An old mid-19th-century water tower with seven floors connected by spiral staircases — this houses the main exhibition of the "Universe of Water" Museum in Saint Petersburg.
The museum is interactive; for some reason people assume it's for children — that it will interest them. But why only children? I'm interested too! Technology has advanced, and modern people are bombarded with so much information that it's hard to remember things, and standing and reading long blocks of text in a museum is almost impossible. I believe a good museum keeps pace with the times: interesting, educational, accessible, with videos and other interactive features. "Universe of Water" is exactly such a museum.
The first floor of the exhibition is devoted to ancient structures for extracting and transporting water — not just primitive wells and canals. Among other things you'll find a model of the Hanging Gardens of Semiramis — one of the Seven Wonders of the World built in Babylon. The models are made carefully and lovingly — you can peer into every corner to see what the little figures are doing. On large screens you can watch a video presentation with voiceover, and if you want to listen to an audio guide in your headphones, they will offer you a free audio-guide app at the ticket desk.
The higher you climb in the tower, the closer you get to the modern era. On the sixth floor I learned how and why they melt snow from the streets instead of stockpiling it outside the city. Thanks to the museum for an informative and modern exhibition!
