And finally, we come up to the stands with butterflies. A rare visitor is indifferent to these creatures. Admit that in a hot summer noon every one of us in early childhood, with his heart sank, used to sneak up to a beauty with velvet wings, which is eager to fly away in a moment. For some of us this childish occupation turned into life-work. S.T.Aksakov vividly describes his memories of butterflies' collecting:

"Gathering butterflies was one of inclinations of my early youth, which although not for long, but with all power of passion involved me and leave a deep and fresh impression in my memory… I've got a pleasant reminiscence of that time and many happy and blissful hours for all my life".

Many outstanding scientists, writers and political figures were passionate collectors of butterflies. Among them there is Vladimir Nabokov, Aleksandr Butlerov, Prince Nikolay Romanov and one of the richest people of the world, a banker Walter Rothschild. There is the Rothschild's ornifly, named after its discover. A.M.Butlerov's collection of butterflies, which he presented to Zoology Study of the Kazan Emperor University in 1887, is kept in the Museum store. Only specialists are permitted to work with this unique collection.

Many tropical butterflies which are exhibited in the Museum, are kept in the collection for more than 200 years and were caught in virgin tropical forests. This is their great scientific value as catching of rare species of butterflies in their natural habitat is forbidden, and the majority of exotic beauties, which are found in the collections, are grown at specialized entomological firms.

One of the rarest samples is Emperor Papilionidae, a wonderful green butterfly, from Nepal regions difficult of access.

There are a lot of interesting and wonderful exhibits in the stalls and shelves of the University Zoology Museum. It is impossible to describe even one-hundredth of the collection on a few pages. Come to the Museum and you will see everything yourself; Zoology lecturers and members of the Museum staff will tell you with pleasure about marvelous residents of shelves, which stand still while waiting for rapturous and surprised visitors, students and schoolchildren, people of Kazan and guests of our city.