There was a time when we were observing Local History museums exhibits of birds and animals, which didn’t really differ from real ones. Who knew that stuffed animals are taxidermy sculptures and people who make them have a rare profession of taxidermist. They are ones who give us a chance to look at fauna within the walls of museums. Mykola Veselskii, scientist at Zhytomyr History Museum Department tells us about peculiarities of chosen job and love to all creatures, great and small

“Everything has started from junior naturalists section, where the main occupation was creating demonstrativeness. I was really into it, I was slowly getting used to working in this sphere and then applied to Natural Sciences Faculty.”
“My first exhibit I produced from Gavia Arctica. The bird has appeared in fishing net and fishermen gave us it back. It was in 1995.”

“Profession of taxidermist is a rare one. There are around ten real (!) professionals in Ukraine. In actual fact, those who mastered his skills are self-learners. Of course, some have teachers. My skills and knowledge were formed by the help of school teacher Petro Pecheniuk. He shared interest and love to nature with me.”

“Taxidermist has to be good at lots of spheres: biology, ecology, veterinarian surgery and artistic skills as well. This work is very meticulous, needs attention to be paid, requires being careful and persistent. Patience and anatomic knowledge are also needed, because no one wants to have an eagle instead of nightingale. (Smiles).”

“There is and there was no fear at all. Well, if you’re scared to operate, why do you need to do it? (Smiles). There is a scientific interest in my work. Moreover, I follow the main principle: there’s no need to kill bird or mammal intentionally for making exhibit. We don’t do it! We usually work with already dead material: we look for it during field studies on the roads, under power lines or sometimes as a predator’s capture. Material is sometimes given by hunters or just by interested people.”

“This was determined by history that human is a hunter. It’s good when there is a hunter’s ethics, when a person carrying weapon understands that apart from him, there are also those who want to see how the bird flies and animal runs. Animal are like people, born to live and continue their generation. As for me, I think a real hunter must firstly be a nature-lover.”

“In VIII-IX centuries nature collecting has overridden: collecting samples to university or museum funds or private collections. Nowadays you need to consider ecological conscious. There is a need in filling funds by economical way, but not useless destroying of all living… Moreover, with the help of modern equipment, there are a lot of things likely to be changed with quality artificial materials and produce various replicas.”

“There are a lot of people who consider themselves to be taxidermists, but destroying (sometimes extinct) animals at the same time and creating stuffed figures instead. This profession is exclusive and must serve scientific demand, but not to be used by an extensive propaganda campaigns.”
“I don’t work a la carte as a matter of principle! Conserving animal world if more valuable for me”

“I’m currently working hard on creating natural exhibition. It used to be popular, especially among young museum’s visitors. All and every exhibit can impress: some of them are more than 100 years old! I think, in the end of May you can see them in our museum”
Translated by Aliona Matushevich