On February 20, the solemn presentation of the educational complex "Noosphere"took place in Irkutsk. The complex includes a multimedia museum, a planetarium and a public observatory.
The Governor of the Irkutsk region S.V.Eroschenko, chairman of the Duma of Irkutsk city Dmitry Berdnikov came out at the opening ceremony. For guests of the new complex the scientific adviser, Professor ISU S.A.Yazev read a short lecture. The press conference was held where Deputy of the State Duma of Russia Mikhail Slipenchuk, representative of METROPOL Group of Companies in Irkutsk I.M.Schadov, scientific director of the complex "Noosphere" S.A.Yazev answered to the numerous questions of Irkutsk journalists. The press conference was conducted by the executive director of the complex D.V.Semenov.
The complex was built by METROPOL Group of Companies and on the initiative of its founder and current deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Ecology Michael Slipenchuk supported by the Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal. Construction began in May 2011.
According to the Governor Sergei Eroschenko,who was participated in the opening ceremony, Irkutsk planetarium will be the fifth in the country equipped with the most modern equipment.
"This is Russia's only private planetarium and the only planetarium in the territory of the Novosibirsk to Tokyo - told to journalists the initiator of the project Mikhail Slipenchuk. - The name "Noosphere" means the sphere of reason, it must become a center for popularizing astronomy in Irkutsk Region, the Republic of Buryatia and the Trans-Baikal Territory. The idea of creating the complex belongs to the late Michael Schadov, so I would like to see the complex also bore his name".
Planetarium dome has a diameter of 9.14 meters and a capacity of 50 seats. The equipment allows the planetarium to demonstrate the starry sky, planets, galaxies and nebulae using special software, in addition to the hall with a spherical dome can view special educational films.
Multimedia Museum allows you to use large-size plasma screens and projections on the walls to reproduce video sequences to accompany the lectures on any topic. Huge interactive screens, multimedia systems, super-modern projection equipment, as well as unique items collected during the expedition "Mirs" on Baikal" will help to make a trip into the past and future of Lake Baikal.
The "Museum of the Noosphere" is intended to solve a number of urgent tasks: to draw attention to the unique nature of the Baikal Lake, to promote science education and patriotic education of schoolchildren and young people. The capacity of the complex - more than 100 thousand people a year.
Official site of the Irkutsk planetarium: http://www.irkplanetarium.com/
