The exhibition The Song of the Bison is on display at the Brest Oblast Museum of Local Lore from 6 October to 15 November. It marks the 80th anniversary of the return of the magnificent animal to the Belarusian part of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha, BelTA learned from the museum.
Visitors can learn about the origins of the giant animal, interesting facts about its life and the history of the species’ restoration. The exhibition features items from the museum’s collection, including archival photographs and documents, and works of decorative and applied art. Craftspeople have depicted bison in wood, ceramics, glass and straw, and in intricate embroidery.
“It has turned into a chronicle of the bison. It gradually tells the story of the species, how it disappeared and how it was restored. The exhibition features several fossils, including the skull of a steppe bison and the horns of an ancestor of the modern bison. There are also other rare exhibits, such as an original copy of Kartsov’s book Belovezhskaya Pushcha and a radio-tracking collar used to monitor a bison. It is a very diverse and rich exhibition,” the museum said. About 100 exhibits are on display.
The European bison is a symbol of Belarus, and the protected forests of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha are impossible to imagine without these animals. The species’ population there had been wiped out by 1919. Thanks to the efforts of scientists, the European bison was returned to the wild environment. In 1946, five animals were brought to the Belarusian part of the forest to restore the species. Today, bison herds live throughout the national park. “It is a significant date. This is one of the oldest species. Humans, one might say, almost wiped it out, but then also restored its population. It took enormous effort from scientists,” the museum said.
Visitors can learn about the origins of the giant animal, interesting facts about its life and the history of the species’ restoration. The exhibition features items from the museum’s collection, including archival photographs and documents, and works of decorative and applied art. Craftspeople have depicted bison in wood, ceramics, glass and straw, and in intricate embroidery.“It has turned into a chronicle of the bison. It gradually tells the story of the species, how it disappeared and how it was restored. The exhibition features several fossils, including the skull of a steppe bison and the horns of an ancestor of the modern bison. There are also other rare exhibits, such as an original copy of Kartsov’s book Belovezhskaya Pushcha and a radio-tracking collar used to monitor a bison. It is a very diverse and rich exhibition,” the museum said. About 100 exhibits are on display.The European bison is a symbol of Belarus, and the protected forests of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha are impossible to imagine without these animals. The species’ population there had been wiped out by 1919. Thanks to the efforts of scientists, the European bison was returned to the wild environment. In 1946, five animals were brought to the Belarusian part of the forest to restore the species. Today, bison herds live throughout the national park. “It is a significant date. This is one of the oldest species. Humans, one might say, almost wiped it out, but then also restored its population. It took enormous effort from scientists,” the museum said.
