Alexander Stepanovich Popov is a major figure in Russian science, a scientist of world renown. He is considered the inventor of radio and the great-grandfather of the Internet. Although debates still continue over who was actually first—Popov or Marconi—most researchers agree that priority belongs to Popov. Alexander Stepanovich was born into a priest's family, graduated from the theological seminary in Perm, and later from the Physics and Mathematics Faculty of Saint Petersburg University. Popov presented his first radio receiver at a meeting of the physics-chemistry society on May 7, 1895. In the Soviet era, May 7 began to be celebrated as Radio Day.
The A.S. Popov Radio Museum is located in Yekaterinburg at 9/11 Rosa Luxemburg Street. The museum's location was not chosen by chance—this house belonged to the husband of Popov's sister, clergyman G.I. Levitsky. The future scientist lived here while studying at the seminary. The museum was opened in 1986 as a branch of the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local History. Those involved in creating the museum included Popov's relative M.V. Gulyaeva and the well-known Yekaterinburg radio operator F.P. Kislitsyn.
One of the halls recreates the interior of a 19th-century house. The interior features original pieces of furniture, belongings, and photographs of the Levitsky family. Other halls present radio equipment from the late 19th to the 20th century. Here you can see the prototype of Popov's radio receiver and the devices the scientist used in his experiments. Radios, radiolas, vacuum tubes, and tape recorders allow visitors to trace the development of radio equipment. All devices in the exhibition are in working condition. The museum's collection also includes gramophones, microphones, speakers, military radio equipment, and even televisions.
In addition to the radio exhibition, the museum has a planetarium. At the planetarium visitors are treated to an engaging tour about the chemical and physical processes inside stars, the distances between celestial bodies, constellations, the speed of light, and how ancient peoples navigated using the starry sky. The tour takes place in complete darkness, and the lecturer's narration is accompanied by a presentation. As visitors' eyes adjust, they gradually begin to make out the planets, stars, and galaxies overhead.
