphasis on it: the participants will magically be transported to the past and together with the heroes will meet the coming victorious year 1945. The children will be told that good always defeats evil, and the most intelligent, brave and resourceful people live in our country, - said Irina Velikanova, General Director of the Museum of Modern History of Russia.

The Polytechnic Museum and the Museum of Modern History of Russia have planned a series of charity events for the families of SWO participants, families with many children, children from children's institutions and other social groups.

The Scientific Christmas Tree of the Polytechnic Museum is held with the support of T1 IT holding.

- This is not our first joint project with the Polytechnic Museum. In autumn in St. Petersburg we helped with the organization of an exhibition for the 150th anniversary of Russian engineering. And it was logical for us to support engineering Christmas trees. It is important for us to develop engineering creativity and promote it among the younger generation. After all, engineers are the people who change the world," said Yulia Davydova, Marketing and Brand Communications Director of T1 IT Holding.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov

Both children and their parents enjoyed the first performance.

- A gorgeous Christmas tree and a wonderful program. We had time to walk through the museum. They prepared a tour for parents, and the children were busy with animators. Everything is wonderful, the gifts are great. Children liked it very much, my child is satisfied, - said the mother of one of the first participants of the Christmas tree Anastasia.

The Christmas trees will be held every day until January 12 for three sessions at 11, 13 and 15 hours.