History

Professor Sergey Anatolyevich Sachkov has been collecting his collection of butterflies since his school years. In the sixth grade, together with friends, he began catching butterflies with his hands and nets – the surname was conducive to this. Then he became interested in entomology in earnest.

Sergey Sachkov always caught butterflies: both during his studies on numerous expeditions, and during his military service (when the whole platoon chased insects in a forest clearing with him), and while working at Samara University.

Sergey Anatolyevich replenished the collection of butterflies himself, with the help of colleagues, and through exchange. Expeditions are a storehouse of finds and discoveries. At various times, the professor spent field seasons in search of butterflies in different regions of Russia – from the Urals to the Far East, from the Caspian Sea to Lake Baikal. He caught butterflies in the countries of Central Asia and Europe.

During the years spent in search of unique specimens, Sergey Sachkov became a pioneer more than once. He made the property of science and described 20 new species of butterflies previously unknown in the world. He named one of the species he discovered in honor of his wife Julia, infurcitinea juliae.

Many years ago, the collection of butterflies was moved to Samara University together with the scientific library from the Sergey Anatolyevich’s house. Since then, in the structure of Samara National Research University, there operates a scientific research laboratory of animal taxonomy and faunistics, which is headed by Professor S.A. Sachkov himself. Over the years, Sergey Anatolyevich and the laboratory staff have collected a unique collection of Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths), numbering about 80 thousand specimens.

It features species from Africa, North and South America, Asia, Europe. The collection is registered in the Rosprirodnadzor registry. It is the largest in the Volga Federal District and one of the five most complete collections in the Russian Federation.

Viktor Soifer, President of Samara University, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, took the initiative to present butterflies in digital format after seeing the large-scale collection with his own eyes. He suggested using modern technology to make the collection appealing not only for scientists and students, but also for all residents of the region.

Viktor Alexandrovich Soifer and the Chairman of the Samara Provincial Duma, Professor Gennady Petrovich Kotelnikov, told the Governor about Professor S.A. Sachkov and his collection, and on student's day on January 25, 2022, biology students Kirill Pivovarov and Anastasia Serikova also told the Governor about the collection and asked for help with financing a large-scale project. The project of creating the Smart Butterfly House was supported by the Governor of the Samara region Dmitry Igorevich Azarov. According to him, it is important to make the Lepidoptera exhibition as interesting and attractive as possible so that it becomes a tourist attraction.

Sergey Sachkov enthusiastically embraced the idea of digitizing the butterfly collection and, based on this, creating a multimedia museum with interactive areas where, with the help of virtual reality glasses, it will be possible to examine the flight of insects in detail, and wearing VR gloves, to pick up a 3D butterfly and feel the flap of its thinnest wings. Interactive tables filled with photographs will represent the main part of the collection.

Together with virtual and digital butterflies, live Lepidoptera will bring a sense of real nature to the museum. Their life in the insectarium (a special room designed for keeping and breeding insects) can be observed through glass.

Furthermore, visitors to the Smart Butterfly House will be able to try themselves as an entomologist and work with microscopes to examine various Lepidoptera in more detail. The museum will also feature a lecture hall where teachers and students of the Faculty of Biology will share their knowledge with guests of the Smart House.

Sachkov, Sergey Anatolyevich – Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of the Department of Ecology, Botany and Nature Conservation of Samara National Research University, Head of the Laboratory of Taxonomy and Faunistics of Animals.

Sergey Anatolyevich is a specialist in the field of entomology, taxonomy, faunistics, ecology of lepidoptera, lepidoepterology. The author of 360 scientific papers, including 20 monographs, conducts teaching work as a professor at the Department of Ecology, Botany and Nature Conservation of Samara University. Member of the European Lepidopterological Association. Twice winner of the Provincial Prize in the field of science and technology. He has a badge "For achievements in science and education". Editor of the 2nd volume of the Red Book of the Samara Region (volume “Animals”) and author of 42 essays. He participated in the writing of the Encyclopedia of the Samara Region (77 essays). He has discovered and described more than 10 taxa of Lepidoptera new to science. He has collected a unique collection of Lepidoptera. The collection is registered in the Rosporirodnadzor register and is the largest in the Volga Federal District and one of the five most complete collections in the Russian Federation.