Big discoveries begin with school lessons: the "Geography Classroom" at the exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA

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At the National Centre RUSSIA, geography goes beyond the textbook. The exposition "Geography Lessons" immerses visitors in the atmosphere of school years. One of the halls — the "Geography Classroom" — is designed as a mid-20th-century classroom. Familiar objects reveal the history of education, show how students’ health was cared for, and trace the development of geographical science.

In the "Geography Classroom", visitors’ attention is drawn to school desks designed according to the principles of physician and hygienist Fyodor Erismann in the 1870s. Studying the impact of school on the development of myopia and posture disorders, he demonstrated that furniture plays a key role. A design with a slanted desktop and a fixed distance to the eyes helped children maintain proper posture — the text in the notebook was positioned at a right viewing angle, making it uncomfortable to slouch.

Later, St Petersburg student and rural teacher Pyotr Korotkov improved Erismann’s desk. It became a double desk with a hinged lid, a shelf for textbooks and personal belongings, a hook for a school bag, and recesses for inkwells and writing tools. These desks, familiar to schoolchildren of the 1960s–1970s, have now become part of the museum display.

In the "Geography Classroom", visitors can sit at the desks and experience how the learning process was organised several decades ago. The atmosphere is enhanced by 19th–20th-century textbooks with colour illustrations and school globes used by generations of Russians.

Another feature of the hall is multimedia panels with portraits of outstanding scholars and explorers. Using artificial intelligence technologies, Lev Berg, Vasily Dokuchaev, Ivan Krusenstern, Semyon Remezov, Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, and Vasily Tatishchev are brought to life. In a dialogue format, they speak about their research, explain scientific ideas, and answer visitors’ questions. This approach highlights the contribution of Russian researchers to the development of geography and makes complex topics accessible to a wide audience.

The "Geography Classroom" also hosts the cultural and educational lecture series "Exploring Russia", held as part of the exposition "Geography Lessons". The programme includes meetings with travellers, scientists, researchers, and science communicators.

The exposition "Geography Lessons" at the National Centre RUSSIA shows how the country gradually explored its territory — from the routes of early explorers to satellite images of the Earth. The "Geography Classroom" serves as a reminder that many great discoveries begin with an ordinary school lesson and a careful look at a globe.